How to find a song by humming it or remembering a few words

You recognise it the moment it starts. Then it ends, someone talks over the singer and you’re left wondering what it was called. Start with the clue you have. If the recording is still playing, try Shazam. If the tune is only in your head, use the Google app’s song search. If you remember a few words, start there.

Before downloading five apps and hoping one gets it right, work out what you can give your phone to listen to or read. A recording and a tune you hum are different clues. Pick the right search for what you have. And you don’t need to sing like Giorgia to give that chorus a go.

If the song is still playing, use the audio

You’re in a shop, in the passenger seat or watching TV, and the song is still on. Open Shazam and start listening during a clear bit of the track. The app works on iPhone, iPad and Android. On supported Apple devices, you can also set up Shazam Music Recognition in Control Centre and use it from there.

Set it up ahead of time. Open the app at home, grant microphone access if prompted and find the button. Then you won’t miss the chorus looking for an icon. If it doesn’t work the first time, wait for a quieter moment. Keep a safe distance from the speakers.

If you only remember the tune, hum it

On Android, open the Google app, tap the microphone in the search bar and choose Search a song. Play the recording or hum, whistle or sing the tune. For other devices, use the help page for your system, because the controls and availability can vary. Look for the dedicated song search.

Choose the part you remember best and keep the notes in order, even if you sing them all on one syllable. You’re trying to capture the shape of the tune. Find a quiet room and try another section if you’re unsure of the chorus. A search that comes up empty may simply need a clearer or longer clue.

If you remember a few words, type them in

A line can be a great clue. Search for the words you’re reasonably sure of and add “song”, “lyrics” or the equivalent in the right language. Put a phrase in quotation marks if you remember it exactly. If you’re guessing, try again without quotes. One wrong word can make the search too narrow. Add uncertain details one at a time.

Start with a short phrase, then add one useful detail: a female voice, Spanish lyrics or the film you heard it in. When a title looks promising, play it on an authorised channel and compare the part you remember. Another song may use the same words.

Heard it in a video? Go back to the clip

Open the video again and check for an audio label, a description or credits. A name beside the music icon can be a lead. The label “original audio” may refer to a recording uploaded by the user, so look for a separate credit before assuming the person who posted it wrote the song.

Save the link and the moment the music starts. That’s more useful than messaging everyone about “the one that goes dum dum”. If you ask for help, be specific: it starts at twelve seconds, and the voice comes in after the piano. Share the link or clip through the platform without reposting the whole track.

If you’re listening through headphones, use the audio you already have

On supported devices, Shazam can identify music playing in other apps. On iPhone and iPad, you can also use it while wearing headphones or earbuds. Follow the steps for your device, since the controls vary. It’s handy when the music comes from something you’re already watching.

If all you have is the melody you can hum, go back to song search. Identifying a recording and matching a tune you sing are different jobs. The method that works at the café may not help with the tune you remembered in the shower. Choose the tool that takes the clue you have.

Original, remix or cover: did you find the right one?

Sometimes the title is right and the song sounds wrong. Before dismissing it, check who’s singing and which version you’re playing. A cover can change the voice or instruments, a live version may have a long intro, and a remix may move the bit you recognise. Search for the title with the performer’s name and compare the chorus.

Note where you heard it. An advert, a film scene or a TV performance can lead you to the exact recording. Check the writing credit separately from the performer’s name. That can lead you to the people and decisions behind a melody you already like.

If nothing comes up, keep the clues

Ask someone who was there if they remember another word, the radio station or the programme. Keep guesses open. “It sounded like a French voice” is a clue to try, and you can still look at other possibilities. A voice that sounds like one artist may turn out to be someone else.

Make a note of the day, place, possible language, words, instruments and link if you have it. If you record yourself humming, do it alone somewhere quiet to keep other people’s conversations out of it. Come back to the search when another line comes to mind.

When you find it, save it to your library or start a playlist called Found Again. Keep the title and artist handy, as the cover you recognise today may mean nothing tomorrow. Next time a friend asks what that song was, you might have the answer. Then turn it up, of course.