Overview

SoundHound is a mobile music discovery app that identifies songs playing nearby or from a tune you sing or hum. It suits listeners who want to find and revisit music using voice, lyrics, and connected listening services. Its combination of humming search and hands-free controls is useful; the free tier’s ads and lack of offline identification are meaningful trade-offs.

Identification history, listening links, cross-device syncing, and sharing make it easier to return to a discovery after finding it. SoundHound is made by SoundHound AI Inc., founded in 2005 and headquartered in Santa Clara, California. See our Music Identification Apps list for more options.

Key features

Identify music by listening or humming

SoundHound can identify music playing around you, or search from a melody you sing or hum. The latter is especially useful when you remember a tune but cannot play the recording. An identification history helps keep discoveries accessible, and listening links provide a route from recognition to playback. Because offline identification is not supported, the app is less suited to identifying songs without a connection.

Voice control, lyrics, and playback

“Hey SoundHound…” commands can navigate the app, start discovery, and control playback without using your hands. LiveLyrics displays moving lyrics in time with songs, making the app more than a title lookup for listeners who want to follow along. A built-in YouTube player adds a free listening option, while Apple Music and Spotify connections let users bring those services into the experience.

Personalized playlists through Apple Music or Spotify require both a SoundHound account and a subscription to the relevant service. Voice playback of Spotify playlists also requires a Spotify account and registration. These requirements matter if you expect playlist features to work without additional accounts or subscriptions.

Sync, sharing, and Apple Watch

Discoveries can sync across multiple devices and be shared through Facebook, Twitter, messaging services, or email. The Apple Watch app can identify music and show LiveLyrics; a cellular-enabled watch can work without an iPhone connection. That makes the watch support a useful extension for Apple Watch owners, though it does not change the app’s lack of offline identification.

Pricing

SoundHound: 0.00 USD per free. The free plan includes the app’s music discovery features but includes advertising. It is the sensible starting point for occasional identification or for listeners deciding whether the voice and lyrics features fit their habits.

SoundHound∞: 6.99 USD per once, billed as a one-time fee with no monthly fees. It provides an ad-free experience. This upgrade is better suited to regular users who want to remove interruptions; it does not replace the separate subscriptions required for personalized Apple Music or Spotify playlists.

Platforms

SoundHound is available on Android and iOS mobile devices. Its Apple Watch app can identify songs and display LiveLyrics, and cellular-enabled watches can be used without an iPhone connection. Offline identification is not supported.

Who it's for

Choose SoundHound if you often need to identify a song from a hum, want voice-led discovery and playback, or value synchronized history and LiveLyrics. It is a less compelling fit if you need offline recognition, want an ad-free app without paying, or expect personalized playlists without a music subscription and SoundHound account.

Pros and cons

Pro: Hum and sing search can identify a tune even when no recording is available.
Pro: Voice commands can handle navigation, discovery, and playback hands-free.
Pro: LiveLyrics, listening links, and a built-in YouTube player support the step from finding a song to following or hearing it.
Pro: Identification history syncs across devices, and discoveries can be shared through common social, messaging, and email channels.
Con: The free version includes ads; removing them requires the one-time SoundHound∞ upgrade.
Con: Personalized Apple Music and Spotify playlists require a SoundHound account and a paid service subscription.
Con: Offline identification is unavailable.

Alternatives

For more music-identification choices, browse our Music Identification Apps list. The other linked products focus on restaurant drive-thru software rather than music discovery: Solink Drive-Thru AI is a paid option on Android, iOS, and web; Qu Drive-Thru is paid on Android and iOS, with pricing on request; Dine Out Pro Drive-Thru Software is paid on Android and web; PAR Ordering is paid on Android, iOS, and web; Fingermark Eyecue is paid on Android, iOS, and web, with custom pricing; Zairo is paid on web and iOS without a free plan; DRIVETHRUiQ is paid and web-based; and Hi Auto is paid. For that category, see our Restaurant Drive-Thru Software and Voicebot Software lists.

Verdict

SoundHound is a strong pick for listeners who want to identify songs by humming and move from discovery to voice-controlled playback, lyrics, or listening links. The free plan makes it accessible, and SoundHound∞ removes ads for a one-time fee. Look elsewhere if offline recognition is essential or if you want personalized playlists without paying for a connected music service.

	Shazam	SoundHound
Free plan	No	Yes
Free trial	No	No
Paid from	—	Free
Open source	No	No
Platforms	Android, iOS, Web	Android, iOS
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Platform support	cross-platform	mobile
Lyrics	Yes	Yes
Identification history	Yes	Yes
Offline identification	Yes	No
Listening links	Yes	Yes

Shazam vs SoundHound

Shazam

SoundHound