YouTube could soon let you search for songs just by humming
Have you ever had a song stuck in your head so often that you knew what it was but not the name of it? Well, YouTube may one day provide a solution as the platform is testing a new search feature that will be able to identify a song just if someone is humming a tune.
While that sounds too good to be true, it appears to be part of an ongoing project to introduce Shazam-like technology to YouTube. As seen on a Google support pagewould this feature allow people to look up songs by humming, as we just mentioned, or by “include a song that’s currently playing” in the voice search.
The company states that the humming or recording must last at least three seconds “to identify the song.” Once found, the website shows relevant, official content from YouTube channels, “user-generated videos” or Shorts with the track.
Because it’s experimental, the platform is rolling out the test to only a “small percentage of people around the world who watch YouTube on Android devices.” It is not known whether it is possible to submit a request to participate in the program. We’ve contacted Google for more information. This story will be updated at a later date.
Old technology made new
The technology behind analyzing humming to find specific music tracks isn’t new. Both Google Search and Google Assistant for mobile rolled out this functionality in 2020. The YouTube version could very well use the same technology, although it sounds like it’s been vastly improved. For example, to search for songs on the Google Assistant, you have to hum for at least ten seconds at a time, compared to three on YouTube.
Given that Google is expanding its music recognition software, we can’t help but wonder if Apple will follow suit with Shazam. In its 20 years of existence, Shazam has relied on analyzing recordings to look up songs, never expanding its technology to include humming or singing, even when it was bought up.
Apple didn’t budge when it came to smaller third-party music recognition apps MusicMatch started implementing this feature. But with a major rival joining the fray, we may see the much-anticipated upgrade.
Update on quality of life
Google is also experimenting with another YouTube feature, though it’s more of a quality-of-life upgrade than something super substantial. The tech giant calls it “channel shelf,” and bundles multiple uploads from your subscription feed. Presumably everything can be put together in some kind of playlist. Google does not explain exactly how it works.
It does explain why the company adds this. One: YouTube wants to make it “easier for users to find content” and interact with it. Two: It wants to take some of the pressure off creators who feel the need to upload videos multiple times a day. Like the buzzing upgrade, it’s only available to “a small percentage of viewers to begin with.”
Listening to music on YouTube is not the best experience. The platform compresses the audio, resulting in a dip in quality. You’re better off listening to songs on a good streaming service.
With that in mind, you should check out TechRadar’s list of the best music streaming services for 2023. We advise tide if you want truly lossless audio.