One app for iOS and Android now recognizes songs – and links you to covers, remixes, and samples. WhoSampled just added song recognition.
First, let’s talk WhoSampled. The site is a database of sample sources, plus remixes and covers – basically, think Discogs for people who want to know where samples came from. This is obviously only really relevant to genres and artists that make heavy use of sampling and remixes, but for those, it’s a fascinating linkhole of musical connections. Here’s a look at Flying Lotus’ back catalog, for instance:
And like Discogs, that data is all human-gathered, not algorithmically collected.
The site already has an app that lets you manually look up that information. Now, you add music recognition. No word yet on whose algorithms they licensed for the recognition – accuracy and content depth remains a stumbling block for some music – but we’ll have to give it a try.
Why this matters: you get a whole bunch of functionality now in this app, between the WhoSampled database, the various features of the app to check out your music collection, and now music recognition, too. In short:
- Unlimited music recognition (via the mic), irrespective of whether a particular track is in the WhoSampled database
- A list of track IDs (with login)
- Favorite tracks
- Scan your existing Spotify, Apple Music, and iTunes libraries (iOS) or local library (Android) – a fascinating window into the music you’re playing. (And a lot of us duplicate DJ libraries on Android or iOS on the go)
- Check out sample, cover, and remix connections
All of this will cost you a little bit. In an interesting pricing approach, they’re ad-supported and free on Android, but US$3.99 and ad-free on iOS.
For music recognition, you pay ten bucks a year USD, which then removes ads on all platforms (including the Web).
[Whosampled, via rekkerd.org and h/t Oliver Chesler]