If you’ve ever gone to a store, restaurant, or club, you might be humming that popular song that you’re familiar with. What makes it so familiar? Well, you’ve probably listened to the same song thousands of times. But other than just the sentimental lyrics that you can empathize with, there’s also that catchy beat you can vibe with. But although you do love the lyrics and know what the beat sounds like, you can’t remember the name of the song, or at least you know it at the tip of your tongue.
Sometimes when we’re chilling out with friends at their home, by the beach, or when you’re on a long road trip, you might want to play “that one song” that has been stuck in your head for a long time, but you can’t seem to remember the title of it. Fortunately, you won’t have to think about it too much when most phones these days are equipped with music recognition. Not only will this help you save up some time searching up the name of the song, but this can also help you vibe with your friends.
Sound recognition has played a huge role in developing new mobile technology, especially when a good chunk of users will usually interact with their mobile devices for music. But in the last few years, there’s been a variety of innovations in the mobile industry, especially when large tech corporations are always in each other’s throats with new phones and features every year. One of the most popular apps that have been used for Apple products and a variety of other mobile phone lines is Shazam, which is known for being able to record and identify a song in a few seconds, no matter what the beat, verse, and intro might be.
But other than just recognizing a certain song and ballad, how does music recognition help us in our daily lives? How can this solve problems in other industries? We’ll be delving deep into how music recognition technology works and how it goes hand-in-hand with other music recognition technology.
Riding The Wave
First and foremost, we have to define what “sound” really is. Sound will usually travel through the use of vibrations. Although we might not be able to see sound, we can definitely feel it through vibrations that will usually come in waves and frequencies. Of course, it’s not just us who can feel these waves when animals and even devices can also detect such vibrations.
Although music has been recorded for centuries through recordings, equipment used to produce original content can be expensive. It will usually take a good amount of time to produce a quality product. But with recent inventions in mobile technology, it’s definitely easier to “ride the wave” and digitally store most of these waves into a more digital platform. Indeed, gone are the days when people had to spend months in a studio to get the right recording.
But other than mixing and matching sounds, bells, and whistles in different music software and applications, you might want to consider creating your own music and songs. Sure, technology can easily make things more convenient and easier, but nothing beats the skill and spirit of human ingenuity. If you don’t know how to play any musical instrument, you can start with something classy and simple, like string instruments. Fortunately, there are top-of-the-line music teachers that can teach violin lessons to people of all ages. You’d be surprised how fun it can be making your own original content!
The Music Algorithm
Contrary to what most people think, recognizing a song isn’t just something that human minds can identify: machines can also identify songs through algorithms. Programmers and developers have developed a complex algorithm that will help machines identify notes and specific sound waves.
Through the use of our phones, it collects data by recording audio and running a “fingerprinting” process to give it a signature. This algorithm will then start sifting through other hashtags that match the same unique signature in a particular database (usually a server.) When this happens, the music identifier will start identifying similar wavelengths that will correspond with what’s being searched.
As technology progresses, there’s bound to be even more innovations in the next coming years. The music industry has definitely enjoyed the new features and state-of-the-art algorithms that mobile technology has bought to the general public. Music recognition software and applications have made things more convenient, but it can also be used in other businesses and industries.