SoundHound Review

Hold your phone in the direction of a speaker or a performer, and this app will tell you what's playing.
By: Bob Tedeschi

Category: Travel
Cost/Platforms: Free on Android and Apple devices.

Overall Rating:travel app rating
Multiplatform:travel app rating
Lots of function for nothing:travel app rating
Fun and easy to use:travel app rating
Solves a real travel need or challenge:travel app rating

Identify songs you hear anywhere.

Why we like it -- It's a bit of smartphone magic: Hold your phone in the direction of a speaker or a performer, and this app will tell you what's playing. The app, which is especially great for car rides, cafes or bars, keeps a list of every song you've identified, and you can buy songs or find lyrics with one click.

SoundHound also includes music charts, made up of songs most frequently identified by other users of the app, so it's a great way to find new music. You need a network connection for immediate results, but if you're in a foreign market and you don't want to swallow data charges, you can search while in offline mode, and the app will retrieve the song name later when you connect.

Improvements we'd like to see -- The app will help you identify foreign-language hits, but until SoundHound improves its global music database, it will miss the more obscure tunes.

More app reviews >>

Next Up

Why This Mexican Town You Probably Haven't Heard of Is Worth a Visit for Day of the Dead

Instead of experiencing the holiday in Mexico City, go a little further off the beaten path for more intimate Noche and Dia de Muertos celebrations in Erongaricuaro.

Flipboard Review

Flipboard takes all of the recommended links from your Facebook and Twitter contacts, and displays them in a magazine-style format.

Yelp Review

Yelp offers listings and user reviews of businesses and restaurants in most US cities, plus London and Paris.

Skype Review

Instead of swallowing exorbitant charges for international cell-phone calls, just download Skype and point yourself to a Wi-Fi hot spot.

Jetsetter Review

Discover the world's greatest vacations, hand-picked by experts with the Jetsetter travel app.

Campwhere Review

Read the review for the Campwhere travel app, a solid resource for travelers packing a tent or cruising in a camper.

CameraBag Review

CameraBag is a great way to inject life into photos you might otherwise delete, or make good photos into great ones.

iTrailMap Review

You carry your phone with you anyway. Why not use it to avoid carrying around a ski trail map, too?

Urbanspoon Review

It can be a chore finding good food in an unfamiliar city. Urbanspoon puts a dash of fun into the experience, with a slot-machine simulator.

Zillow Review

Fall in love with this year's vacation spot? Want to move there or buy a vacation home? Zillow is the easiest way to do a quick reality check.

More Creepy Content

Follow Us Everywhere

Join the party! Don't miss Travel Channel in your favorite social media feeds.

On TV