The Magic of “Identificar Música”: How Technology Learned to Name That Tune

We have all been there. You are walking through a bustling coffee shop, riding the subway, or watching a gripping scene in a television drama, and a transcendent melody captures your attention. It sends a shiver down your spine, but you have no idea what it is called or who sings it.

Decades ago, your only options were trying to decipher the muffled lyrics to Google later or stopping a stranger to ask, “Excuse me, do you know what song is playing?”