Recent news is Shazam was acquired by Apple–making us all assume the worst. With no idea as to whether or not the popular song recognition app will continue to work on Android or not, but we all know that the possibility exists. And ever since Sony shut down TrackID, our options are becoming increasingly limited. We know that it’s always complicated to replace such an ubiquitous tool. That’s why we’ve done the heavy lifting for you and have found the best alternatives to Shazam on Android.
SoundHound
Without a doubt, this is by far the most obvious option. In the world of music recognition apps, there’s always been a sort of rivalry between SoundHound and Shazam. There’s really no wonder, since SoundHound is ridiculously effective and easy to use. It’s rare that the app can’t identify a song in a matter of seconds and, once found, it also gives you all the information about it, along with its lyrics if it’s a relatively famous song. Plus, it gives you the option to listen to it via the music streaming apps you have installed, and even watch the music video on YouTube if it exists. And if you dare to hum the tune yourself, there’s still a good chance that the app will find it without having to hear the original song. [Download]
Musixmatch
Even though the original aim of Musixmatch was to provide lyrics to the songs you’re listening to, the app has continuously added features that make it even more essential. The way it identifies music playing around you is simple, and it’s almost guaranteed to recognize anything found on Spotify or YouTube. You’ll see the lyrics as soon as the song is identified so you can start singing along almost instantly. [Download]
A while back, we discussed the possibility of using the Google app for finding what song is playing. All thanks to its infinite search engine that offers a voice search option. The process is as simple as tapping the music note icon and waiting for Google to do its magic. The problem is that it doesn’t work as well as the other options on the list, although it is the most convenient one that you probably already have installed. [Download]
Beatfind
The minimalist design of Beatfind makes it the ideal app for anyone who’s looking for a music recognition app that doesn’t mess around. It works relatively quickly and even offers a special feature that sets it apart from the rest: it has a mode that activates your flash to the beat of the music. So now you can really get the party started anywhere with your very own portable strobe light. [Download]
Genius
We all have to recognize the awesomeness of Genius, with it being the most important lyrics website in the world. What you may not know is that its app also has a song recognition feature that takes you directly to the lyrics of the song. That said, in Genius you’ll find the most important songs in the music world, as well as practically every song related to the urban music scene, but you may not find other genres that don’t fit into these categories. [Download]
Shazam
So, Shazam may have been bought up by Apple, but we still don’t have any idea if the app is going to disappear from Android or not. Furthermore, it would be a strange move to make considering Shazam is one of the most commonly used apps in the Android ecosystem. That’s why we’re not ready to completely give up on Shazam and we will continue to recommend it as one of the best options for picking up on the music you hear around you. [Download]
