WatZatSong
 | |
Type of site | Song indentification and social networking service |
|---|---|
| Available in | English and French |
| Founded | 2005 |
| Country of origin | France |
| Employees | 3+ |
| URL | watzatsong |
| Registration | Yes |
| Launched | 2006 |
| Current status | Active |
WatZatSong (stylized as WatZat♫Song?), is an American and French music identification and social networking website created by French programmers and co-founders Raphaël Arbuz and Thibault Vanhulle in 2006.[1]
Overview[edit]
The website allows users to upload applicable .mp3, .aac, .wav, .m4a and .ogg files. A user can upload these files onto the website if logged in, and other users can comment and recommend certain YouTube videos or musicians. Both the uploader and other users can speculate on whether a certain proposal is the legitimate song or artist in a Proposals section under the post's information by liking or disliking the proposal. Once the post is solved, a seekbar will appear above the post, allowing users to listen to the full solved song. The post will remain open for discussion unless the uploader deletes the post. Moderators can also delete uploads, comments, and suggestions if they go against their terms of service.
Users have the option to purchase a Premium pass on the website before uploading their post, enabling their upload to be featured on the front page. Premium applies to individual posts and can be bought repeatedly for different uploads the user posts.
History[edit]
The website's concept was proposed in 2005 by Raphaël Arbuz and Thibault Vanhulle, after uncovering an interest in online music quizzes. Whilst doing a quiz, both of them heard a song that they had no recollection of remembering. Vanhulle conceived an idea of creating a website where you could hum a tune, and it would uncover the songs information. Arbuz followed along with the idea, and they started early coding and production of the website in 2005–2006. They also joined one of Arbuz's classmates, Erez Abittan, who would be a contributor to the website as well.[1]
During the development of the website, Arbuz noted that the most challenging aspect was creating a Java applet for an audio recording system. Neither Arbuz nor Vanhulle acquired a Flash server from Adobe, which carries easier technologies in creating a recording system, complicating the development of creating a functional recording software.[1]
WatZatSong was subsequently published in 2006 following the creation of a functioning recording system. The website would not start gaining attention until the 2010s, when music enthusiasts congregated to the platform to identify and listen to elusive songs shared by users, one most popular example, The Most Mysterious Song on the Internet, being one of the main contributors to the sites popularity during the 2010s. The majority of visits to the website are still attributed by music enthusiasts, and due to this, WatZatSong averages 800,000 visits monthly, and holds a notable position as the #1,336 most visited site in the music category as of 2024.[2]
In 2018, BIG MAGE EOOD published a mobile app for WatZatSong. The app follows the same premise as the main website, albeit major layout changes. The app was last updated in 2021.[3]
Over the history of WatZatSong, the website has become a hotspot for lost media, most notably lostwaves, songs with no coherent information. A notable example is "Ulterior Motives", a song uploaded to the website in 2021 by a user named carl92.[4]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c Pfauth, Ernst-Jan (15 March 2008). "WatZatSong.com: humming and guessing music community". TNW. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
- ^ "WatZatSong Website Performance". pro.similarweb.com. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
- ^ BIG MAGE EOOD. "WatZatSong on the App Store". apps.apple.com. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
- ^ Carey, Gina (2023-11-25). "Can You Help Solve the Origin of This Mystery '80s Pop Song?". Newser. Retrieved 2024-03-16.