What Song Is Playing? Your Guide to Using Shazam on Apple Devices

Discovering new music can be an exciting experience. Have you ever been in a coffee shop, watching a movie, or just out and about when a captivating tune catches your ear, and you wonder, “What Song Is Playing?”. Fortunately, with Shazam on your Apple devices – iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple Vision Pro – identifying those mystery songs is easier than ever. This comprehensive guide will walk you through various methods to use Shazam, ensuring you never miss out on adding a new favorite track to your playlist.

Discovering Music with the Shazam App

The Shazam app is your dedicated portal to music identification, offering both manual and automatic song recognition features. Notably, the Shazam app on iPhone or iPad possesses a clever ability to identify songs playing directly on your device, even when you are listening with headphones. This is perfect for those moments when a song within a video or game piques your interest.

Manually Identifying a Song

For a targeted approach to song identification, the manual method within the Shazam app is straightforward and efficient.

Launch the Shazam app on your iPhone, iPad, or other supported Apple device.
Tap the Shazam button. This prominent button, usually located in the center of the screen, initiates the song recognition process.

Once you tap the Shazam button, feel free to navigate to other apps on your device. Shazam works seamlessly in the background. When a match is found, you will receive a notification revealing the song title and artist.

Even without an active internet connection, Shazam remains resourceful. It generates a unique digital fingerprint of the audio and stores it. The next time your device connects to the internet, Shazam will attempt to identify the song using this fingerprint against its extensive database.

It’s worth noting a slight difference for Mac users. Songs identified using the standalone Shazam app for Mac are not automatically saved to your “My Music” within the app, synced across your Apple devices, or backed up to iCloud. For seamless syncing and iCloud backup on Mac, leveraging Shazam Music Recognition in Control Center is the recommended method, which we’ll explore shortly.

Automatically Identifying Songs with Auto Shazam

For those who prefer a hands-free approach or wish to continuously identify music in their environment, Auto Shazam is the perfect feature. Auto Shazam enables the app to automatically listen and identify music playing around you without requiring you to manually tap the Shazam button each time.

Activate Auto Shazam by performing a long press (touch and hold) on the Shazam button within the app. On a Mac, a double-click achieves the same result.
Deactivate Auto Shazam simply by tapping the Shazam button once more (or clicking on Mac).
For even greater convenience on iPhone, iPad, or Apple Vision Pro, you can set Shazam to automatically start listening as soon as you open the app. To enable this, navigate to “My Music” at the bottom of the Shazam app screen, tap the Settings button (gear icon), and toggle on “Shazam on app start.”

Songs identified with Auto Shazam on iPhone, iPad, or Apple Vision Pro are neatly organized by date within the “My Music” section, making it easy to revisit your discovered tunes.

Finding Your Identified Songs

Shazam keeps a history of your identified songs, ensuring you can easily find them later.

On iPhone or iPad: Access your song history by tapping “My Music” at the bottom of the app. To remove a song from your list, tap the “More” button (three dots icon) next to the song and select “Remove from My Music.”
On Apple Watch: Recently identified songs are conveniently displayed below the main Shazam button on the watch app. These songs are also automatically saved to “My Music” on your paired iPhone for later access.
On Mac: Similar to the Apple Watch, recent songs are listed directly below the Shazam button within the Mac app interface.

Utilizing Shazam Music Recognition in Control Center

For quick access and system-wide music identification, Shazam Music Recognition can be integrated directly into your device’s Control Center on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. This integration is incredibly powerful as it allows you to identify songs playing from any app or source on your device, even when using headphones.

Furthermore, if you have the Shazam app installed on your iPhone, iPad, or Apple Vision Pro, songs identified through Control Center’s Music Recognition, as well as those identified using Siri, benefit from seamless integration:

They are automatically added to “My Music” within the Shazam app.
They appear in the “History” view within Shazam in Control Center across all your devices where Control Center Shazam is enabled.
Critically, these identified songs are backed up to iCloud, ensuring your music discovery history is safe and synchronized.

Adding and Using Shazam Music Recognition in Control Center on iPhone and iPad

Open Control Center on your iPhone or iPad. This is typically done by swiping down from the top-right corner of your iPhone or from the top-right corner on iPad (or swiping up from the bottom edge on older iPhones/iPads).
Customize Controls: Look for the “Add Controls” button, often represented by a plus (+) icon, usually located at the top of the Control Center interface. Tap this button to customize your Control Center.
Add Music Recognition: Within the customization screen, locate “Recognize Music” (Shazam icon) in the list of available controls and tap the “Add a Control” button, usually a plus (+) icon next to it. This adds the Shazam Music Recognition button to your Control Center.
Close Control Center: Swipe up from the bottom center of the screen (on iPhones/iPads without a home button) or press the home button (on older models) to close Control Center.
Identify Songs: Whenever you want to identify a song, simply open Control Center and tap the “Recognize Music” button (Shazam icon).
Access History: To view your Shazam history from Control Center, touch and hold the “Recognize Music” button, then tap “History.”

Adding and Using Shazam Music Recognition in Control Center on Mac

Access System Settings: Click the Apple menu () in the top-left corner of your Mac screen and choose “System Settings.”
Navigate to Control Center: In the System Settings window, find and click on “Control Center” in the sidebar menu.
Enable Music Recognition in Control Center: Under the “Control Center” settings, locate “Music Recognition” and toggle on the switch next to “Show in Control Center.” This adds the Shazam Music Recognition button to your Mac’s Control Center.
Optional: Add to Menu Bar: If you prefer having quick access to Shazam from your Mac’s menu bar at the very top of the screen, toggle on the switch next to “Show in Menu Bar” under the Music Recognition settings.
Identify Songs: To identify a song, click the Music Recognition button in Control Center (or in the menu bar if you added it there). You may need to click the button again to initiate the recognition process.
Access History: To see your identified song history, click the Music Recognition button in Control Center (or menu bar). This will typically display a dropdown menu where you can view your Shazam history.

For deeper information about a song or artist, including upcoming concerts, music videos, and more, simply click or tap on a song within the History view.

Syncing Shazam with iCloud for Song Backup

To ensure your identified song history is securely backed up and accessible across all your Apple devices, syncing Shazam with iCloud is crucial. When enabled, songs you identify using the Shazam app (on iPhone, iPad, or Vision Pro), Shazam Music Recognition in Control Center, Siri, or even Shortcuts are automatically saved across your devices, synced to “My Music” in the Shazam app, and safely stored in iCloud.

If you find that iCloud syncing isn’t working as expected, try these troubleshooting steps:

Update Shazam: Ensure you have the latest version of the Shazam app installed on your iPhone or iPad. Updates often include bug fixes and improvements that can resolve sync issues. You can update Shazam through the App Store.
Two-Factor Authentication: Verify that you have two-factor authentication enabled for your Apple ID. This security feature is often required for iCloud services to function correctly.
Check iCloud Sync in Shazam App: Confirm that iCloud Sync is explicitly turned on within the Shazam app settings on your iPhone, iPad, or Apple Vision Pro:
- Open the Shazam app.
- Swipe up from the main Shazam screen to access “My Music.”
- Tap the Settings button (gear icon).
- Tap “iCloud Sync” and ensure it is toggled on.
Verify iCloud Access for Shazam in Device Settings: Double-check that Shazam is authorized to use iCloud in your device’s general settings:
- On iPhone, iPad, or Apple Vision Pro: Go to Settings > your name (at the top) > tap “iCloud” > then tap “See All” under “Apps Using iCloud.” Make sure the switch next to “Shazam” is turned on (green).
- On Mac: Click the Apple menu () > “System Settings” > click “Apple Account” > click “iCloud” > then click “See All” next to “iCloud Drive” or “Apps syncing with iCloud Drive.” Ensure Shazam is enabled in the list.
Enable Music Recognition: Ensure that Shazam Music Recognition is also enabled within Control Center settings on your iPhone, iPad, Vision Pro, and Mac. This ensures all identification methods are contributing to your synced iCloud history.

When iCloud sync is active, your Shazam history benefits from end-to-end encryption. This robust security measure ensures that only you can access and view your song history on your trusted devices, enhancing your privacy. Note that with iCloud sync enabled, your Shazam history will no longer be accessible on Shazam.com.

If you choose not to utilize iCloud backup, your identified songs will still be saved locally on your device. You retain the option to back up your songs to iCloud at any point unless you have reset your device to factory settings or are using a brand new device.

Remember that songs identified using the standalone Shazam app for Mac are saved locally to your Mac and do not sync across your devices or back up to iCloud. To achieve seamless syncing across your Apple ecosystem, it is recommended to use Music Recognition in Control Center on your Mac instead of the dedicated Shazam app for Mac when possible.

Utilizing Siri and Other Convenient Methods for Music Identification

Beyond the app and Control Center, Apple offers even more versatile ways to identify “what song is playing” using Shazam technology.

Siri Integration: On any of your Apple devices – iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, HomePod, Mac, or Apple Vision Pro – simply activate Siri by saying “Hey Siri.” Once Siri is listening, ask “What song is playing?” or “Identify this song.” Siri will then use Shazam’s music recognition capabilities to identify the song. Songs identified via Siri are seamlessly integrated: they appear in “My Music” in the Shazam app, are listed in the “History” view within Music Recognition in Control Center, and are backed up to iCloud when sync is enabled.
Shazam Widget for iPhone and iPad: For at-a-glance music identification from your iPhone or iPad’s Today View, add the Shazam widget. This widget provides one-tap access to Shazam directly from your home screen or Today View screen (swipe right on your home screen).
Shazam on Apple Watch: As mentioned earlier, Shazam is readily available as a dedicated app on your Apple Watch, offering convenient music identification right from your wrist.
Shortcuts Integration: For advanced users who like to automate tasks, the “Shazam It” action can be added to your custom Shortcuts. This allows you to incorporate music recognition into more complex workflows and automations you create using the Shortcuts app.

Purchasing Songs You Discover with Shazam

Once you’ve identified a song you love with Shazam, purchasing it is a breeze, allowing you to expand your music library.

Access Purchase Options: In Shazam, locate the song you wish to purchase. Tap the “More” button (three dots icon) next to the song title. From the options that appear, tap “Buy on iTunes.”
iTunes Store Purchase: You will be redirected to the iTunes Store page for the selected song. Tap the price displayed next to the song to initiate the purchase process.
Apple ID Sign-In: You will be prompted to sign in to your Apple ID to complete the transaction.
Access Purchased Music: After successful purchase, your new music will be available in your Apple Music app. Open the Apple Music app and navigate to the “Library” tab to find your purchased songs.
Download for Offline Listening: To enjoy your purchased music even without an internet connection, tap the “Download” button (cloud icon) next to the song within Apple Music to download it for offline playback.

If you don’t immediately see the “Buy on iTunes” button within Shazam, it’s still worth checking the iTunes Store directly, as purchase options may still be available.

Managing Microphone Settings for Shazam on iPhone and iPad

For Shazam to effectively identify music, it requires access to your device’s microphone. If you encounter issues with Shazam not recognizing songs, ensure microphone access is enabled in your device settings.

On iPhone or iPad:

Open the Settings app.
Scroll down through your installed apps until you find “Shazam” and tap on it.
Microphone Access: On the Shazam settings screen, verify that the “Microphone” toggle is turned on (green).

If you do not see a “Microphone” option within Shazam’s settings, it’s possible that you have enabled restrictions for Privacy settings on your device. You may need to adjust your Privacy restrictions to allow microphone access for Shazam.

With these comprehensive methods, Shazam empowers you to effortlessly answer the question, “what song is playing?” across your entire Apple ecosystem, enriching your music discovery journey.