Frequently asked questions
Quick answers to the questions we get most. Something missing? Ask on Discord or contact us.
Is GuessTheSong free?
Yes. Every theme, every game mode and the leaderboard are free, with or without an account. The site is paid for by advertising, so you may see a banner on some pages.
The audio is not playing. What can I do?
Browsers block sound until you have interacted with the page, so click or tap anywhere in the room first. Then check that the tab is not muted (right-click the tab in Chrome), that the device volume is up and that the browser has permission to play media. On iPhone, the silent switch mutes web audio in some versions of Safari. If one song in particular stays silent, the preview may be temporarily unavailable from Apple. Skip the round and tell us on Discord so we can replace the track.
Which browsers and devices are supported?
Any recent version of Chrome, Firefox, Edge or Safari on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS. There is no app to install. For the best experience on a phone use the latest browser version; the visualizer can be switched to a lighter one in the settings if your device struggles.
How does scoring work?
A correct guess earns 100 base points, a speed bonus between 25 and 125 points depending on how fast you answered, an order bonus of 200, 150 or 100 points for being first, second or third, and 25 points for each hint letter that had not been revealed yet, up to 100. The maximum for one round is 525. The how to play page has the full table.
Do I need to type the exact title?
No. Guesses are compared loosely, so small typos, missing punctuation and different capitalisation still count. You do not need to include the artist, only the title. Messages that do not resemble the title are posted to the chat instead.
How do I invite friends?
Create a room and share the four-digit code shown in the lobby, or click the copy button to copy the full invite link. Friends who open the link go straight into your lobby. Add a password if you want to keep strangers from the server browser out.
The game feels laggy or out of sync.
Every clip is loaded by all players before the round starts, and the countdown waits for slow connections. If you still see delays, close other tabs that stream video, switch from mobile data to Wi-Fi, or disable the visualizer in the settings. Reloading the page puts you back in the same room without losing your score.
Where does the music come from?
Clips are the official 30-second previews that Apple provides through the iTunes Search API, streamed from Apple's servers. We do not host full songs. Each reveal links to the track on iTunes.
Do I need an account?
No. You can play as a guest with just a nickname. An account lets you keep your nickname, appear on the global leaderboard and track games won. Registration asks for an email address so you can reset your password.
Can I filter explicit songs?
Yes, for themes that have enough clean tracks. Toggle "explicit songs" off when creating the room and tracks flagged as explicit by iTunes are excluded.
What is presenter mode?
In presenter mode the room owner's device only plays the music and shows the scores, acting as a shared screen for a party or pub quiz. Everyone else joins on their own phone to type guesses.
Can I suggest a theme or report a wrong song?
Please do. Post it in the Discord server or send us a message through the contact page with the theme and the track.