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Song stuck in your head? Just hum to search (2020)

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Re: Song stuck in your head? Just hum to search (2020)

#31
post #28

This seems to have been removed in the most recent Google app. Typical Google.

Not on iOS, at least. Just tap the microphone icon in the search box, and a button "Search a song" appears. I've never understood why it's only part of the mobile apps, though, and not part of web search.

I just downloaded the Google app for iOS and this feature was missing until I force-closed and reopened it. Then it appeared.

Re: Song stuck in your head? Just hum to search (2020)

#33

I had the song Low by Flo Rida stuck in my head. I made an audio recording of me humming and sent it to a bunch of friends, all of whom know a lot more about popular music than I do. No one could figure it out. And neither could Google.

I'd be interested in hearing this recording if you're willing to share it

Re: Song stuck in your head? Just hum to search (2020)

#34

I gotta say, as dumb as this sounds, there is almost nothing more satisfying than having an unidentified song stuck in your head and then after hours/days/years figuring out what it is. Vivid memory from when I was in middle school (before internet search was common) having a song tune stuck in my head for years that I couldn’t identify. Finally years later I heard it on the radio randomly and it was like scratching…

When I was younger (basically when the transition to Web 2.0 happened), I had the melody of „The kids aren’t alright“ from The Offspring stuck in my head for months. I was so relieved when I found it.

Re: Song stuck in your head? Just hum to search (2020)

#35

I gotta say, as dumb as this sounds, there is almost nothing more satisfying than having an unidentified song stuck in your head and then after hours/days/years figuring out what it is. Vivid memory from when I was in middle school (before internet search was common) having a song tune stuck in my head for years that I couldn’t identify. Finally years later I heard it on the radio randomly and it was like scratching…

You’re gonna love this: https://gimletmedia.com/shows/reply-all/o2h8bx

Two things: I have diagnosed but mostly managed OCD so that was fascinating

And second: that is a WILD story - I was kind of expecting to get to the end with no pay dirt but that was fantastic.

Re: Song stuck in your head? Just hum to search (2020)

#36

I gotta say, as dumb as this sounds, there is almost nothing more satisfying than having an unidentified song stuck in your head and then after hours/days/years figuring out what it is. Vivid memory from when I was in middle school (before internet search was common) having a song tune stuck in my head for years that I couldn’t identify. Finally years later I heard it on the radio randomly and it was like scratching…

You’re gonna love this: https://gimletmedia.com/shows/reply-all/o2h8bx

What a story! Thanks for posting.

Re: Song stuck in your head? Just hum to search (2020)

#38

I had the song Low by Flo Rida stuck in my head. I made an audio recording of me humming and sent it to a bunch of friends, all of whom know a lot more about popular music than I do. No one could figure it out. And neither could Google.

I'd be interested in hearing this recording if you're willing to share it

It is truly embarrassing (and not super easy to share). For what it's worth, I tried it a few more time humming more of the song (parts I couldn't remember originally), but still no luck.

Re: Song stuck in your head? Just hum to search (2020)

#40

I've used this probably at least 100 times over the past couple of years, and it's pretty bad. It finds a match maybe only about 20% of the time. Usually I just get a truly bizarre set of random songs from across the globe that say something like "5% match". And none of the stuff I'm looking for is obscure -- they're all top-40 songs from some decade or other that I just can't remember the artist. And the crazy part…

I think even timbre matters. I got a 95% match singing the first verse of Smells Like Teen Spirit using vocal fry to add some rasp, but couldn’t get over 80% singing in an unaffected soft head voice, though I got a 79% match for a cover by Malia J which wasn’t even originally in the results. Maybe I unconsciously matched the melody more closely when trying to do my best Kurt impression?

I just tried it belting from my chest voice like Michael McDonald and only matched covers; the best match only 33%. None of them sounded like Michael McDonald.

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