In order to solve the problems of missing sensor placement methods， low search efficiency of placement points， and inaccurate measurement points in crane monitoring， a vibration sensor placement method based on the harmony genetic search algorithm （HGSA） is proposed. Firstly， establish a model for modal analysis is established to obtain the displacement matrices of each order and establish the optimal parameter combination through parameter comparison. Secondly， a random search mechanism is used to quickly search the displacement matrix to obtain preliminary solutions. Then， the optimal solution is obtained through repeated genetic and mutation iterations of the initial solution. Finally， taking the Gantry crane test device as the object， the modal data analysis system is used to compare the sensor layout schemes obtained by HGSA， harmony search （HS） and genetic algorithm （GA）. The results indicate that the peak value of the frequency response function obtained by HGSA is larger， which can more effectively reflect the vibration response of the structure. This method provides a new method for installing vibration monitoring sensors in lifting machinery.