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YouTube Music Launches Sound Search and Tests AI Conversational Radio

Author

Alicia Shapiro
July 16, 2024 • Estimated Reading Time: 3 minutes

A smartphone displaying the YouTube Music app with the new sound search feature. The app interface shows a waveform button next to a microphone icon in the search bar. The background includes musical notes and symbols representing music search capabilities. The design is modern and vibrant

YouTube Music Launches Sound Search and Tests AI Conversational Radio

YouTube Music has officially launched a sound search feature and is currently testing an "AI-generated conversational radio" for US Premium subscribers.

The new sound search capability, similar to Google's "Hum to Search," allows users to search through YouTube Music's extensive catalog of over 100 million official songs using sound. Although some users had access to this feature back in May, it was temporarily rolled back for unspecified reasons.

To use sound search, tap the magnifying glass icon at the top-right corner of the YouTube Music app and select the waveform button next to the microphone icon for voice search. This will bring up a full screen interface where you can sing, hum, or play a song to identify it. The results page will display the cover art, song name, artist, album, year, and download status, along with options to play or save the song to your library. The recognition process is notably quick.

Three screenshots of the YouTube Music app displaying the new sound search feature. The first screenshot shows the search bar with a waveform icon next to the microphone icon. The second screenshot displays a fullscreen interface with the text "Play, sing, or hum a song." The third screenshot shows the search result with song details, including cover art, song name, artist, album, year, and options to play or save the song

Image Source: YouTube Sound Search from 9to5Google

Sound search is being rolled out to YouTube Music on both Android and iOS starting today.

In addition, YouTube Music is testing an "AI-generated conversational radio" feature in the US for Premium subscribers. This feature allows users to create custom radio stations by describing what they want to hear.

Look for the "Ask for music any way you like" card in your Home feed to access this feature. This will open a chat-based interface where you can type a prompt or choose from suggested prompts to request music. Currently in the experimental phase, this feature is expected to be available to more YouTube Music users in the future.