The best ways to identify a song or music video if you don’t know the name or artist


Are you having trouble finding a music video that you've seen but don't know anything about? If you can remember some of the lyrics, melodies, or video details, don't worry—there are easy ways to find a video by describing it! Even if you don't know the artist or song, you can describe the video in search engines, on YouTube, and to song-identification communities on Reddit and Facebook. You can also hum, sing, or tap out the melody using free tools like SoundHound, search for partial lyrics, check video lists, and even ask on TikTok or Quora! This wikiHow guide will teach you the most helpful tools for finding a music video when you can't remember the title or artist.

Things You Should Know

  • Search for any lyrics you remember on Google, YouTube, or Genius, even if you only know a few words.
  • When describing the video, include the genre, key elements of the video, year or era, and even physical descriptions of artists & actors.
  • Describe the video on song-finding communities like /r/NameThatSong and Facebook's Identification of Music Group.
2

Describe the video in a Google search.

  1. Describing a music video can be tough, but we have some solid tips. Even if you can't find the music video by its lyrics, you may be able to find it by searching for standout details, objects, and themes from the video itself. For the best chance at identifying a video:
    • When searching, include the phrase "video" in your search so it's clear what you're looking for.
    • If you know when the song or video was released, include the year or era in your search. For example, "1990" or "80s" would work.
    • Type some descriptors of the music in the video. For example, if it's an R&B song, include "R&B" in your search. If the song has no lyrics, add "instrumental." If it's a country song, you'll want to include "country."
    • Enter a few words about the setting. For example, if it took place in a hospital, on a beach, or in a car, add those keywords to your search.
    • If the video or song has a certain theme, like "breakup," "wedding," or "depression," add that to your search.
    • You can also try describing the appearance of the performer(s), such as their outfits, hair styles and colors, or notable features. This will be extra helpful if there's something unique about how they dress or look.
    • Using these tips, you should now have a query like "video country female singer sets house on fire" or "video singer dancing in a multicolored room in a puffy jacket 2015."
    • Now that you have some ideas for how to phrase your search, enter your search terms into Google, Bing, and YouTube for the best chance at finding the music video.
6

Describe the video on Reddit's Name That Song.

  1. Reddit's Name That Song community is ready to help you find songs of any genre. This friendly community is very active, so you should get some good responses. If you're new to Reddit, you'll need to sign up for an account, which you can do using the Reddit mobile app or through your web browser at https://www.reddit.com. Once you're signed up, head to https://www.reddit.com/r/NameThatSong and create a post describing as much information from the video as you can remember.
    • Include as much of the following information as possible in your post: The era/year the song or video was released, the genre or style of the song, any information you know about the artist, where you saw the video (such as YouTube or MTV), the language/country, any lyrics or content you remember, and possible names.[2]
    • Use a descriptive title in the subject line instead of "help me find this video." Instead, try something like "80s power ballad featuring a man haunted by a ghost" or "female rapper dancing in front of a pink sugar cookie."
7

Ask the Identification of Music group on Facebook.

  1. Facebook's Identification of Music (IOM) group is a great song identification resource. If you're on Facebook, you can easily join the group by visiting its home page (just search for "Identification of Music" in the search field and selecting Join Group. Once your invitation is accepted, do your best to describe the music video to the crowd. Chances are, somebody else has seen it and can identify it for you!
    • If you're using a computer, you can get to the IOM group's home page using this link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1165001636849150/
    • Like the Reddit group, you'll want to include as much descriptive information as possible in your post. The year the video came out (if you know it), genre, and any identifying information you remember.
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8

Check out IMVDB to see lists of music videos.

9

Make a TikTok about the video.

  1. When you create a TikTok video, you have a chance of being seen by people all over the world. Because of this, describing the music video on TikTok could be a great way to find out the artist or song title. Even if you're not popular on TikTok, you still have a chance of your video showing up on peoples' For You pages, especially if you make the video funny or interesting. Just describe what you remember from the video, including any identifying lyrics, and wait for people to reply!
    • Don't be afraid to hum or sing the song in your video. This will help people figure out which song you're looking for. It could also get you some likes and follows!
    • If you're new to TikTok, check out our guide on creating your first video.
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14

Ask the Waz Zat Song forum.

About This Article

Nicole Levine, MFA
Written by:
wikiHow Technology Writer
This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Nicole Levine, MFA. Nicole Levine is a Technology Writer and Editor for wikiHow. She has more than 20 years of experience creating technical documentation and leading support teams at major web hosting and software companies. Nicole also holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Portland State University and teaches composition, fiction-writing, and zine-making at various institutions. This article has been viewed 4,141 times.
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Co-authors: 2
Updated: January 23, 2023
Views: 4,141
Categories: Video
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