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Anyone here have a rec for software to identify iTunes songs?

O

oxband

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Sep 10, 2009
333
4
I have a lot of songs in itunes with no info or just the artist. What programs would people rec for automatically getting song info?
 
"What's this song?" on an Android device works well. Seems to hit the obscure stuff a little better than Siri.
Haven't used Cortana much, but it at least recognizes some old marching bands.
 
oxband said:
Can I download Shazzam for a computer? Does it work on songs in iTunes?
Click to expand...

Yes! iOS & OS X versions good for songs from ANY source. I get better results from Soundhound.

* Found simpler solution, just Ask Siri. Answer appears right in front of you while using iTunes.
 
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canuckRus said:
Yes! iOS & OS X versions good for songs from ANY source. I get better results from Soundhound.

* Found simpler solution to be ask Siri. Answer appears right in front of you while using iTunes.
Click to expand...
So if I have a song playing in iTunes that I have no information on (title, artist, etc), I can just ask Siri what the song is and Siri will display the missing information?

My MBP does not have Siri. Do I have to do it through my iPhone or will Siri listen to what's playing through iTunes on my MBP?
 
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mic j said:
So if I have a song playing in iTunes that I have no information on (title, artist, etc), I can just ask Siri what the song is and Siri will display the missing information?
Click to expand...

YES,both title & artist.
 
Does Siri use Apple Music matching algorithm to identify the song? I guess I am just a little skeptical because I, more often than not, can't get Siri to answer my questions/commands correctly.
 
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mic j said:
Does Siri use Apple Music matching algorithm to identify the song? I guess I am just a little skeptical because I, more often than not, can't get Siri to answer my questions/commands correctly.
Click to expand...

Try it if you don't believe. Does your computer have the latest upgrade with Siri. If you don't try another Siri source.
 
So from what I just read after doing an internet search, you have to have Shazam on the iOS device and Siri just taps into Shazam and Shazam identifies the song. Is that what you are doing?
 
It's not entirely clear from your post and follow-ups what your situation is, but it sounds as if you have a bunch of untagged music in iTunes that you are trying to identify and tag with correct information. Is this accurate? If so, you may want try a program like Picard from MusicBrainz. You can point it at your music folder and it will attempt to analyze the songs and give you the ability to add metadata (e.g., titles, artists) even if none currently exists in your song files.
 
canuckRus said:
Try it if you don't believe. Does your computer have the latest upgrade with Siri. If you don't try another Siri source.
Click to expand...

Are you sure about this?

I haven't seen anyone else document this ability and I would have thought I would have heard about it before now. I have just tested it and Siri just pulls the track details from iTunes and if that's missing it reads the file name, so not what the OP needs.

OP,

I have tried lots of tagging software.

Stay away from TuneUp, they have already gone out of business at least once, it's buggy and probably the least accurate of them all. Picard is okay but I found the easiest use and most accurate software is SongKong (just don't expect perfection). SongKong isn't free but there is a demo version you can try. In terms of cost just think how much your time is worth and how long it would take to do it all manually.
 
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steve23094 said:
Are you sure about this?

I haven't seen anyone else document this ability and I would have thought I would have heard about it before now. I have just tested it and Siri just pulls the track details from iTunes and if that's missing it reads the file name, so not what the OP needs.

OP,

I have tried lots of tagging software.

Stay away from TuneUp, they have already gone out of business at least once, it's buggy and probably the least accurate of them all. Picard is okay but I found the easiest use and most accurate software is SongKong (but don't expect perfection). SongKong isn't free but there is a demo version you can try. In terms of cost just think how much your time is worth and how long it would take to do it all manually.
Click to expand...


Well, I'm not having any problems. Siri, be it on iPhone, iPad or MacAir comes up with the song name, band &/or artist and album artwork (be it in miniature).
 
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canuckRus said:
Try it if you don't believe. Does your computer have the latest upgrade with Siri. If you don't try another Siri source.
Click to expand...
Well I gave Siri another go…

My results?
Wrong song. I was listening to Laurel by sniffies. :oops::confused:

Edit:

OK. To be fair to Siri, she got it "nearly" right on the 4th attempt.
597464-224d49557a67720cca03f2afc4872379.jpg
 
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I've found better luck with the Google version.
Whichever, be sure you have the volume up to a decent level.
 
Anyone know if Siri has been removed from Sierra in the last couple of days? Would it have anything to do with the most recent OS update? No longer exists anywhere on my machine, sadly.

(UNBELIEVABLE EXPLANATION)
* Believe it or not my OS slipped from Sierra back to El Capitan with no input from me. How is this possible? *
 
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Siri is still running fine on my Mac.
Did your mike come unplugged or get set as not for sound input?
Check sound prefs, and of course, Siri prefs.
 
mic j said:
So from what I just read after doing an internet search, you have to have Shazam on the iOS device and Siri just taps into Shazam and Shazam identifies the song. Is that what you are doing?
Click to expand...

Shazam is good, and Siri too, but i wouldn't rely on them only..... I find you really need at least 3 sources to be accurate, since u can never know if one them is picking up a different versions.I always like to use Discogs, and MusicBainz Piccad as wel just yo be doublely sure. i don't think all would be inaccurate, that's kind of really unfortunate.

If u different versions, or mixes etc, then it's probably ok.
 
Playing music on my Mac. Just asked Siri on iPad to tell me what was playing:
"The Battle of Trenton" by "The Goldman band".
Right on both counts, no Shazam required, just Siri.

Usually I ask Google. They seem to have a larger collection of tunes they recognize.
Rock is dead easy, but Jazz, Classical and "World" often stump the software, although Siri just caught "Flowers in the Pond" by "Dengue Fever presents Electric Cambodia".
 
Partron22 said:
Playing music on my Mac. Just asked Siri on iPad to tell me what was playing:
"The Battle of Trenton" by "The Goldman band".
Right on both counts, no Shazam required, just Siri.

Usually I ask Google. They seem to have a larger collection of tunes they recognize.
Rock is dead easy, but Jazz, Classical and "World" often stump the software, although Siri just caught "Flowers in the Pond" by "Dengue Fever presents Electric Cambodia".
Click to expand...


Siri and Shazam are now partnered to identify music tunes.
 
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