SoundHound
Identify songs, follow artists, create custom radio stations, and explore new music.
What is SoundHound?
SoundHound is a music recognition and discovery app that identifies songs playing around you and helps you explore new music based on your listening habits. basically, it works like Shazam; point your phone at music playing in a café, shop, or anywhere else, and it tells you the track name, artist, and lyrics. Beyond identification, SoundHound lets you follow your favourite artists, create personalised radio stations, and discover related music. The service operates on a freemium model, so you can use basic song identification and discovery features without paying, though a paid tier likely offers ad-free listening and extra features. It appeals to casual music fans who want quick song identification and those who enjoy building custom listening stations tailored to their taste.
Key Features
Song identification
Point your phone at any music to instantly identify the track, artist, and album details
Artist following
Keep up with your favourite musicians and get notified of new releases
Custom radio stations
Create personalised stations based on songs, artists, or genres
Music discovery
Explore new tracks and artists similar to ones you already enjoy
Lyrics viewing
Access song lyrics directly in the app
Cross-platform syncing
Sync your library and preferences across devices
Pros & Cons
Advantages
- Fast and accurate song identification works offline or online
- Personalised radio creation makes it easy to find new music matching your taste
- Free tier covers core features without subscription
- Simple, intuitive interface suitable for all users
Limitations
- Free version likely includes advertisements; paid tier needed for ad-free experience
- Personalised recommendations depend on having enough listening history to work well
- Limited integration with some music streaming services compared to dedicated streaming apps
Use Cases
Identifying a song you hear on the radio or in a shop
Building a radio station based on a single artist or song you like
Discovering music recommendations without manually searching
Keeping track of new releases from artists you follow