Mousai: A Lightweight Shazam Alternative to Identify Songs on Your Device

Tired of humming along to an unknown tune? Mousai, a free and open-source song identification application, provides a simple yet powerful solution. Similar in functionality to popular apps like Shazam, Mousai leverages the AudD music recognition API to identify millions of songs with ease, all while respecting your privacy. This guide explores Mousai’s features, installation process, and why it’s a compelling alternative to proprietary song identification apps.

Mousai: Simple Song Identification Made Easy

Mousai offers a streamlined approach to song identification. Simply play the song you want to identify, open Mousai, and press the “listen” button. Within seconds, Mousai displays the song title and artist, powered by the robust AudD music recognition API. This API boasts a database of approximately 60 million tracks, covering various sources including microphone recordings, user-generated content, and audio files (even radio).

Key Features:

• Free and Open-Source: Available under an open-source license, with source code accessible on GitHub.
• User-Friendly Interface: Mousai features a clean and intuitive design.
• Cross-Platform Compatibility: Currently available for GNU/Linux operating systems.
• Versatile Input: Identifies songs from microphone input or desktop audio.
• Additional Features: Includes a history list, keyboard shortcuts, online song browsing via web links, song previews in your native audio player, multi-language support, and album art display.

Mousai’s Dependence on the AudD API:

Mousai relies on the audd.io API, requiring initial authorization to obtain a token. Leaving the token field blank provides a free trial with daily token limits.

Installing Mousai on Ubuntu Linux (Using Flatpak):

The easiest way to install Mousai on Ubuntu is through Flatpak.

Steps:

1. Install Flatpak (if not already installed):
   • Ubuntu 18.10 and later: sudo apt install flatpak
   • Older Ubuntu versions:
     • sudo add-apt-repository ppa:alexlarsson/flatpak
     • sudo apt update
     • sudo apt install flatpak
2. Install Flatpak Plugin (for graphical installation – optional): sudo apt install gnome-software-plugin-flatpak (Note: the Software app doesn’t directly support Flatpak app installation, even as a Snap since Ubuntu 20.04).
3. Add Flathub Repository: flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo
4. Install Mousai:
   • flatpak install flathub io.github.seadve.Mousai
   • flatpak run io.github.seadve.Mousai
5. Restart System: A system restart is recommended after adding the Flathub repository.

Conclusion:

Mousai offers a compelling alternative to proprietary song identification apps. Its open-source nature, user-friendly interface, and reliance on the powerful AudD API make it a practical and efficient tool for quickly identifying songs. The straightforward installation process via Flatpak ensures a seamless experience for Ubuntu users. With its combination of ease of use and powerful features, Mousai stands out as a strong contender in the music identification landscape.