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Music · head to head

iHeartRadio vs SoundHound

iHeartRadio logo

iHeartRadio

Music

All your favorite music, podcasts, and radio

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
SoundHound logo

SoundHound

Music

Song identification app that can match hummed or sung melodies, from SoundHound AI

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: iHeartRadio ad-free listening requires an iHeartRadio Plus or All Access subscription; SoundHound the consumer app is a secondary product for a company whose real revenue and investment focus is enterprise voice AI licensing, and consumer feature development has been comparatively modest as a result.
  • They diverge on capability: iHeartRadio covers Live radio, SoundHound covers Audio fingerprint matching.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which iHeartRadio and SoundHound actually diverge.

Attributes where iHeartRadio and SoundHound differ
AttributeiHeartRadioSoundHound
Pricing modelfreemiumFree with ads; no consumer subscription, company revenue comes from enterprise voice AI licensing
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, Smart-speakersiOS, Android
Founded2008Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Music).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in iHeartRadio

  • Live radio
  • Custom stations
  • Podcasts
  • Events
  • Smart speakers
  • Car systems
  • Account security
  • Web support

Only in SoundHound

  • Audio fingerprint matching
  • Hum-to-search
  • Lyrics and artist info
  • Streaming service links
  • Music charts and history
  • Voice search

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

iHeartRadio

  • Streaming live AM and FM radio stations over the internetnot SoundHound
  • Listening to podcasts and live sports commentarynot SoundHound
  • Building music playlists on a paid tiernot SoundHound

SoundHound

  • Someone wanting to identify a song by humming or singing it when no recorded original is playing nearbynot iHeartRadio
  • A user wanting an alternative to Shazam that also offers voice search for songs and lyricsnot iHeartRadio
  • Someone identifying a song and wanting a direct link to play it on their existing streaming servicenot iHeartRadio
  • A listener wanting to browse trending identification charts across genresnot iHeartRadio

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

iHeartRadio

  • Ad-free listening requires an iHeartRadio Plus or All Access subscription
  • Unlimited skips and unlimited playlist creation require a paid subscription
  • Subscriptions renew automatically unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the period ends
  • Any unused part of a free trial is forfeited when a subscription is purchased
  • The iOS app requires iOS 15.0 or later

SoundHound

  • The consumer app is a secondary product for a company whose real revenue and investment focus is enterprise voice AI licensing, and consumer feature development has been comparatively modest as a result.
  • The free app carries advertising with no option to pay for an ad-free experience, unlike Shazam, which carries no ads at all.
  • Hum-to-search accuracy depends heavily on how closely a user pitch and rhythm approximate the original melody, and it performs inconsistently on complex or heavily produced songs.
  • As a smaller company relative to Apple, which owns Shazam, SoundHound has less resource depth to invest in its consumer recognition database and matching accuracy over time.
  • The company brand and business have shifted heavily toward voice AI and conversational assistant licensing, so the long-term priority given to the consumer identification app is not guaranteed to remain stable.

Pricing, plan by plan

iHeartRadio

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Live radio
    • Podcasts
    • Ads
  • Plus$5.99/month
    • Unlimited skips
    • Offline playlists

SoundHound

Free
  • SoundHoundFree
    • Unlimited song identification including hum-to-search
    • Ads shown within the app
    • No premium consumer tier

Which should you pick?

Choose iHeartRadio if

  • You need live radio.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Smart-speakers.
  • You also want custom stations.
iHeartRadio review

Choose SoundHound if

  • You need audio fingerprint matching.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android.
  • You also want hum-to-search.
SoundHound review

Questions people ask

Is iHeartRadio or SoundHound better?
Neither clearly leads. iHeartRadio starts at Free and SoundHound at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, iHeartRadio or SoundHound?
iHeartRadio starts at Free and SoundHound at Free.
Does iHeartRadio or SoundHound run on more platforms?
iHeartRadio runs on Web, Ios, Android, Smart-speakers. SoundHound runs on iOS, Android.
Can I use iHeartRadio for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is iHeartRadio best used for?
iHeartRadio is most often used for streaming live am and fm radio stations over the internet, listening to podcasts and live sports commentary, building music playlists on a paid tier. Of those, streaming live am and fm radio stations over the internet and listening to podcasts and live sports commentary are not what SoundHound is typically brought in for.
What can iHeartRadio do that SoundHound cannot?
iHeartRadio covers Live radio, Custom stations, Podcasts, Events. SoundHound covers Audio fingerprint matching, Hum-to-search, Lyrics and artist info, Streaming service links.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

iHeartRadio: How much does iHeartRadio cost?

iHeartRadio does not publish pricing on their website. The service offers free podcast streaming with optional premium content for certain shows. A reference to 'Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content' is mentioned, but no pricing is provided. Customers must visit linked premium content pages for pricing information.

Source
SoundHound: Is SoundHound free?

Yes, the consumer app is free with ads and no subscription tier.

SoundHound: What is SoundHound's actual business?

Its primary revenue comes from licensing voice AI and conversational assistant technology to businesses such as automakers and restaurants, not from the consumer identification app.

SoundHound: Can SoundHound identify a song from humming?

Yes, it can match a song from humming, singing or whistling, a capability Shazam does not offer.

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