Yes, Alexa can identify songs playing around it. Amazon’s smart assistant has a built-in music recognition feature that allows it to listen to a song and tell you its name and artist. This feature works on all Alexa-enabled devices, including Echo speakers, Echo Show devices, and even some third-party devices with Alexa built-in.
How Does Alexa Identify Songs?
Alexa uses a process called acoustic fingerprinting to identify songs. When you ask Alexa to identify a song, it records a short snippet of the audio and compares it to a massive database of known songs. This database contains millions of songs, and it’s constantly being updated with new releases. Once Alexa finds a match, it will tell you the song’s title and artist. This technology is similar to what music identification apps like Shazam use.
Two Ways to Ask Alexa to Identify a Song
There are two primary ways to use this song identification feature:
1. On-Demand Song Identification: “Alexa, What Song Is This?”
The simplest way is to ask Alexa directly. Just say, “Alexa, what song is this?” Alexa will then listen to the music and provide the song information. This works regardless of the music source, whether it’s playing on your phone, the radio, or another device. However, it’s more reliable with clear audio and popular songs.
2. Automatic Song Identification (Amazon Music Only): Song ID
If you’re an Amazon Music subscriber, you can enable a feature called Song ID. With Song ID turned on, Alexa will automatically announce the title and artist of each song before it begins playing. To activate this, say, “Alexa, turn on Song ID.” To deactivate it, say “Alexa, turn off Song ID.” Keep in mind that this only works for music played through Amazon Music.
Tips for Using Alexa’s Song Identification Feature
- Speak Clearly: Ensure you’re speaking clearly and loudly enough for Alexa to hear your request. Background noise can interfere with Alexa’s ability to understand you.
- Ensure a Strong Internet Connection: A stable internet connection is crucial for Alexa to access its music database and identify songs accurately.
- Play Music at a Reasonable Volume: Music that’s too loud or distorted can make it difficult for Alexa to recognize the song.
- Use Amazon Music for Automatic Identification: For seamless and automatic song identification, use Amazon Music as your preferred music service.
Conclusion
Alexa’s ability to identify songs by listening to them is a handy feature for music lovers. Whether you’re curious about a tune playing in a coffee shop or want to know the name of every song playing in your home, Alexa makes it easy. Just remember the key phrase “Alexa, what song is this?” or enable Song ID for automatic identification within Amazon Music.
