About GuessTheSong
A free online music quiz, built and run by one developer in the Netherlands since 2020.
The idea
GuessTheSong.io started during the 2020 lockdowns as a way to play "name that tune" with friends who could not be in the same room. The rules are deliberately simple: everyone hears the same clip, everyone types the title, and speed decides the score. That simplicity is what makes it work for a group of two as well as a living room full of people shouting at one screen.
What makes it different
- No install, no account. Everything runs in the browser on desktop and mobile. Pick a nickname and you are in.
- Curated themes. Instead of a random pile of tracks, every theme pack is a hand-picked list, from 70s hits to current charts and genre packs like rap, house, indie pop and country. See the themes page for all of them.
- Real-time play. Rooms are synchronised over a live socket connection so the clip, the hints, the chat and the scoreboard update for everyone at the same moment.
- Party-ready. Presenter mode turns one device into the stage and lets everyone else play from their phone.
Where the music comes from
Song clips are the official 30-second previews that Apple makes available through the iTunes Search API. They stream straight from Apple's servers, and every reveal links to the full track on iTunes. GuessTheSong does not host, download or redistribute full songs, and we add or remove tracks from theme packs based on which previews are available.
How it is funded
The game is free and will stay free. Hosting, the database and the streaming traffic are paid for with unobtrusive advertising served by Google AdSense and, occasionally, affiliate links to music products. We never sell player data. Details are in the privacy policy.
Technology
The backend is written in Python with Flask and Socket.IO, backed by PostgreSQL. The game interface is a Vue 3 application. Audio visualizers run on the Web Audio API and WebGL. If something breaks, an error report is sent to Sentry so it can be fixed quickly.
Get involved
Suggestions for new themes, missing songs or features are always welcome. Join the community on Discord or use the contact page. New to the game? Start with how to play.