How to use Cortana to search for Spotify songs by their lyrics

By Jez Corden
published

On Windows 10, you can now use Cortana to search and play songs on Spotify without knowing the name of the music, as long as you know the lyrics.

Cortana used to be able to listen for music and tell you the name of it, thanks to integration with Groove Music. As Groove died, though, so too did her ability to listen to music. However, she recently picked up integration with Spotify on Windows PC, and new features are coming in thick and fast.

One of the more interesting abilities Cortana has on Spotify is the ability to find music by its lyrical content. Here's how to do that.

Note: These features (of course) only work if Cortana's language is set to US at the moment.

How to use Cortana on Windows 10

Download Spotify on the Microsoft Store (opens in new tab)

Make sure Spotify is integrated with Cortana

  1. First, make sure Cortana is connected to Spotify. To do this, open Cortana by clicking on her icon in the taskbar.
  2. Next, select her Notebook icon on the left side.
  3. Select Music.

  1. Turn on Spotify.

Search by lyrics

First, you'll need to make sure Cortana is set up to respond to voice, head over here for information on how to do that.

  1. Say, "Hey Cortana, play the song with the lyrics...", including the lyrics from the song you wish to play at the end into your PC microphone.

  1. Enjoy!

Spotify isn't as cool as Groove Music, but it's a good alternative for a Grooveless world. These features are helping Cortana slowly catch up to Amazon's Alexa, which has been able to perform Spotify interactions for quite a while at this point.

Spotify is an all-you-can-eat music service, and industry leader, serving up millions upon millions of songs for streaming. You can grab it for around $10.99 per month, or free with ads. You can nab 3 months from Amazon for $30.

See at Amazon (opens in new tab)

Jez Corden
Jez Corden

Jez Corden is a Senior Editor for Windows Central, focusing primarily on all things Xbox and gaming. Jez is known for breaking exclusive news and analysis as relates to the Microsoft ecosystem while being powered by caffeine. Follow on Twitter @JezCorden and listen to his Xbox Two podcast, all about, you guessed it, Xbox!

16 Comments
  • Heck yeah!
  • Actually pretty cool
  • I like this! The only thing that is annoying (for a U.S. user!) is when features are platform specific as I tend to view Cortana as a platform that is accessible on multiple devices. It would be a lot better if its features just worked, as opposed to remembering which work on a PC or the Invoke or Android. I understand certain things are out of their hands but it definitely makes it more frustrating.
  • 50/50. Awesome that finally these features are finally being to added. Not so much with the region locking. If there is anything I loathe and that is region locking features, functions, abilities for no good reason. It's not like most of the world doesn't speak english /sarcasm.
  • The first picture is the most epic trolling of UK Cortana users I have ever seen, a US only feature being used to identify music by a UK group, can't say that the Spice Girls are a particular favourite of mine though. ALL of the recent Cortana features are US only with no UK release in sight, we still don't have the fabled skills here in the UK!!!!!
  • US only... still. Blimey, the test period for this feature is never going to end. MS should decide once and for all if Cortana is going to fly and either roll it out properly or give up and start working on the replacement.
  • "Cortana, play US ONLY"
  • makes me sad too
  • Never knew Cortana can do this. Thanks.
  • Microsoft only "loves" USA people. The rest of the world... nah.
  • I don't use Spotify, but I use Amazon Prime Music. How about some love?
  • Where is it pulling lyrics from though? Because most lyrics on the internet are terrible.
  • Unless they add more languages this wount matter. They need to close that gap fast. Siri has the advantage there, but she is more tied to Apple devices. Cortana is everywhere. The other two also have language shortcommings. If they make here learn more languages she'll get more momentum. EU used to be a big, the only big, marked for Microsofts mobile products, if they release mobile devices Cortana Should atleast speak all the European languages.
  • US Only.  Can somebody please give me a good reason why they do this, and why the other companies don't ever seem to do things this way?
  • Incompetence is my guess!
  • You missed put "For only US Users" :/
    Is great to see hows Cortana is growing but is sad to know is growing only in USA...