Hum On! App Turns Your Humming Into Music

People love to hum, whether it’s along to music or just a tune you’ve got stuck in your head, it is an easy way to express yourself even if you have no musical talent or skill. Now, Samsung’s C-Lab have developed a way for you to both hum and make music with Hum On! a new app that records your vocal noises and attempts to turn them into music.

Using the app is simple, just hit a record button and hum away. When you are done, the app will convert your vocalization into musical notation and let you play it back like a MIDI file. If you aren’t happy with the result, the app will let you adjust the notes after the recording and even change the genre of the song played back with choices such as “rock”, “orchestra” and “R&B”.

The app works by analysing the pitch and duration of the user’s voice and employs machine learning techniques to calculate suitable accompaniments for the vocal sounds using methods likened to a musician applying melody and chords.

“For hundreds of years, music has only been created by a select few, but that will no longer be the case,” said David Choi, Creative Leader of the project. “With Hum On!, we aim to provide a platform where anyone can turn their inspiration into great music.”

Currently the Hum On! app is in a very early beta phase, with the version of the app being on show at SXSW being very basic, lacking even some of the features that are becoming commonplace in modern apps such as the ability to easily share data with other apps and devices. It is unclear if and when Hum On! will be available to the public, but it should be an entertaining addition to many smartphones.