How to Identify a Song from a YouTube Video

Jamie Read more September 11, 2023

Many ask, “What’s the name of this song?” The question has existed since music began. You hear something you like, and more than anything, you want to know how to listen to it again.

If you’re watching a music stream or a video with background music on YouTube and you happen to get lucky, the uploader might have added a timestamped tracklist. If they haven’t, how do you identify a song from a YouTube video?

It’s not easy identifying a song from a YouTube video, but you have various methods to try. All of them require some detective skills, so dust off your magnifying glass and get to work!

Check the Video Description

Most experienced content creators will add either a tracklist or music credit to their video description. If you’re lucky and you’re watching the right video, you might also find a hyperlinked time stamp, so you can jump directly around the video to find the correct tag. You will also have a hyperlinked time stamp so that you can go to the song and see if it’s the right one.

Check the Comments

If there isn’t a tracklist or any information on the song in the description, check the comments. You’re likely not the only one who wants to know what a particular song is in a YouTube video. Scroll down and read the comments and see if other people have asked about specific music. Even if the uploader doesn’t answer, sometimes helpful fans provide the answers.

Search for the Lyrics

If you remember some of the lyrics (if there are any), put them into a search engine to see what comes up. There are specific websites that offer song lists, including Lyrics.com, Lyricsworld.com, or Find Music By Lyrics. Google is a little mixed when bringing back results for lyrics. Sometimes it gets the answer spot on, and other times, it brings back seemingly random results.

Use an App to Identify the Song from YouTube

If none of the easy options work, you can use a third-party app to help you identify the song. If you’re on mobile, Shazam is the go-to app for identifying music you hear.

Install Shazam if you don’t have it already.
Play the song in the background with Shazam listening, and it should be able to identify it.

If you’re a Chrome user, an add-on called “AHA Music – Music Identifier” is very good at doing a similar job to Shazam, but it does it from your browser. There are other apps available in other browsers or as online services.

Identify a YouTube Video’s Song using Google

Similarly, you can also use Google App

Open up the Google app.
Now, tap on the mic in the Search bar.
Again, hum, whistle, or play the song you want to identify.

You can also do the same thing using the Google homepage.

Use Audiotag.info and the Direct YouTube Link

Another web app option is a service called Audiotag.info. This website is a free service that has been around for almost a decade.

To use Audiotag.info, follow these steps:

Copy the video URL from YouTube, then paste it into the URL box. Copy the timestamp where the audio resides and paste it into the little time box to the right.
Select Analyze URL and let Audiotag go through its process.
If all goes well, you get a correctly identified song. There are other websites like this, so if you don’t like the look of this one, try another.

Ask Random People

If all else fails, sites like “Wat Zat Song?” are helpful places to visit if you need to identify a song from a YouTube video. It’s a human-curated site where you upload a song clip, and other people try to recognize it. It’s worth a try if nothing else works!

Wrapping Up

In closing, identifying a song used on YouTube can be challenging, but there are numerous ways and options to do it. In some cases, you may not get an answer right away, but you will most likely get one. The options above are a few good ways to identify a song from a YouTube video to help you get started on your lyrical adventure!

Do you have any experience, questions, or tips related to identifying a song from a YouTube video? Leave a comment in the section below.