We sometimes have a tune stuck in our head and remember nothing else about a song. And the desperate urge of searching the song is just inevitable. We all know that the ultimate stop to all our quests is google. Yes, you heard it right google all always has got your back.
Google has recently launched its latest feature, “hum to search” (on October 15, 2020). This amazing option enables the user to hum a tune stuck in mind by using machine learning techniques to identify it. This feature is available in the mobile app as well as to its AI-based Google Assistant. The feature is very convenient to use – just ask google “what’s the song” or tap the newly added “search a song” and start humming the tune. Google identifies the song by the melody using its machine learning’s algorithm that identifies the tune, presenting a list of songs like the tune. It is not mandatory that the tune is pitch-perfect or lyrical.
The search models of the feature are designed to identify sources such as human singing, whistling, humming and studio-recording. The algorithms work by identifying the tune by first converting it into a numeric sequence that represents the song’s melody. Parameters like the instruments and vocal quality are less considered and the focus is over the numeric sequence. Earlier, the music recognition feature was present in the ‘Now Playing’ feature of Google Pixel phones. The sound search feature was earlier seen in apps like ‘Sound Hound’ (present on Google Play store). The “hum to search” feature is currently available in over 20 languages for Android users. The IOS version of the app provides the feature in English only.