Music lovers might be interested to learn what history is buried in their favorite songs. A new app called WhoSampled attempts to do just that by detecting samples, covers, remixes - based on songs you care about.

WhoSampled first asks permission to scan the songs stored on your iPad, iPhone or iPod touch. The process only takes a few moments and you only need to do it once – unless you add more music. After the scan, the app lists all the samples, cover versions and remixes tied to your collection.

For the uninitiated, “sampling” is when a musical artist uses a previously recorded melody, guitar riff or sound effect in a new song. For example, this app found I had Jay-Z and Kanye West’s “Gotta Have It” from last year’s “Watch the Throne” album. When the song name is tapped within the app, WhoSampled showed how vocal loops were lifted from James Brown’s 1971 hit “I’m a Greedy Man,” along with samples of other songs.

All related songs it finds can be listened to immediately via YouTube, plus there’s an option to purchase it via iTunes, flag it as a favorite or share the information via email, Facebook or Twitter. The app even tells you at what point in the song you can first hear the sample, such as 14 seconds in.

WhoSampled Website: http://www.whosampled.com/

Read More: http://content.usatoday.com/communities/technologylive/post/2012/07/whosampled-discover-the-roots-of-your-music-collection/1#.T_2dhnB5E0E