Another way of automatically identifying songs online ... Tunatic!

Hi all,

Most of you know, I hope, you can look up songs used on the Malcolm soundtrack this way:

Overview of all Malcolm songs:

http://home.earthlink.net/~bigfitz79/Malcolm_Music.html

The Malcolm France jukebox:

http://malcolminthemusic.malcolm-france.com/

But there's another way on the basis of comparing the audio signal online: Tunatic, a small, unobtrusive freeware application you can click to identify any song currently playing on your computer:

http://www.wildbits.com/tunatic/

As you can see in attached picture, it succeeded in coming up with Funkytown by Lipps Inc while I was playing the Rollerskates episode! Awesome!

But it doesn't always work. Some MITM tunes:

Boss of Me title tune - fail
They Might Be Giants: Why Does The Sun Shine? - fail
Beck: Mixed Bizness - OK
Hanson: Smile - fail
The Push Stars: Drunk Is Better Than Dead - OK
Stroke 9: Washin' & Wonderin' - OK
Travis: We Are Monkeys - fail
Todd Rundgren: Bang The Drum All Day - OK
Brave Combo: Peanut Polka - fail

In general, it looks like:

• Tunes have to be well-known.
• Instrumentals are harder to identify. Classical music fails by default.
• As the exact 'audio fingerprint' is used, covers, remixed, live or karaoke versions (including your own vocal efforts), unless in wide circulation, won't be recognized.

You can also contribute more songs to the central database with Tunalyzer, but currently this works only on the Mac.

I know there's also an application for iPhone that you can just hold in front of the radio to identify tunes. Perhaps it's the same program (I don't have an iPhone), at any rate all extremely handy and fun!

:thumbup:

Rich

I was a bit too rash in my verdict, it seems. Tunatic managed to immediately identify two classical pieces: an unknown recording of Finlandia by Jean Sibelius, and the Winter, Largo movement of Vivaldi's The Four Seasons by The Salzburg Baroque Chamber Orchestra. Amazing!

And strictly sticking to 'Malcolm Goes Classical', Wagner's "Walkürenritt", Albinoni's "Adagio", Brahms' "Hungarian Dance" and "Nessun Dorma" by Andrea Bocelli (though I don't think it was Bocelli on the soundtrack) are all correctly identified.

I was also surprised it recognized an instrumental by Henri Mancini, and songs by Buck Owens and Burl Ives from the 50's and 60's.

Just try it and no doubt it will be fun!

Beddybyes!

Rich