News came out this week that Apple finally acquired Shazam after the initial announcement last December. The deal is estimated to be worth around $400 million, according to Recode, and it will help Apple to better compete against Spotify, the world’s industry leader in music streaming services.
Founded in 1999, Shazam was initially launched exclusively in the UK. It later expanded to the USA in 2004. Shazam offers a mobile feature that lets you identify songs, movies, TV shows and commercials from short audio clips with just one click. It also has visual recognition technology to allow users to scan signs, magazines, advertisement, and packaging. This sometimes includes the ability to buy goods or get a special offer.
One of Shazam’s most useful skills is to be able to keep a record of the songs you’ve asked for, allowing to create playlists with Spotify or Apple Music. The app also provides a frequently updated list of the most recognized songs by country or worldwide. (On the TOP of today’s list we have ‘In My Mind’ Dynoro & Gigi D’Agostino)
Shazam currently shows small ads to users while they search for their song, which is how the company generates its revenue. With this full-out acquisition the app will go ad-free.
All the data that Shazam collects could be incredibly useful. For example, it helps identify new songs that are still unknown but are growing in popularity. With Apple’s acquisition, Shazam will not only suggest new songs, but also allow the users to discover songs by themselves.
For more info on Apple’s latest acquisition, you can click here.
