“We have exciting plans in store,” Apple say
Apple has confirmed that it is to buy the popular music recognition app Shazam.
The tech giant confirmed the news on Monday (December 11) following speculation last week. It is thought that Apple has paid around $400 million (£298m) for Shazam.
“Since the launch of the App Store, Shazam has consistently ranked as one of the most popular apps for iOS,” the company said. “Today, it’s used by hundreds of millions of people around the world, across multiple platforms. Apple Music and Shazam are a natural fit, sharing a passion for music discovery and delivering great music experiences to our users.”
Apple added: “We have exciting plans in store, and we look forward to combining with Shazam upon approval of today’s agreement.”
The service was launched back in 1999 and was first operated via text message. It allowed users to identify songs by listening to a short audio clip, before revealing the artist and song title. Now, the app is also capable of identifying TV shows, movies and advertisements – before linking users to their preferred streaming service.
Shazam already integrates with Apple’s Siri and Apple Music, as well as Spotify and Shapchat.
Apple launched their own streaming service Apple Music back in 2015. Apple CEO Tim Cook said at the time: “It will change the way you experience music forever”.
The service includes on-demand streaming, social networking that allows artists to connect with their fans and 24/7 radio station Beats 1 – which features shows from former Radio 1 DJ Zane Lowe, Pharrell, Lars Ulrich, and Elton John.
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