How to host a music quiz with friends, buzzer included

How it works

The host plays a clip of music. The first person to recognize the song buzzes and answers: the title, the artist, or both, depending on the rule you choose. Some people call it a blind test, others a “name that tune” game: the idea is the same.

With the Buzzloo quiz buzzer, every phone becomes a buzzer, and the host screen shows who pressed first. No more arguing over who shouted fastest.

What you need

• A screen for the buzzer: the TV, a laptop or a tablet, where the first buzz and the scores appear.
• Something to play the music: your phone or computer, with your own legal music service (a streaming subscription, albums you’ve bought, your CDs).
• A speaker, if you can: a phone speaker is a bit weak for a full room.
• One phone per player, or one per team. Nothing to install: everything happens in the browser.

Important: Buzzloo doesn’t play any music. You play the clips yourself, with the service you already use. It’s simpler, and it respects the artists' work.

Build your playlist

This is the most fun part of the prep.

• Make one playlist per round, in order, before your guests arrive. Nothing’s worse than a host spending five minutes looking for the next song.
• Plan 10 to 15 songs per round, over 3 or 4 rounds.
• Mix the difficulty: hits everyone knows, and a few deeper cuts.
• Think about every age group: if three generations are playing, each one needs its own songs.
• Write down the answers, title and artist, on a sheet of paper or in your phone.
• Watch out for ads: on a free plan, an ad can pop up in the middle of a round. Check before you start.

Theme ideas

By decade

• The 60s and 70s: rock, soul and the mirror balls of disco.
• The 80s: synths everywhere, huge drums and unforgettable haircuts.
• The 90s: dance hits, the rise of hip-hop, boy bands and girl groups.
• The 2000s and 2010s: the soundtrack of high school.
• A guest’s birth year: a whole round of that year’s hits.

By genre

• pop hits, from timeless classics to songs of the summer;
• rock, hip-hop or electronic, one round each;
• movie soundtracks and TV theme songs;
• cartoons and video games, which bring back childhood memories;
• musicals;
• classical music, much harder than you’d think.

Original rounds

• Intros: only the very first seconds of the song.
• Covers: a well-known song, sung by someone else.
• Instrumentals: the version without the vocals.
• Duets: you need both artists to score.

Torn between several themes? Put them on the random wheel and let it pick the next round.

A sample evening

• Round 1, the warm-up: very well-known hits, from every era.
• Round 2, the 80s and 90s: the parents get their revenge.
• Round 3, theme songs: TV shows, cartoons and video games.
• Round 4, the final: intros only, just a few seconds each. Guaranteed suspense.

The rules of the game

Set the rules before you start, and stick to them.

1. Start the clip, then immediately press “Open buzzers”.
2. The first player to buzz appears big on the screen, with their sound. You pause the music.
3. They answer. “Correct”: +1 point. “Wrong”: they can’t buzz again on this song, and the next player in buzz order gets to answer.
4. If nobody gets it, play the song a little further on, or give the answer. “Cancel question” then lets you move on to the next song.

Anyone who buzzes before the buzzers open sees “Too soon!” and stays locked for one second. That calms down the most impatient players.

And the buzz order is set by the server, based on when each buzz arrives, with the gap to a hundredth of a second. Nobody can claim they were first if the screen says otherwise.

Title, artist or both?

Decide in advance, and announce it clearly.

• The title is enough: the simplest option, perfect for a relaxed evening or with kids.
• Title and artist: for the experts. Only one of the two? No point, and the next player gets a turn.
• Bonuses: the release year, or the movie the music comes from. The +1 button on the player adds the extra point.

Playing in teams

A music quiz works really well in teams, especially when musical tastes vary a lot.

• Mix ages on each team: some know yesterday’s hits, others today’s. The easiest way: make random teams in front of everyone.
• Give each team a single phone, with the team name instead of a first name.
• After the buzz, the team has a few seconds to agree. No more, or it’s “Wrong”, and the next team gets a turn.
• Change who holds the buzzer every round: everyone deserves a few nervous moments. To decide who holds the phone first, draw a random order within each team.

Tips for the host

• Use two devices: one for the music, connected to the speaker, and one for the buzzer screen. No juggling between windows.
• Keep one hand on the keyboard: on the buzzer computer, Space or O opens the buzzers, J marks Correct and F marks Wrong. Start the music with one hand, open the buzzers with the other.
• Balance the volumes: the buzz sound should be easy to hear without drowning out the music. Tap “Turn sound on” once at the start of the evening.
• Between rounds, show the scoreboard.
• Let the music play for a few seconds after the right answer: everyone sings along, and it’s often the best moment of the night.

Mixing music and trivia

Ears get tired fast. Slip a short round of questions between two music rounds:

• “Random question” picks a true or false question from the topic of your choice, then “Reveal the answer” shows it, with an explanation;
• you can also pick some in advance from our quiz questions, for example in general knowledge;
• or write your own music questions, with our guide on how to write good quiz questions.

For the step-by-step setup, read our guide on turning your phone into a buzzer. And for a full evening, with forfeits and rewards, here’s how to host a quiz night.

What about playing remotely?

A music quiz is played in the same room, in Party mode: you play the music, and everyone hears it at the same time. For friends who live far away, Remote mode offers a different game. Everyone takes turns asking a written question, through a link sent on WhatsApp or Snapchat, and you have 20 seconds to answer after pressing BUZZ. It’s all in our guide to playing a quiz remotely. Another question? The FAQ is here for you.