Start with what you can hear

The fastest way to find a song from a video is to use your phone's built-in recognition tool or a dedicated app that listens to audio. If you have an iPhone, open Control Center, press and hold the music note icon, and hold your phone near the speaker playing the video — Shazam will identify the song in seconds. On Android, Google Assistant can do the same: say "What's this song?" or tap the microphone icon in Google Search, then let it listen.

These tools work best when the audio is clear and the song plays for at least 10 to 15 seconds without interruption. If the video has dialogue or sound effects layered over the music, recognition becomes harder but not impossible — the apps are designed to filter background noise.

Key Takeaways

  • Shazam on iPhone and Google Assistant on Android can identify songs by listening to a few seconds of audio from your phone's speaker.
  • If the video is on your computer, use Midomi or SoundHound's web versions, or record the audio and upload it to a music recognition site.
  • For videos where you can see lyrics on screen, reverse image search or typing a few words into a search engine often finds the song faster than audio recognition.
  • YouTube videos often have the song title in the description, comments, or pinned message from the uploader.
  • If recognition fails, try searching for the video title plus "song" or "soundtrack" — fan communities often identify music before official sources do.

Use music recognition websites when your phone won't work

Midomi and SoundHound both have web versions that let you hum, sing, or play audio through your computer's microphone. Go to midomi.com or soundhound.com, click the microphone button, and let the site listen to the video playing on your speakers. The process is the same as Shazam but works from a browser instead of an app.

If the video is playing on the same computer, you can also record a clip of the audio and upload it directly. Use your computer's built-in recording tool (Voice Memos on Mac, Voice Recorder on Windows) or a free tool like Audacity to capture 15 to 30 seconds of the song. Then upload that file to SoundHound or Midomi for identification.

Search for lyrics if you can read them on screen

If the video shows lyrics or text that mentions the song, use that information first — it is usually faster than audio recognition. Open Google Images, take a screenshot of the text, and upload it. Google's reverse image search can often find the song page or lyrics site that matches.

Alternatively, type a few words of the lyrics directly into Google Search in quotation marks, like "dancing in the moonlight". Google will show you pages that contain that exact phrase, and the song title usually appears in the first few results. This method works even if the lyrics are partially visible or you only remember a fragment.

Check the video's description and comments

On YouTube, the uploader often includes the song title and artist in the video description or as a pinned comment at the top of the comment section. Scroll down to read the full description — many creators link to the song on Spotify or Apple Music, or name it outright.

If the description is empty, read through the top comments. Other viewers frequently ask "What's the song?" and someone usually answers within the first 10 to 20 comments. Sort comments by "Top Comments" to see the most-liked responses first, which are usually correct.

Search for the video title plus "song" or "soundtrack"

If the video has a title, search Google for that title plus the word "song" or "soundtrack." For example, if the video is called "Morning Commute Vlog," search "Morning Commute Vlog song" or "Morning Commute Vlog soundtrack". Fan communities and music blogs often identify songs from popular videos before official sources do, and those posts rank high in search results.

This method works especially well for viral videos, movie trailers, TV show clips, and advertisement videos. The more specific you can be about the video's source or context, the better your results. Include the channel name or creator if you know it.

Use reverse video search for clips from films or TV

If the video is a scene from a movie or TV show, use Google Lens or TinEye to search by image. Take a screenshot of a distinctive moment in the video, upload it to Google Lens (lens.google.com), and search. Google will often return the movie or show title, and from there you can find the soundtrack on IMDb or a music database.

For TV shows, IMDb's episode pages list all music used in that episode, including songs that play in the background. Search for the show name and episode number, then scroll to the "Soundtrack" section. This method is reliable for broadcast television and streaming shows.

Try a dedicated music database if recognition fails

Discogs and MusicBrainz are searchable databases of songs, albums, and artists. If you know any details — the artist's name, a few lyrics, the year the video was posted, or the genre — you can search these sites directly. They are less user-friendly than Shazam but contain deeper information and can help when other tools return no results.

WhoSampled is useful if the song samples or interpolates another track. If the melody sounds familiar but recognition tools do not find it, the song might be built on an older recording. WhoSampled shows the original source and the new version side by side.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why won't Shazam or Google Assistant recognize the song?

Recognition fails most often when the audio is muffled, mixed with loud dialogue or sound effects, or plays for fewer than 10 seconds. Try holding your phone closer to the speaker, moving to a quieter room, or recording a longer clip. Some very new or very obscure songs may also not be in the recognition database yet.

Can I identify a song if I only remember how it sounds, not any lyrics?

Yes. Hum or sing the melody into Midomi or SoundHound, and both apps can match it to a song in their database. You do not need to be a good singer — the apps listen for the pitch and pattern of the notes, not the quality of your voice. Humming works better than singing if you are unsure of the words.

What if the video is private or deleted?

If you have a recording or screenshot from the video, you can still use audio recognition or reverse image search. If you only remember details about the video, search Google for those details plus "song" — for example, "skateboarding video song" or "coffee shop commercial song." Other people may have posted about the same video elsewhere.

How long does music recognition usually take?

Shazam and Google Assistant return results in 5 to 10 seconds. Web-based tools like Midomi and SoundHound take slightly longer, usually 10 to 30 seconds. If a tool does not find a match after 30 seconds, it is unlikely to find one — try a different method instead.

Can I find a song if it is instrumental or has no lyrics?

Yes, audio recognition works on instrumental music just as well as songs with vocals. Shazam and SoundHound can identify background music, film scores, and ambient tracks. If recognition fails, try searching for the video's source — movie soundtracks and TV show music are usually listed on IMDb or the composer's website.