KaraokeListKaraokeList › What's that song?
On the tip of your tongue?
What's that song?
It’s been looping in your head since lunch and it won’t tell you its name. Type the bits you remember and we’ll line up the searches that find it. Free, right here, nothing to sign up for.
Scan this with your phone to get KaraokeList. It’s free.
Your searches
Each opens in a new tab. Start at the top and work down.
Search for it by hand
Scripts are off, so here’s the recipe the box would follow:
- Search Google for the words you remember, inside quote marks, then the word lyrics.
- No luck? Search again without the quote marks, in case a word was misheard.
- Add anything else you know: who sang it, roughly when, where you heard it.
- Search YouTube for the words plus song, and listen to the top few.
More ways to name that song
No words to go on? No problem. Hum it, catch it while it plays, or ask someone. Pick whichever fits where you are.
- Hum it
Hum it to Google
Open the Google app, tap the mic, then tap Search a song (or just ask “what’s this song?”). Hum, whistle or la-la-la for 10 to 15 seconds. Pitch-perfect not required. This is Google’s own hum to search, free on iPhone and Android, and nothing to do with us.
- Still playing?
Catch it while it plays
If it’s on right now, open Shazam, or just ask Siri “what’s this song?”. On Android, ask Gemini or tap Search a song in the Google app. On iPhone you can add Recognize Music to Control Center for a one-tap listen.
- Search the words
Quote the bit you’re sure of
Put the words in quote marks and add lyrics. Quotes tell Google you want those exact words, in that order. The box up top does this for you.
- Misheard it?
Loosen your grip
Drop the quote marks and keep only the words you’re surest of. Try a sound-alike or two. Add what you know: a woman singing, the 90s, slow, from a movie. Everyone mishears lyrics. It’s half the fun of karaoke.
- Ask the room
Ask someone who knows music
Hum it at a friend. Or post in a name-that-song community, like r/tipofmytongue on Reddit: say where you heard it, roughly when, what the voice was like, and add a voice memo of you humming. Strangers are weirdly good at this.
In the KaraokeList app
Name it in the bar. Keep it for next time.
KaraokeList is where singers keep the songs they nail. It can name one for you, too.
Listen for it
Hearing it right now, in the bar or anywhere? Hold your phone up to the speaker and Listen for it names the song, then one tap puts it on your setlist. No account needed.
What was that song?
Only in your head? Describe it: half a line, a film, a vibe. It works out what you mean and shows its best guesses, each with the reason. It needs a free account, and each lookup spends one use. A free account comes with three, for lookups, picks or Voice Print reads, and adding a detail and asking again is free.
Then keep it
Found it? Save it to your setlist, so the next time someone hands you the mic it’s waiting for you, not stuck in your head again.
Questions
How do I find a song by humming it?
Use Google's hum to search. Open the Google app, tap the mic, then tap Search a song or ask “what's this song?”, and hum for 10 to 15 seconds. Google shows its likely matches. It's free, and it's Google's feature, not KaraokeList's.
How do I find a song from a few words of the lyrics?
Search Google for the words in quote marks, followed by the word lyrics, so it matches that exact phrase. If nothing turns up, drop the quotes and keep only the words you're surest of. The box on this page builds both searches for you.
What if I misheard the lyrics?
Search without quote marks, use fewer words, and add whatever else you know: who sang it, roughly when, or where you heard it, like a TikTok, a movie or an ad. Or skip the words and hum it to Google instead.
Can KaraokeList identify a song?
Yes, in the app. Listen for it names a song that's playing near you, with no account. What was that song? works from a description; it needs a free account, and each lookup spends one use. Either way, one tap saves the song to your setlist.
Never lose a good one again.
Keep every karaoke song you can sing. Stuck on what’s next? Tap the Magic Mic for your next one, and it tells you why.
