You can now hum, whistle or sing to Google to identify a song. Wccftech / Twitter
You can now hum, whistle or sing to Google to identify a song. Wccftech / Twitter
You can now hum, whistle or sing to Google to identify a song. Wccftech / Twitter
You can now hum, whistle or sing to Google to identify a song. Wccftech / Twitter

Google now lets you search for music by humming or whistling a tune into your phone


Razmig Bedirian
  • English
  • Arabic

You’re going about your day when a melody leaps out from the furthest recesses of your memory. You can’t remember any of its lyrics. You’re not even sure if it was from a song or a symphony. You try to pinpoint where you last heard the tune, figuring out if it was through a friend or in a film. Still, nothing.

A new Google feature might help you keep that tune from becoming a taunting din in your head. All you need to do is hum.

Dubbed ‘Hum to Search’, the feature is available in the latest version of the Google app. To use the feature, tap on the microphone icon and ask it to “search a song”.

You get 15 seconds to hum, whistle or even sing the song that comes to mind.

And don't worry, you don't need to have perfect pitch to make use of the feature. In fact, according to Google, even the tone-deaf can benefit from "Hum to Search".

“We’ll show you the most likely options based on the tune,” a post on Google’s official blog reads. “Then you can select the best match and explore information on the song and artist, view any accompanying music videos or listen to the song on your favourite music app, find the lyrics, read analysis and even check out other recordings of the song when available.”

The post explains that a song’s melody is like its fingerprint, with every track containing its own unique identity.

“We’ve built machine-learning models that can match your hum, whistle or singing to the right ‘fingerprint’.

“When you hum a melody, our machine-learning models transform the audio into a number-based sequence representing the song’s melody. Models are trained to identify songs based on a variety of sources, including humans singing, whistling or humming, as well as studio recordings.

“The algorithms also take away all the other details, like accompanying instruments and the voice’s timbre and tone. What we’re left with is the song’s number-based sequence, or the fingerprint.”

The feature is available in English on iOS and in more than 20 languages on Android. However, there are plans to “expand this to more languages in the future".

Two-step truce

The UN-brokered ceasefire deal for Hodeidah will be implemented in two stages, with the first to be completed before the New Year begins, according to the Arab Coalition supporting the Yemeni government.

By midnight on December 31, the Houthi rebels will have to withdraw from the ports of Hodeidah, Ras Issa and Al Saqef, coalition officials told The National. 

The second stage will be the complete withdrawal of all pro-government forces and rebels from Hodeidah city, to be completed by midnight on January 7.

The process is to be overseen by a Redeployment Co-ordination Committee (RCC) comprising UN monitors and representatives of the government and the rebels.

The agreement also calls the deployment of UN-supervised neutral forces in the city and the establishment of humanitarian corridors to ensure distribution of aid across the country.

Labour dispute

The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.


- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law 

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Tips for job-seekers
  • Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
  • Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.

David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East

Other workplace saving schemes
  • The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
  • Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
  • National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
  • In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
  • Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
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SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities

Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails

Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies

Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments

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