6 Free Shazam Alternatives for Android (2026)
SoundHound is the best free Shazam alternative overall — it IDs songs playing around you and even recognizes tunes you hum. Hate ads? Audire is free, open-source, and ad-free. And before you install anything: the Google app already on your phone can identify songs and hums with nothing to download.
Why look beyond Shazam?
Shazam is accurate — nobody disputes that. The problem is everything around the accuracy. Open the app and you're greeted with Apple Music trial offers, concert listings near you, and a feed of content you didn't ask for. Apple owns Shazam, and the Android app increasingly feels like an Apple Music billboard.
If all you want is a song name in three seconds, lighter tools do exactly that — some with no ads at all. Here are the six worth your time, each free.
Quick comparison table
| App | Free? | Ads | Hum/sing to identify | Standout feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SoundHound | Yes | Yes (removable) | Yes | Humming ID + Spotify link |
| Musixmatch | Yes | Yes (removable) | Yes | Synced lyrics, 50+ languages |
| Audire | Yes | None | No | Open-source, ad-free, Material Design |
| Beatfind | Yes | Yes | No | Lightweight, party light mode |
| Google app | Yes | None | Yes | Built in — nothing to install |
| Deezer | Yes | In free tier | No | SongCatcher inside the app |
1. SoundHound — best for humming a tune
SoundHound is the closest thing to a Shazam replacement that also does something Shazam can't: identify a song from your humming or singing. Got a tune stuck in your head with no lyrics to Google? Hum it into SoundHound and it will usually name it.
For regular identification it's fast and reliable, even in noisy rooms. Once it IDs a song, you can jump straight to Spotify or YouTube to hear the full track. The app is free with ads; there's a paid upgrade that removes them if you use it daily.
Pros
- Identifies humming and singing, not just recordings
- Fast, accurate recognition in noise
- Opens results in Spotify/YouTube
Cons
- Free version shows ads
- Heavier than minimal alternatives
Best for: anyone who constantly has mystery tunes stuck in their head.
2. Musixmatch — best for lyrics lovers
Musixmatch is famous for its floating lyrics display, but it also identifies songs in about five seconds. It's the pick if you don't just want the title — you want to sing along. Lyrics sync to the music, translate into 50+ languages, and you can save discoveries straight into Spotify playlists.
The free version is ad-supported and covers most needs. A Premium subscription removes ads and adds offline lyrics and party mode.
Pros
- Fast ID plus synced, translated lyrics
- Saves finds to Spotify playlists
- Works on phone, watch, and desktop
Cons
- Ads in the free version
- Full lyrics catalog needs Premium
Best for: karaoke nights and anyone who cares about lyrics as much as titles.
3. Audire — best ad-free, open-source pick
Audire is the minimalist's answer to Shazam's bloat. It's free, open-source, and completely ad-free, with a clean Material Design interface that actually feels like an Android app. Under the hood it queries the Shazam and AudD song libraries, so accuracy is close to Shazam itself — it even falls back to AudD's huge catalog when Shazam's library misses.
The app is refreshingly simple: one Identify button, a History tab, and a Liked tab. Recognized songs save automatically, and you can export your history as a JSON file. No Apple Music banners, no concert ads, no accounts.
Pros
- Zero ads, zero bloat, open source
- Shazam-level accuracy via dual libraries
- Exportable song history
Cons
- Not on the Play Store — install from the developer's GitHub releases
- Can't ID humming, only recordings
Best for: privacy-minded users who want Shazam's accuracy without Shazam's ads.
4. Beatfind (Music Recognition) — best lightweight option
Now listed as Music Recognition, the app formerly known as Beatfind is one of the lightest song identifiers on Android. It uses the ACRCloud recognition engine for quick matches, saves everything to a history list, and links out to YouTube and Spotify.
Its signature trick is a party mode that pulses your phone's flashlight to the beat of the identified song — silly, fun, and oddly useful at actual parties. The app is free with ads.
Pros
- Very light and fast
- Quick ACRCloud-powered recognition
- Fun party light mode
Cons
- Ads in the free version
- Smaller feature set than SoundHound
Best for: low-storage phones and anyone who wants the smallest app that does the job.
5. Google Hum to Search — best no-install option
Here's the one most people miss: you may not need an app at all. The Google app already on your Android phone can identify songs playing near you — and, like SoundHound, it can work out a tune you hum, whistle, or sing. No lyrics, artist name, or perfect pitch required.
How to use it: open the Google app (or tap the mic on the Search widget), tap "Search a song", then play, hum, or sing. Google returns likely matches in seconds.
Pros
- Already on your phone — zero installs
- Handles humming and singing
- No ads, no accounts
Cons
- No song history or library features
- Needs an internet connection
Best for: quick one-off identifications. Try this before downloading anything.
6. Deezer SongCatcher — best for Deezer users
If you already stream on Deezer, you don't need a separate identifier. Open Deezer's search tab and you'll find SongCatcher: hold your phone up to the music, and it names the track and drops it into a playlist. It's one tap inside an app you already have.
Pros
- Built into the Deezer app you already use
- One-tap playlist saving
Cons
- Useless if you don't use Deezer
- Free tier has ads, like the rest of Deezer free
Best for: Deezer subscribers who want everything in one app.
Our pick
If you install one app, make it SoundHound — it's the only free alternative that matches Shazam on accuracy and adds humming recognition. If ads drive you mad, switch to Audire and enjoy the silence. And if you identify songs rarely, skip the install entirely and use Google Hum to Search.
Should you just keep Shazam?
Fair question. If you live in Apple's world — iPhone, Apple Music, Apple Watch — Shazam's integrations are genuinely hard to beat. It hooks into Siri, the Control Center, and the Action button, and identified songs flow straight into your Apple Music library. On a Pixel, Google's built-in recognition covers you just as well.
The alternatives above make sense in two cases: you use a non-Pixel Android phone and want a cleaner app than Shazam's ad-heavy one, or you specifically want humming recognition, lyrics, or an ad-free open-source tool. If neither applies, there's no shame in staying — Shazam is still free and still accurate. The best app is the one you'll actually open.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free alternative to Shazam?
SoundHound is the best all-round free alternative — it identifies songs playing around you and can even recognize a tune you hum or sing. If you hate ads, Audire is a free, open-source, ad-free option with similar accuracy.
Is there a song identifier app without ads?
Yes. Audire is free, open-source, and completely ad-free. Google's Hum to Search, built into the Google app, also has no ads.
Can an app identify a song I hum?
Yes. SoundHound can identify songs from humming or singing, and Google's Hum to Search does the same inside the Google app — no extra install needed.
Why do people look for Shazam alternatives?
The Shazam app has grown bloated: it pushes Apple Music trial offers, concert listings, and ads. If you only want fast, accurate song recognition, lighter alternatives do the job with less noise.
Do I even need a separate app to identify songs?
Often not. The Google app on your Android phone can already identify songs — including tunes you hum — with nothing to install. Try that first before downloading anything.
Which free song identifier has lyrics?
Musixmatch. It identifies songs in seconds and shows synced lyrics, with translations in 50+ languages. The free version has ads; a Premium subscription removes them.