Key Points:
- YouTube Music for Android now allows users to identify songs by playing, singing, or humming.
- The new feature leverages AI to match the audio to original recordings swiftly and accurately.
- This update is currently rolling out on Android devices and is not yet available on iOS.
YouTube Music has unveiled a highly anticipated feature for Android users: the ability to identify songs by playing, singing, or humming a tune. This innovative update enhances the user experience by making song identification more intuitive and accessible.
To use this feature, simply tap the magnifying glass icon at the top-right corner of the YouTube Music app. You’ll notice a new waveform icon next to the microphone. This setup, while visually distinct, improves functionality by separating the traditional voice search from the new song identification tool.
The search page is vibrant and prompts users to “Play, sing, or hum a song.” This technology, first introduced in 2020 for Google Search and later integrated into the main YouTube app, uses AI to match the audio input to the original recording. My brief tests showed the identification process to be remarkably swift and accurate.
Once a song is identified, a full-screen results page displays the cover art, song title, artist, album, year, and download/offline status. Users can play the song directly or save it to their library, with additional options available via the standard overflow menu.
This feature, tested since March and reminiscent of Google Play Music’s previous capabilities, is a server-side update rolling out with version 7.02 of YouTube Music for Android. However, iOS users will have to wait as it is not yet available on their platform.
