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Music · head to head

Shazam vs SoundHound

Shazam logo

Shazam

Music

Apple-owned song identification app, free with no ads or in-app purchases

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: Shazam the app has no revenue of its own and exists structurally to drive Apple Music engagement, so its continued investment and feature direction depend entirely on how useful Apple finds it as a funnel rather than on its own standalone business case.; 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: Shazam covers Offline tagging queue, SoundHound covers Hum-to-search.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Shazam and SoundHound actually diverge.

Attributes where Shazam and SoundHound differ
AttributeShazamSoundHound
Pricing modelFree, no ads and no in-app purchases; funded as an Apple Music discovery funnelFree with ads; no consumer subscription, company revenue comes from enterprise voice AI licensing
PlatformsiOS, Android, WebiOS, Android

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 Shazam

  • Offline tagging queue
  • Apple Music integration
  • Shazam charts
  • Lyrics display
  • Shazam widget and Control Centre integration

Only in SoundHound

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

Both cover

  • Audio fingerprint matching

What people use each for

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

Shazam

  • Someone hearing an unfamiliar song in a shop, cafe or on the radio and wanting to identify it instantlynot SoundHound
  • A user wanting identified songs automatically saved into an Apple Music library or playlistnot SoundHound
  • Someone using the offline tagging queue while without signal, resolving matches laternot SoundHound
  • A listener browsing Shazam trending charts to discover what is being identified most in their citynot SoundHound

SoundHound

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

Where each one falls short

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

Shazam

  • The app has no revenue of its own and exists structurally to drive Apple Music engagement, so its continued investment and feature direction depend entirely on how useful Apple finds it as a funnel rather than on its own standalone business case.
  • Identification requires either a live audio sample or a stored recording, and it performs poorly on very quiet, heavily remixed, or non-commercially released audio where no fingerprint match exists in the database.
  • Saved tags and playlists are tied to an Apple ID even on Android, meaning non-Apple users still create Apple ecosystem account data by using the app.
  • It offers no music playback of its own beyond short previews or an Apple Music handoff, so a non-Apple Music subscriber cannot play a full identified track inside the app itself.
  • As an owned subsidiary of Apple rather than an independent company, there is no separate roadmap transparency or company reporting, so its longevity and feature set are subject to Apple's wider strategic priorities rather than its own user base.

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

Shazam

Free
  • ShazamFree
    • Unlimited song identification
    • No ads shown within the identification experience
    • No premium tier exists

SoundHound

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Shazam if

  • You need offline tagging queue.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want apple music integration.
Shazam review

Choose SoundHound if

  • You need hum-to-search.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android.
  • You also want lyrics and artist info.
SoundHound review

Questions people ask

Is Shazam or SoundHound better?
Neither clearly leads. Shazam 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, Shazam or SoundHound?
Shazam starts at Free and SoundHound at Free.
Does Shazam or SoundHound run on more platforms?
Shazam runs on iOS, Android, Web. SoundHound runs on iOS, Android.
Can I use Shazam for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Shazam best used for?
Shazam is most often used for someone hearing an unfamiliar song in a shop, cafe or on the radio and wanting to identify it instantly, a user wanting identified songs automatically saved into an apple music library or playlist, someone using the offline tagging queue while without signal, resolving matches later, a listener browsing shazam trending charts to discover what is being identified most in their city. Of those, someone hearing an unfamiliar song in a shop, cafe or on the radio and wanting to identify it instantly and a user wanting identified songs automatically saved into an apple music library or playlist are not what SoundHound is typically brought in for.
What can Shazam do that SoundHound cannot?
Shazam covers Offline tagging queue, Apple Music integration, Shazam charts, Lyrics display. SoundHound covers Hum-to-search, Lyrics and artist info, Streaming service links, Music charts and history. Both handle Audio fingerprint matching.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Shazam: Is Shazam free?

Yes, fully free with no ads, subscription or in-app purchases.

SoundHound: Is SoundHound free?

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

Shazam: Do I need Apple Music to use Shazam?

No, identification works without an Apple Music subscription, though full track playback of an identified song requires either Apple Music or another music service.

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.

Shazam: Who owns Shazam?

Apple, which acquired it in 2018.

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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