Cool Find: The Shazam App tells you what music you’re listening to

One of my favorite events at any anime convention I go to is the AMV contest, where creators cut together videos consisting of their favorite anime set to music. Usually the videos try and convey some sort of story, and are generally categorized into various themes (drama, comedy, action, etc.). Often, AMV contests are a great way (for me anyway) to discover new anime — I’ll see a character, fight scene, art style, etc. that I think is cool, and later on, I look up the AMV on the org and find out which anime was used in it.

Just as often, however, is the case where I find some cool music or a cool artist through AMVs. I’d hear a cool song and wonder “Oh, that song sounds cool, I wonder who did it?” Usually I’d have to either ask around on the forums, or wait a few weeks until the video hits the .org and look it up there. But now, for us “instant gratification” types, there’s an app that’ll tell you what song you’re listening to – Shazam.

Simply load this app (it’s free) on your smartphone or tablet, and, whenever you hear a piece of music you wish to identify, tap the big button. Shazam will listen in using your smartphone or tablet’s microphone, and in a flash, will identify your song. It’s amazingly accurate — even in a loud, echo-y AMV screening room, with sub-par audio, people yelling/talking at each other, etc., it has been able to identify music with a shocking level of accuracy. (Of course it’ll work anywhere where you hear music – your local coffeeshop, a restaurant, concert, whatever. And, again, even in noisy environments, it’s surprisingly accurate.)

Get it today for iPhone and iPod touch, iPad, and Android.

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