Now Playing

What Now Playing is for

Now Playing is a Google app that recognises music playing near your phone and names the song. It is aimed at people who hear a track somewhere and want its title without searching for it by hand.

The developer describes it as a hub for music discovery, so the emphasis is on finding songs you did not know, not on playing a library you already own.

Identifying a song from the lock screen

The main action is identification, and the listing says it works from the lock screen. You do not need to open a separate app and hold the phone up to the speaker first.

The app listens for music around you and returns the track it recognises.

Keeping a list of songs you have found

Each song the app identifies is added to one place, so the songs you have heard are gathered together rather than lost once the music stops.

You can go back through that list later to see everything you have identified.

Listening on your preferred music service

From the list of identified songs, you can carry on listening on the music service you prefer. The app is a way to find a track, and playback happens in the service you choose.