Nairobi News

YouTube has taken a leap forward in music recognition technology with a groundbreaking experiment on Android devices. This latest development, poised to rival Apple’s music recognition app Shazam, introduces a novel way to identify songs on the video-sharing platform: by humming.

According to information published on YouTube’s support page, the platform is currently testing a remarkable search-by-song feature on the Android version of its app.

This feature empowers users to unravel a song’s identity on YouTube simply by humming, singing, or recording a segment of the melody.

For those granted access to this pioneering experiment, a quick toggle from YouTube’s voice search to the new song search feature enables users to hum, sing, or record a song snippet for three seconds or more.

The platform’s robust technology springs into action, swiftly recognizing the tune and guiding users toward pertinent YouTube videos featuring the sought-after song.

This could range from the official music video to user-generated content and even Shorts.

Currently, the search-by-song capability remains accessible to a limited subset of Android users. Should this feature undergo broader implementation, its potential utility is immense.

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Given YouTube’s status as a prime hub for song discovery, this feature could become a go-to tool for many music enthusiasts.

This new experiment by YouTube might strike a chord of déjà vu for some. In 2020, YouTube’s parent company Google, unveiled a similar capability, allowing users to identify songs by humming, whistling, or singing into the microphone icon.

However, a significant distinction lies in the duration of the humming required. Google’s feature necessitates humming for 10-15 seconds to identify the song successfully.

Google’s method for identifying songs through hums hinges on machine learning models that match the user’s hum with a song’s unique “fingerprint” or signature melody.

Strikingly, YouTube’s current experiment employs the same underlying technology, as confirmed by the company to TechCrunch.

Although other music recognition apps such as SoundHound and MusixMatch also enable song identification through humming or singing, they have not garnered the same level of popularity as YouTube and Google.

Despite this, it’s worthwhile to explore these alternatives, especially if you’re hunting for Kenyan songs or any other musical gems.

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