Got a song or a video in your head that's hazy, and you can't seem to find it anywhere? We've all had that problem before.
You have one small lyric or one small memory of a scene in the video, but no one around you knows what you're talking about.
Don't stress! All hope may not be lost when it comes to finding it. Hunting for a song is easier than finding a video, but you may be able to have luck with both.
The first thing you want to do is to record everything you remember about the video or song. Any lyric you have in your head, any melody you can hear, or something in the video that you recall should be written down or recorded.
These details tend to get lost easily, so you don't want to have something on the tip of your tongue and then lose it while you go through your search.
If you have lyrics or memories of what happened in the music video, take a stab at simply putting that information into Google.
You'd be surprised how well Google can find things just by naming a few elements in the content without knowing the song title or the artist.
This is especially true for popular songs and videos. Try to emphasize lyrics or details that wouldn't be easily found in other songs.
If you only know words like love and forever are in the chorus, you'd have to sift through hundreds of thousands of songs.
If you're looking for a video, you can also try putting details about the video into a Youtube search. This search engine may be able to match your description to the right video or at least to the right artist.
You can also try putting details or songs about the video into other search engines like Twitter or Instagram. Sometimes, you'll be able to tap into a conversation about someone who was searching for the same thing.
Several popular song identifier apps allow you to hum or play a song into a microphone to identify songs that sound very similar.
This is one of the most popular ways to find a song that you can't remember the lyrics to, but you recall things about the melody. Shazam and Midomi are two very well-known apps that many have found success with.
Sometimes the apps, Wiki, and search engines just don't have the information that you really need to find. If you know that the song or video is very popular and you just can't remember it, take a stab at asking users on Reddit or Quora.
Many song lovers would be glad to help strangers find their answers online, and it wouldn't take much out of their day to answer you. The answer might then help others that are searching on Google for that same song!
If you're trying to recall a video and you think you may know someone who made a cameo in it, try looking up their filmography on a site like IMDb.
The same company also has a site dedicated to music video content information called IMVDb that you may be able to find some luck with.
A few community sites are dedicated to helping users find songs they are trying to remember. It's like Reddit, but it's more targeted to users that have the exact same problem.
You can post a clip of you singing or a clip of the song that you are trying to find, and other community members may be able to help you locate it. The most popular song finder community is WatzatSong.
Although your close friends and family members don't know what song or video you're trying to describe, don't count out the other people in your network.
Your Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter friends may be able to help you find what you're looking for. All you have to do is put out a post asking!
It's something like a fun guessing game for people on your friend list, so even if you don't get the right answer, at least there was a nice social moment among people you know who try to help.
If you have an idea of who the artist was but just can't recall the song or video, you could always look at their discographies.
If you feel like it could be 3 or 4 different artists, you'd still likely find the song when looking through each Wiki page if one of them is really the performer for the song you're thinking of. The process is quicker than you think and very much worth it.
Related Post: 26 Music Video Ideas And Concepts
Although music forums aren't as big of a thing as they used to be, people still regularly browse and post in these communities. This is especially true for forums that are hyper-focused on specific genres, artists, or music periods.
If you know the style of music, try finding some forums with a Google search. It's a bit of a reach, but it may help you get closer to your answer if you're desperate enough.
Are you pretty sure that the song or video was on a hit list before? You could try looking up "Best Of" lists according to the genre or era that the song came out in.
Browsing through lists that have 50 or 100 of the most popular videos and songs could surprise you with the exact one you were looking for.
This works well for songs released before the 2000s since there weren't as many people releasing content as there are now in the digital age.
Related Post: How Much Does A Music Video Cost?
As a session singer, writer, and producer that has worked with over 300 clients to provide high-quality jingles, singles, and features, Yona spends her time creating and marketing new music and helpful resources for creators. Check out Yona’s latest releases on her Spotify, her Youtube and share if you like it!
If you are in need of singer, songwriter or song producer services, see what Yona Marie can offer you on her services page.
