The latest Shazam update added a feature that you might be surprised to know wasn't present: the ability to identify music through your headphones.
The way it works, according to the patch notes on the App Store, is that you first launch the app whenever you find a song on YouTube, TikTok, or wherever. Tap the headphones icon on the screen to tell Shazam that a pair of headphones is connected and to start listening. From here, you can go to the video with the mystery song and the app will hopefully catch it. 9To5Mac claims that the tool works in “almost any… app you can think of,” alluding to the possibility that Shazam has some blind spots. Once you are done, you can find the name of the song on the app interface.
It doesn't matter what type of headphones you use. The patch notes confirm that the feature will work on both wired and wireless devices. There don't seem to be any hardware restrictions either. You won't need to have a pair of AirPods to get access. Works with third party brands.
Additionally, Shazam will continue to function normally even if a pair of headphones is connected. The feature will not interrupt or prevent the app from listening to songs playing in its vicinity.
We should also mention that the headphone listening update is also available for Android users. The app's listing page on the Google Play Store has been updated to now include a line mentioning the new functionality.
Possible macOS expansion
As you can see, it's not a major update, but it introduces a new level of usefulness to the app. It should now be easier for you to discover the names of songs you come across on social media.
It is unknown if this feature will be implemented in Shazam on macOS. According to the Mac App Store listing, the last time Shazam on Mac saw a patch was August 11, 2022, so it's been a while. We believe this version needs an update. So we reached out to Apple to ask if there are plans to expand the headphone listening feature to its other version of Shazam. This story will be updated later.
Until then, check out TechRadar's list of the best headphones for 2024.
