How to find songs played on the radio?

We’ve all been there—you’re driving, chilling at home, or working when a song comes on the radio that instantly grabs your attention. Maybe it’s the catchy beat, the powerful lyrics, or just the vibe that hits you just right. But there’s one problem: you have no idea what the song is! The DJ doesn’t mention it, and now you’re left with an earworm and no way to satisfy your curiosity. So, what do you do? Good news: finding radio songs is easier than ever. Whether you remember a few lyrics, the time it played, or just the melody, there are multiple ways to track down that elusive track. Let’s dive into the best methods to find radio songs that are stuck in your head!

1/ Song identification apps
2/ Station’s website or app
3/ Online Databases
4/ Lyric search tools
5/ Ask communities
6/ Contact the station

1. Use Song Identification Apps

The fastest way to identify a song is by using an app specifically designed for this purpose. If the song is still playing, you can quickly pull out your phone and let technology do the work. Bear in mind that for this method to work, you need to be quick! Song recognition apps will only help you find radio songs if the tune is still playing, as they analyse the audio to give you results. Here are some of the most popular apps to help you find radio songs:

Shazam

Shazam is a popular app that appeared in 2019. It has since become a go-to tool for identifying songs by using a smartphone or computer’s built-in microphone to analyse a sample of the audio. The app uses an audio fingerprint to identify the song based on it’s vast catalogue of music. It allows you to listen to an audio snippet to ensure that it has correctly identified the music.

Shazam will analyze the audio and provide the song title, artist, and album. Plus, it saves your searches, so you can revisit songs later!

SoundHound

Similarly to Shazam, SoundHog allows you to provide an audio snippet of a song that is currently playing. However, it provides an additional feature: you can hum or sing the melody if the song is no longer playing! This gives you an advantage, as you may not be able to open the app before the music is over.

It’s a great solution if you only remember part of the tune but not the lyrics!

Google Assistant & Siri

Vocal assistants such as Siri and Google Assistant are also capable of helping you find radio songs. Similarly to the previous apps mentioned, you can ask “What is this song?” or “Identify this song” while the track is playing. This is a handy solution if you do not have Shazam or SoundHog already downloaded on your device. It’s also a great hands-free solution if you’re listening to radio in the car for example.

Much like SoundHog, Google Assistant even lets you hum the tune to find a match!

If the song is no longer playing, don’t worry! There are other ways to track it down.

2. Check the Radio Station’s Website or App

Many radio stations have online playlists or widgets that list recently played songs. For this method to work, you’ll need to remember the exact time at which you head the song in order to find it. Here’s how to check:

• Visit the station’s website: Look for a section like “Recently Played” or “Now Playing.”
• Check their app: If your favorite station has an app, they might have a history of played songs.
• Follow their social media: Some stations post song lists on Twitter or Facebook, especially during popular shows.

RadioKing’s radio website service includes a “recently broadcast” widget that allows you to search all songs that have played on that station by date and time!

3. Use Online Databases for Radio Playlists

Did you know that there are several websites that track what’s playing on different radio stations? These databases are perfect if you missed the song title but remember the station! Let’s take a closer look.

TuneFind

TuneFind was originally designed for TV and movie soundtracks, however some radio stations share their playlists here. If you’re lucky enough to track down your favourite station on the website, you can easily find the song that you’re looking for.

Radio Station-Specific Logs

Some stations have logs that show every song played in the last 24-48 hours. You can try searching “[Station Name] playlist” on Google to find it.

4. Use Lyric Search Tools

This method is slightly old-school, but can also prove effective to help you find radio songs! If you have a good memory and are able to retain a snippet of the lyrics, you can use a search engine to find the song:

• Google Search: Type in a few lyrics inside quotation marks (e.g., “I wanna dance with somebody” lyrics).
• Genius.com: A huge database of song lyrics, often with annotations explaining their meaning.
• Lyrics.com: Another searchable lyric database.

Even if you only remember a few words, this method is surprisingly effective.

5. Ask Online Communities

Sometimes, the best way to find a song is to ask other music lovers. There are plenty of online communities dedicated to helping people identify songs.

Reddit – Try r/NameThatSong

• Post whatever details you remember about the song, and fellow users will try to help you out.
• You can even upload a clip of you humming the tune to give people as much detail as possible and increase the probability of someone recognizing the song!

WatZatSong

• A community specifically for identifying songs based on user descriptions.

6. Call or Message the Radio Station

Ask and thou shalt receive! If all of the above methods fail to provide you with an answer, your best bet is to contact the radio station directly. Many stations have phone lines for song requests, allowing you to call and ask what was played at a certain time. You can also send them an email or contact them on social media with as much detail as possible (time and date of the broadcast). 

Many stations will be happy to get back to their loyal listeners and will probably even thank you for tuning in!

7. Save Future Songs Easily

To avoid going through the search process every time you hear a song you like:

• Use music recognition apps regularly.
• Keep a playlist of songs you discover.
• Follow radio stations’ social media or website for updates.
• Use apps like Spotify or Apple Music, which generate playlists based on your tastes.

Frequently asked questions

Finding a song played on the radio doesn’t have to be a frustrating mystery. With the right tools (whether it’s an app, a search engine, or even a simple call to the station), you can easily track down that tune. Next time you hear a song you love, don’t panic. Just use one of these tricks, and you’ll have the title in no time!