Wondering how to find a music video by describing it? We have the answer. Read on below for a complete guide to find your music video.
Life can get frustrating sometimes, especially when you are trying to remember a music video but can’t remember the song, name of the artist or even the lyrics, but have a lot of clues to go on. When you think about it, you probably don’t need the exact name of the song or artist for it to pop into your head, do you?
It must have happened before where you might have heard a song by ear and thought it was one thing, but when you go look for it on the internet or YouTube, turns out it was another. So why not save yourself some time and see if the AI can figure this weird “spot-the-differences” game out?
Finding a music video by describing it
Here are some common situations you may face and how to find the song by merely describing it.
1) You might remember the lyrics of the song, but not the name of the song or artist
Example: This is just my luck that I need to figure out this song for a homework assignment; I’m pretty sure it’s a song from the 80s, but all I remember is it goes something like, “I want to know what love is…”
You can Google lyrics from songs and artists. If you’re looking for a specific song, try using a couple of lines from the song in quotation marks.
Example: “I want to know what love is”. Google will return the results with Coldplay.
2) You might remember the artist, but not their name or any lyrics
Example: This music video had this guy who looked like he was wearing half a raccoon on his head and another guy with tattoos wearing sunglasses. It’s definitely not rap music, though. The artist wore red pants and sang about how he wanted this girl named Nancy…
Google search by images. Google might return results of different artists, but sometimes you can find who you’re looking for by clicking on “Search tools” and then “Usage rights” under images.
Example: site:pixabay.com raccoon image to see similar images or artist name to show only results with that word in it to narrow down your search.
3) You might remember the music video itself, but not the song, specific lyrics or the names of any artists
Example: I want to watch this music video that is slow at first, but then it speeds up a bit after he does some skateboarding tricks, maybe? At one part, a girl is standing next to him wearing red pants.
Google search by viewing time. Sometimes you can narrow down your time frame by adding “between” and then a range of numbers. For example, if you want to find a music video between 3 and 5 minutes long, you would type site:youtube.com between 3 and 5 min.
Example: site:youtube.com between 20 and 45 sec “red pants”
4) You might remember one scene from a music video but can’t remember the name of the song or any artists.
Example: This is driving me crazy! I was watching this music video with this guy who had long hair, and he started out on some street where it looked like all these people were waiting for him. And then he jumped up on top of a car? Maybe? Then he got caught by a policeman, I think…
Google search by timestamps. If you’re trying to find a specific scene from a video, it might be easier to search by the timestamp.
Example: Googling site:youtube.com 00:03 will return results where the video is 3 seconds long or shorter.
5) You might remember that there was a music video, but you don’t know what song was playing or who the artist even was
Example: I want to find this music video I watched one time on TV where it’s all animated, and there’s this huge monster… And he fights another monster? And then he gets eaten? Yeah… That sounds familiar…
You can Google lyrics from songs and artists by using “summary” in quotation marks after searching for keywords related to your memory of it. Example: site:youtube.com summary “huge monster”
6) You can’t remember anything at all about it. You just have a vague feeling that there’s something called a music video
For example, I’ve been trying to figure out what this thing is called where they have lyrics at the bottom of the screen while someone sings along… The only thing I know for sure is that there are music videos on YouTube.
Google search by type. If you don’t know how to start searching for something, google site:youtube.com type in general keywords related to your subject, like “video,” “animation,” or “game.” This should help you narrow down results faster!
Extra Waves: Other ways to find a song you can’t remember
In case you hate Google for whatever reason, here are some other ways to search for a music video you can’t remember anything about.
1 – Use an app
Some mobile apps help you identify a song just by humming the tune. Shazam and SoundHound are two such excellent apps. Their interface is clear and easy to use. It can upload songs you own on your phone, but it also lets you hum the tune or sing the lyrics. The song will be identified in seconds! All searches are free, with no limits.
2 – Use a website
Every Noise At Once analyzes all of Spotify’s 20 million+ songs to let you know which songs have the same tempo or similar chord progression. You can use this intuitive tool to determine if your desired tune was included in any album or playlist. There are other similar websites that can help you find a song by describing it.
3 – Ask your friends
Let’s face it; we’re all guilty of getting a little too into our music and sharing that fact with others — be it on the internet via social media or as an inside joke to those close to us. There’s a decent chance someone we know has seen the video we desperately want, so why not ask them! And if you’re willing to shell out a few bucks, there are plenty of paid services you can use to find your video.
4 – Invest in some patience
Like any good detective, some cases are worth some time and effort. The internet is at your disposal — but you should also invest in some patience. If you can’t find a way to search for the song, just let it go for some time. Being patient can work wonders. When you stop straining your brain, you’ll be surprised how the memory creeps back, and you’ll remember everything.
Final Thoughts
So, I hope now you know how to find a music video by describing it. At least one of these methods should help find your music video. If you have any questions about my post, feel free to ask in the comments section below, and I will answer them as soon as possible!
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Also, don’t forget to share this post on Facebook so your friends can find their music videos too! Thanks for reading!