What is HUMS?
HUMS is a free mobile app designed for human-based music discovery.
It works with your favorite streaming platforms to make discovering new music online more natural, engaging, and human.
Is HUMS a streaming platform?
No. HUMS is not a streaming platform.
It’s a discovery tool that works alongside streaming platforms, allowing you to explore and find new music through human interactions rather than algorithms.
Once you find a song you like, you can listen to it in full using your preferred streaming service.
Can I listen to music directly inside the app?
You can instantly preview any track within HUMS.
To listen to the full song, you’ll be redirected to your preferred streaming service such as Spotify, Apple Music, or YouTube Music.
This way, HUMS becomes the bridge between discovery and full-length listening, keeping both experiences seamless.
Which streaming services are connected to HUMS?
HUMS integrates with all major music platforms:
- Apple Music
- Spotify
- YouTube Music
- Deezer
- Tidal
- Amazon Music
- SoundCloud
- Qobuz
Do I need a paid streaming subscription to use HUMS?
No. You can use HUMS freely, explore the map, send and receive tune requests, and preview songs.
However, some external platforms may require a paid plan to play full songs.
How does HUMS work?
1. Explore the Map
See what’s being listened to in real time, anywhere in the world.
Switch between Map View for exploration and discovery, and List View to quickly check profiles and Daily Tunes in any selected area.
2. Genre & Subgenre Filters
Discover your exact musical match with precision.
Filters help you navigate the global map by music style, making discovery more meaningful.
3. Tune Requests
Explore new music through authentic, human exchanges.
Send and receive tune requests to share songs and connect with others.
Your Daily Tune defines your current musical identity and makes you discoverable by genre.
4. Your Library
Instantly preview tracks within HUMS and save them to your personal Library, a space that gathers all the tunes you’ve discovered or imported.
5. Import Your Music Taste
HUMS offers full API connectivity with major streaming services.
You can search and import music directly via the in-app search engine, or simply tap Share → HUMS from any streaming app to import tracks.
Full listening happens through your preferred streaming service.
6. Talk Tunes
Start genuine conversations through music.
HUMS’s music-driven messaging lets you exchange songs and stories that spark deeper connections.
What makes HUMS different from Spotify or other apps?
HUMS isn’t another streaming service, it’s a tool for discovery.
Instead of algorithmic playlists, HUMS helps you find music through people and their tastes, restoring the human element that streaming platforms have lost.
Is HUMS free to use?
Yes. HUMS is completely free to download and use.
Can I hide my location on the map?
Yes. You can choose to appear on the map or hide your profile at any time through your privacy settings.
What are “Tunes Guru”?
Tune Gurus are HUMS users who actively contribute to the community and have earned more than 100 crowns from other users.
Once you reach that threshold, you can submit a Journey for the HUMS team to review. When it’s published, you officially become a Tune Guru.
On the map, Tune Gurus have a blue pin and any cluster containing a Guru turns blue, making them more visible to everyone exploring.
How do music genres and subgenres work?
HUMS automatically detects the genre and subgenre of your Daily Tune.
This defines your musical identity and determines how others can find you through the Genre and Subgenre filters.
In other words, your Daily Tune is the key to being discovered by users who share your sound.
What is a Journey?
A Journey is a curated editorial piece created by a Tune Guru.
It lives on the map as a dedicated pin with a distinct shape and inverted colors, always visible regardless of how dense the map is. A Journey can explore a genre, the sound of a city, any artist, a scene, or any musical topic the author knows deeply.
Journeys are searchable by genre and sub-genre, so anyone on the map can discover them. They’re the most visible form of presence on HUMS.
What are crowns?
Crowns are the way the HUMS community shows appreciation for a user’s music taste and contributions.
When others value your recommendations, they can give you crowns.
Accumulating crowns is how you unlock Tune Guru status.
Why don't I appear on the map?
To appear on the map, two conditions need to be met: you need to have set a Daily Tune, and you need to have chosen a location on the map.
The location doesn’t need to be your real one, but it needs to be set and published in your profile settings.
How do I join HUMS?
Download HUMS – The Human Music Map on the App Store or Google Play, set your first Daily Tune, and start discovering music through humans, not algorithms.
Other questions?