This feature enables users to identify songs on YouTube by humming, singing, or recording a part of the song.
YouTube is testing a new feature for Android devices that would allow users to identify songs by humming. The move, as reported by TechCrunch, is an advancement compared to Apple‘s own music recognition app Shazam.
YouTube has initiated trials of a song search capability on the Android version of its app, according to Google’s support page. This feature enables users to identify songs on YouTube by humming, singing, or recording a part of the song. Those granted access to the trial can switch from the regular voice search function to the new song search feature. Users can hum, sing, or record a song for three seconds or more.
The platform then identifies the melody and provides users with links to related YouTube videos containing the searched song, including official music videos, user-generated content, or Shorts. “This experiment is rolling out to a small percentage of people across the globe who watch YouTube on Android devices,” YouTube said.
The new initiative comes three years after Google, YouTube’s parent company, launched a similar capability on its Google app, Google Search widget, and Google Assistant. This allowed users to identify songs by humming, whistling, or singing into the microphone icon. However, that feature required a humming duration of 10 to 15 seconds for successful identification of songs.
In comparison, Apple’s popular Shazam app and Siri are not able to recognize a tune that users sing or hum. Apple’s services require users to record a portion of the song to identify it.
YouTube has been testing several new features for its platform in recent months. On July 31, the company said it started testing AI auto-generated summaries on YouTube to make it easier for users to read a quick summary about a video. YouTube also runs its own streaming service YouTube Music; MN2S Label Services distributes music from over 350 labels to YouTube Music, Spotify, Apple Music and more.