If you’ve ever found yourself humming along to a song and asking, “Who sings this song?”, you’re not alone. Identifying the artist behind a song can sometimes be tricky, especially when it’s a tune you’ve heard on the radio or streaming platforms but can’t quite place. Fortunately, there are a variety of tools available that can help you quickly and accurately identify songs and their artists. Here are some of the best methods and tools to help you figure out who sings that catchy tune.

1. Shazam

Shazam is arguably the most well-known app for identifying songs. It uses an audio fingerprinting technology that analyzes the sound of a song and matches it to a large database of music tracks. Once you open the app, simply press the Shazam button, and it will listen to the song for a few seconds. Within moments, it will show the song’s title, artist, and even album cover.

The beauty of Shazam is that it works with a wide variety of music genres and even lesser-known tracks. The app is free to use, and it’s available on both iOS and Android devices, as well as through desktop and smart speakers like Siri or Amazon Alexa. Shazam also has the ability to link to streaming services like Spotify, so you can listen to the song again instantly .

2. SoundHound

SoundHound is another fantastic tool for identifying songs, but it offers a unique advantage over Shazam—it can also identify songs based on your humming or singing. If you can remember the melody but don’t know the lyrics, you can hum or sing the tune into SoundHound, and it will still try to identify it. This feature makes it a standout option for moments when you’re recalling a song from memory rather than hearing it live.

Like Shazam, SoundHound offers instant access to the song’s details, including artist information, album, and genre. It can also link you directly to streaming platforms where you can listen to the song. SoundHound is available for both Android and iOS users .

3. Musixmatch

Musixmatch is best known for its extensive collection of song lyrics, but it also offers a great tool for identifying songs. The app syncs with various music services, including Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube, to display lyrics as the song plays. However, its song identification feature works similarly to Shazam by identifying songs through its music recognition technology.

Musixmatch also has a “lyrics finder” feature that allows you to search for songs using specific lyrics. If you’ve heard a song before and can remember part of the lyrics, you can type them into the app, and Musixmatch will help you find the full track details. It’s available for both iOS and Android .

4. Google Assistant and Siri

If you don’t want to download a dedicated app, both Google Assistant and Siri are capable of identifying songs with just a simple voice command. With Google Assistant, you can say, “Hey Google, what’s this song?” and hold your phone near the source of the music. Similarly, Siri allows you to ask, “Hey Siri, what song is this?” to identify the track. Both virtual assistants leverage their own databases and technology to match the song’s audio with available metadata, providing you with the artist, track name, and other details instantly.

The advantage of using these voice assistants is that they’re already integrated into your device, so no additional apps or downloads are necessary .

5. Song Finder on Websites

If you’re working on a computer and hear a song but don’t have access to your phone, there are several websites where you can input lyrics to find out the song’s title and artist. Websites like Genius (www.genius.com) and LyricFind (www.lyricfind.com) allow users to search by lyrics. All you need to do is type in the phrase or line you remember, and the site will show you the full song, artist, and album details. Genius also provides additional insights into the song’s meaning, backstory, and user annotations .

6. TrackID by Sony

Though TrackID has been discontinued as of 2017, it was once a top contender in music identification. However, it still left a significant mark, and its features were integrated into other music recognition apps, such as Shazam. While the standalone app may no longer exist, many of its features have been absorbed into newer platforms, ensuring that users can still find similar song-identifying capabilities.

7. Identify Songs Through Social Media

Platforms like TikTok and Instagram often introduce viral songs that get stuck in everyone’s head. If you’re wondering who sings a song you heard on these platforms, the music selection options on TikTok allow you to click on the song and instantly see its artist and album. Instagram also uses a similar feature with Instagram Stories, where songs are linked to artists.

8. Dedicated Music Forums and Communities

Sometimes, the best way to find out who sings a song is to ask others. Music communities on Reddit (such as r/NameThatSong) and other forums often have a collective knowledge that can help identify songs. Users can post audio clips or describe the song in detail, and others can pitch in with their guesses.

These communities can be incredibly helpful, especially if you’re dealing with obscure or niche tracks that aren’t readily identified by more common tools.

Whether you’re using a specialized app like Shazam or SoundHound, leveraging built-in voice assistants, or turning to social media and forums for help, identifying the artist of a song has never been easier. Each tool has its strengths, so choosing the right one depends on whether you prefer simplicity, accuracy, or additional features like lyrics or humming recognition. With these tools at your disposal, you’ll never be left wondering, “Who sings this song?” again.