Shazam (music app)

Shazam is a popular music identification application that allows users to discover, identify, and engage with songs and artists. It uses the microphone on a user's smartphone or computer to sample a brief snippet of music being played. Through an advanced algorithm, Shazam matches the audio fingerprint of the sample to its vast database of music tracks, commercials, and television shows to find an exact match and provide the user with the title of the song, the artist, and additional information such as lyrics and related music videos.

History

Shazam was founded in 1999 by Chris Barton, Philip Inghelbrecht, Avery Wang, and Dhiraj Mukherjee. It was one of the first apps available when the App Store was launched in 2008. Initially, Shazam used a text messaging service where users dialed a shortcode and held their phones up to the music. A text message with the song name and artist would then be sent to the user. As smartphones became more prevalent, Shazam evolved into a more sophisticated app with a graphical interface and additional features.

Features

Shazam's core feature is music identification, but it has expanded to include integration with streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music, allowing users to add identified songs to their playlists directly. It also offers lyrics, music videos, concert tickets, and artist biographies. Shazam's social feature lets users share their musical discoveries on social media platforms.

Shazam for Artists

Shazam for Artists is a platform that provides artists and their teams with data and insights about how their music is performing on Shazam. This includes information on where their music is being discovered and the demographics of their listeners.

Technology

Shazam's technology is based on an audio fingerprinting algorithm, which creates a unique digital fingerprint of a song based on its spectral features. This fingerprint is then compared against a central database for a match. The technology is designed to be highly efficient, requiring only a few seconds of audio to identify a song with high accuracy, even in noisy environments.

Acquisition by Apple Inc.

In December 2017, Apple Inc. announced it had agreed to acquire Shazam for an estimated $400 million. The acquisition was completed in September 2018. Following the acquisition, Apple integrated Shazam more closely with its own music services, including Apple Music, and made the app ad-free for all users.

Impact and Reception

Shazam has been widely praised for its accuracy and ease of use, fundamentally changing the way people interact with music. It has become an essential tool for music discovery, allowing users to explore new genres and artists they might not encounter otherwise. The app has also been beneficial for artists and producers, providing a new channel for exposure and engagement with fans.