AirScrobble

AirScrobble is an iPhone and iPad app for identifying music and recording what you discover. It is particularly well suited to listeners who play audio through device speakers and want Apple Music or Last.fm connections, while headphone users should look elsewhere. Its free tier handles on-demand discovery, with AirScrobble+ adding continuous matching and complete history access.

Overview

The app recognizes music playing around you and audio coming directly from an iPhone or iPad, including tracks in videos, voice memos and social-media feeds. That in-device capability is useful when a song is part of something you are already watching or hearing, rather than coming from a separate speaker. It has a firm limitation: matching does not work when the audio is routed through earbuds or headphones such as AirPods.

You can discover songs and keep a history without creating a Last.fm account. A free Last.fm account is necessary for scrobbling and for some Last.fm actions exposed through shortcuts. Apple Music users can open discoveries in Apple Music, add them through a playlist and choose to save new matches automatically.

Key features

Matching and History

Single Match is the practical choice for occasional, deliberate identification. Auto Match continuously listens and can scrobble while AirScrobble runs in the background, which suits listeners who want passive tracking rather than repeated manual starts; it is restricted to AirScrobble+.

Matched songs are stored in History and synchronized between devices with iCloud. The free tier does not provide full History access, so it works for finding tracks but is less suitable as a complete long-term archive unless you upgrade.

Services and controls

Siri and Shortcuts support actions for Last.fm music and profile data, trending tracks and scrobbling. Control Center widgets can launch Single Match or Auto Match, and Live Activities show matching status. These controls make frequent identification easier without opening the main app, although Auto Match still depends on the paid plan.

Privacy

The maker says recordings are not stored and discoveries are not shared with third-party services. Its privacy policy says requested personal information stays on the device, while error logs collected through third-party products may include device and usage data. The policy describes commercially acceptable security measures but does not promise absolute security.

Pricing

AirScrobble uses a freemium structure. The Free plan costs nothing and includes music discovery, Last.fm integration, Auto Scrobble, Apple Music integration, Siri and Shortcuts. It is the sensible starting point for people who identify tracks manually and do not need the complete history view.

AirScrobble+ Monthly costs $0.99 a month, billed at $0.99 per month. AirScrobble+ Yearly costs $7.49 a year, billed at $7.49 per year. AirScrobble+ Lifetime costs $24.99, paid once, billed as a $24.99 one-time purchase. All three paid options add Auto Match and Full History Access; the yearly plan lowers the ongoing cost for regular users, while Lifetime fits listeners who expect to keep the app for the long term. The free plan gives up continuous background matching and full history, but there are no published seat or usage quotas.

Platforms

AirScrobble supports iPhone and iPad running iOS 16.2 or later. There is no macOS app, and the iOS app is unavailable for Apple Silicon Macs, so it is not a choice for Mac-first listening. Its platform support is mobile-only.

Who it's for

Choose AirScrobble if you use an iPhone or iPad, regularly encounter unidentified music in videos or feeds, and value a record that can flow into Apple Music or Last.fm. The free tier is enough for occasional lookups and basic integrations. AirScrobble+ makes more sense for listeners who want background scrobbling and a complete, synchronized archive.

It is a poor fit if most listening happens through headphones or AirPods, if you need a Mac application, or if you want continuous matching without paying for an upgrade.

Pros and cons

Pros

• In-device recognition: Identifies audio from videos, voice memos and social feeds played through iPhone or iPad speakers.
• Useful Apple ecosystem links: Apple Music playlists, Siri, Shortcuts, Control Center widgets and Live Activities connect discovery to everyday iOS use.
• Flexible Last.fm setup: Discovery and History work without an account; a free account is only needed for scrobbling and certain shortcut actions.
• Clear upgrade choices: Monthly, yearly and one-time AirScrobble+ options all unlock the same two paid features.
• Recording restraint: The maker says it does not retain recordings or share discoveries with third-party services.

Cons

• No headphone matching: Earbuds and headphones such as AirPods are excluded from in-device identification.
• Key archive features are paid: Auto Match and full History access require AirScrobble+.
• Apple-only availability: iOS 16.2 or later is required, with no macOS app and no Apple Silicon Mac support.
• Third-party error logging: Error data may contain device and usage details, and the policy cannot guarantee absolute security.

Alternatives

Music Identification Apps is the broader starting point if you want to compare services rather than commit to AirScrobble's iOS-focused approach.

AHA Music is the better choice for broad device coverage, including Android, desktop systems, browser extensions and web, but its free Guest plan limits recognition to five total per day, has no recognition history or playlists, and is ad-supported.

WhoSampled suits users interested in text search, track identification and scanning Spotify or Apple Music libraries, with an ad-free free plan across Android, iOS and web.

SongRec is preferable when you want a free, open-source Shazam client focused on Linux desktop use.

SoundHound is the alternative for Android and iOS users who accept ads for free use or want a one-time $6.99 ad-free SoundHound∞ plan.

Annie offers free music identification and universal links on Android and iOS without a subscription.

Audile is a free Android option, though AudD and ACRCloud may require their own API account or token.

Earworm is a free TestFlight beta for iPhone and Apple Watch users.

Google Pixel Now Playing is the platform-specific alternative for Android users.

Verdict

AirScrobble is a strong fit for iPhone and iPad listeners who identify music from device speakers and want Apple Music or Last.fm history. Its free plan covers the core discovery workflow, while the inexpensive AirScrobble+ options are justified for continuous background scrobbling and full History. Look elsewhere if you listen through headphones, need macOS support or want those advanced features without a paid plan.