What is Shazam music recognition?

Madeleine Amosin
Support / FAQs

Image Credit: Apple

If you’re looking for a music recognition app, Shazam has you covered. So how does Shazam work?

What is Shazam? Shazam is a free music recognition app that tells you what song is playing around you. If you just can’t quite remember the name of a tune, whether it’s a song playing on the radio, in a bar or on the TV, Shazam will identify it. You can even Shazam a song that’s playing in your phone in a different app.

Shazam is owned by Apple and is available on Apple devices, and as an Android app.

How does Shazam work?

Shazam has a huge database of audio fingerprints of millions of tracks it uses to match to the sound you’re searching for. Simply hit the Shazam icon and the app will begin to listen out for a song. It doesn’t record conversations or other audio.

Once it’s identified the track the app then sends information about the song back to your Shazam library – including the name of the track, artist, album art, lyrics, and further info like other similar recommended songs and concert tickets.  

You can also turn on the Auto Shazam feature and Shazam will constantly search for music being played, without you having to lift a finger to press the Shazam icon.

How to add a song to Shazam

If you’re an artist with a finished song ready to be released into the world, you can make it findable by Shazam. As Shazam is owned by Apple, you need to upload your music to Apple Music, and it will automatically be added to the Shazam library.

And how do you upload to Apple Music? You need a digital music distributor. That’s where RouteNote comes in.

We support independent artists, offering unlimited free uploads to streaming services and stores. You keep all the rights to your songs, and are free to come and go at any time. We also help you monetize your music on YouTube and social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok. Once you start earning royalties, you keep 85% of revenue.

To get your music on Shazam with RouteNote, all you need to do is select Apple Music on the stores page.

RouteNote’s distribution is free, and always will be. Get your music online today.

How to connect and listen to Spotify in Discord

Tom Newmanin
Support / FAQs

Image Credit: Discord

Connect your Spotify and Discord accounts to see and play what your friends are listening to, and play music together with Listen Along.

Once you’ve connected Spotify, you can listen, game, chat and party all at once with Discord. It’s super easy to connect the two services:

How to connect Spotify to Discord
  1. Download and open the Discord app. 
  2. Go to User Settings – Connections.
  3. Click the Spotify logo.
  4. A web page opens to log in or sign up to Spotify.

You can toggle your Spotify name on your profile, or display Spotify as your status.

How to Listen Along

You can even listen together with friends when in text channels. The DJ can be a Free or Premium member, but the listener must be subscribed to Spotify Premium. If your friend is using Spotify Free, you’ll hear silence when they hear adverts.

How to invite a friend
  1. While Spotify is playing, head to the friend or channel you want to invite and click the + in your text box.
  2. Click Invite … to Listen to Spotify.
  3. Add a comment if you like, then click Send Invite.
  4. Friends will receive invites. See who’s listening on the bottom left of the app.
How to join a friend
  1. Click someone that’s Listening to Spotify from your list of friends on the right. 
  2. Click Listen Along .
How to disconnect Spotify from Discord
  1. Click Connections in the menu on the left of the Discord desktop app.
  2. Click Spotify. 
  3. Click X in the top left of the green box.
  4. Click Disconnect to confirm.

Can you use Amazon Music offline?

Madeleine Amosin
Support / FAQs

Image Credit: Amazon Music

Here’s how to download songs from Amazon Music, so you’re never without a soundtrack.

Can you use Amazon Music offline? Yes! You can easily download Amazon Music Unlimited and Prime Music tracks to listen to Amazon Music offline.

Listening to Amazon Music offline means you save data, get around feeble WIFI connections, and avoid being left without a soundtrack if signal drops whilst you’re travelling.

Luckily, if you have an Amazon Music subscription you get offline listening thrown in. Amazon Music Unlimited and Prime Music songs can be downloaded.

How to use Amazon Music offline

To download from the Amazon Music app, head to My Music. Choose the album, playlist or song to download and tap the three dots beside it, then hit Download.

The music will be added to the Amazon Music download queue. A tick beside the track will show when it is available for offline listening.

Bear in mind you can’t export the songs to external storage and can only listen through the Amazon Music app.

If you’re a musician or producer interested in getting your music onto Amazon Music, you can upload unlimited tracks for free with RouteNote. We’re a digital music distributor with partnerships with all the major streaming platforms and stores, giving your music global reach. Head here to sign up for free today.

How to view your past Spotify Wrapped

Tom Newmanin
Support / FAQs

Did you know you can view all of your previous Spotify Wrapped roundups as far back as 2016? Simply use the links below.

Spotify Wrapped usually drops in December each year, giving users playlists such as Your Top Songs, Missed Hits – with songs Spotify thinks you’ll love, and On Record – a mixture of your most played songs alongside podcasts with or around that artist. These personalized playlists are presented along with the top tracks, artists and podcasts in your country.

You can find all of your past Spotify Wrapped hubs here. Be sure to log in for the full personalized experience:

What is a Spotify Code and how do I share one?

Tom Newmanin
Support / FAQs

What is a Spotify Code? How do I scan them? How can I share one? How do they help me as an artist? These questions and more answered.

Spotify Codes are a creative way to share, connect and discover music with friends, artists and fans. They are QR-like “scannable” tags that offer creators and music lovers a way to share songs, albums, playlists, podcasts, artist profiles and brand profiles, where links may not be suitable, such as physical media and platforms like Instagram and Snapchat. Users need only point their camera at the Spotify Code or import a screenshot to be taken directly to the content.

How to share a Spotify Code via the mobile app

To quickly share content with friends or social media via the mobile app, find what you want to share and tap the three dots. You’ll see the Spotify Code below the artwork. Tap the artwork to enlarge or SAVE TO PHOTOS to share online.

  • Share a code mobile step 1
  • Share a code mobile step 2
  • Share a code mobile step 3
How to share a Spotify Code on desktop for unreleased tracks, or high resolution and printed media

Head to spotifycodes.com, paste the Spotify URI or URL in the box and click GET SPOTIFY CODE. You can even include an unreleased track if you know the Spotify URI. From here you can customize the background and bar colour of your Spotify Code, before downloading it as a JPEG, SVG or PNG.

  • Inspiration 1 Baby Driver movie poster (US)
  • Inspiration 3 Calvin Harris Funk Wav Bounces Vol.1 (UK)
Image Credit: Spotify

To find your Spotify URI prior to release for music uploaded to RouteNote, head to our URL Requests form under Artist Services – Marketing. Make sure your release is approved and please allow 48 hours for requests to be completed.

Especially for printed media, be sure to follow Spotify’s best practices for Spotify Codes here. You can find brand guidelines in the FAQ page here.

How to scan a Spotify Code

To scan a Spotify Code on the Spotify mobile or tablet app, tap Search at the bottom, tap the camera icon in the upper right corner, then simply point your camera at the Spotify Code or Select from photos to import a screenshot.

How to cancel YouTube Music

Madeleine Amosin
Support / FAQs

Image Credit: YouTube

Want to cancel your YouTube Music Premium membership? Read this quick guide first.

Fallen out of love with YouTube’s music streaming app? Here’s how to unsubscribe from Youtube Music Premium.

Ending your subscription should be easy. Head to youtube.com/paid_memberships, click “Manage membership” and then hit Deactivate. 

Want to try out a different streaming platform? YouTube Music gives you the option to “Pause” your Premium membership; this makes it easy for you to pick up where you left off if you decide to return after trying out the likes of Spotify or Apple Music. You can pause for up to six months.

Maybe you’re halfway through your free trial and know you’re not going to want to sign up for the long term if you have to pay for the pleasure. If so, you can cancel before the end of the trial period and you won’t be charged. You’ll still have access to YouTube Music Premium until the trial runs out and the app reverts to the ad-supported free version.

There’s so many music streaming apps around now, and sometimes you’ve just got to let one go. Any problems with cancelling YouTube Music Premium, head to Google’s support pages.

Ever thought about releasing your own music to streaming services like YouTube Music? Check out RouteNote. We put the power back in the hands of independent artists by uploading your tracks to platforms around the world for free. Sign up here today.

How do I authorize a device for Amazon Music?

Madeleine Amosin
Support / FAQs

Image Credit: Amazon Music

Head this way to learn how to manage devices on Amazon Music.

Just bought a brand new toy to play music on? Authorizing a new device for Amazon Music is simple, but there’s a few things you should know.

How to register a device on Amazon

For devices such as iPhones and Amazon Fire TV Sticks, once you’ve downloaded the Prime Music app, sign in to your Amazon Prime account. You may then be asked to confirm your identity by filling in a code sent to an email or telephone number.  

How to manage authorized devices on Amazon Music

A device is anything you download music to – so your iPhone, Kindle, and so on. Each new device will need to be authorized, and can only be authorized to one account at a time. Head to Your Amazon Music Settings to manage your devices.

Each Amazon Music user can have up to 10 devices registered to their account. You can move devices between accounts whenever you want, just make sure to deauthorize them from the first account.

Do I have to authorize every Amazon Music device?

If you use a browser to stream and buy from Amazon Music, you don’t have to authorize the device you’re using.

What if I have more than 10 devices for Amazon?

If you hit the limit of more than 10 devices connected to your Amazon Music account, you’ll need to deauthorize one to replace it with your new device. You can do this whenever, using a web browser. It then takes 30 days for the space to open up.

Are you a musician or producer wondering how to put your music on Amazon Music? Check out RouteNote. We’re an independent music distributor, uploading tracks to all the big streaming services for free. Artists keep control of their music, and listeners around the world can discover your great new releases. Find out more here.

How to use Spotify on Apple Watch

Tom Newmanin
Support / FAQs

Image Credit: Spotify

With Spotify on the Apple Watch you can take over 70 million songs on the go with you or download tracks for offline playback.

Spotify has been on the Apple Watch for sometime now, but only in the last year, the streaming service has rolled out a number of key features that have been missing until now. For Spotify Free members, not only can you use the Apple Watch as a remote for controlling music via the iPhone, with play, pause and skip functions, you can also save your favourite songs, control where music is played with Spotify Connect, and use Siri to control music and podcasts. Spotify Premium subscribers get a couple of extra features that have been added in the last year that don’t require a phone. These include listening directly on the watch with only a cellular or WiFi connection and listening offline by downloading songs.

To access any of these features, make sure iOS, watchOS and the Spotify app are all up-to-date. As a minimum, these features require Apple Watch Series 3 or later, and watchOS 6.0 or above (Spotify recommends watchOS 7.1 or above).

To install and use Spotify on the Apple Watch, simply download and log in to the Spotify app on your iPhone. Make sure the Apple Watch is paired with your iPhone. If the app isn’t showing on the watch, follow Apple’s steps to downloading apps.

Siri

To use Siri with Spotify on the Apple Watch, say “Hey Siri” followed by your command. Siri can play songs, artists, albums, playlists and podcasts, as well as like music, tell you what song is currently playing, and control media settings like volume, skip track, play and pause. Just remember to end each command with “on Spotify” so the Watch knows which music service to use. Get started by asking something like “Hey Siri, play my Discover Weekly playlist on Spotify.”

Listen offline – Premium only

Downloading music and podcasts to the Apple Watch allows you to take your content on the go, without internet or your phone. You can store around 10 hours worth of downloads on the watch, depending on your storage availability. Unfortunately Spotify limit the number of tracks to 50 per playlist and you cannot download individual songs, so they’ll need to be in a playlist. On your phone, go to a playlist or podcast you want to download, tap the three dots, then tap Download to Apple Watch. You can check the progress in the Downloads section on the watch. A little green arrow will show next to downloaded content. Hook a pair of headphones up to the watch and start listening anywhere.

Did you know you can get your own music on to Spotify for free, so you and 365 million users can stream your songs on the Apple Watch or just about any other device? Click here for more.