Shazam has today launched a new version of the app for more than 500 million iPhone users in the world, enabling them to automatically identify songs, TV shows, and advertisements without having to reach for their phones. Auto Shazam works when the app is open or in the background while any other app is being used, and even when the screen is locked, effortlessly saving matched content in the Shazam App.
When the user turns on Auto Shazam, the app notifies the user whenever it identifies a new song, show, or ad. All matches automatically go into the user’s collection and are listed by date, so users can browse through their list, opening the Shazams that interest them. This history reflects the playlist of a user’s commute, road trip, or evening out, making it easy to go back and rediscover favorite moments, “star” them to save the best ones, buy the music or TV content, or get more information.
“The one thing we have with us all day, every day, is our phone. With today’s Shazam update for iPhone, our users can now capture all the media playing around them in the car, at a café, in a cinema, or while watching TV, even when their phone is locked or they’re using it to do something else,” said Daniel Danker, Shazam’s Chief Product Officer. “This update is another leap forward in achieving our vision to help people effortlessly recognize and engage with the world around them.”
When you flip the Auto switch at the top of the Shazam home screen, the app will make discovery easier than ever:
- Shazam now automatically captures the playlist of songs you’re listening to during your commute, making Shazam “hands-free” and perfect for the car.
- Turn on Auto Shazam when you go out and Shazam will create the playlist of your evening, from the café, bar, lounge, or restaurant, even when you lock your phone.
- In front of the TV, you can use your email or any other app and Shazam will work in the background to identify the music in your favorite shows – automatically. And, if you’re in the US, Shazam will also identify ads and TV shows so that you can find out more about the cast and other information*.
- When you’re out at the movies, you can turn off your ringer and lock your phone, knowing that Shazam is going to identify the great music featured in the soundtrack. Plus, if you’re at a theater where Screenvision presents the pre-show, you will also capture the Shazamable ads before the movie.
Auto Shazam defaults to the “off” position within the app, so users need to open Shazam and choose when to turn it on, activating it with a countdown timer. To extend the time, the user can restart Auto Shazam.
When Auto Shazam is on, the app creates a digital fingerprint of the audio it hears every several seconds and matches it against Shazam’s global database of recorded music, U.S. television shows and live events, and select TV and movie advertisements. Shazam does not save or send audio samples; only digital fingerprint summaries of the audio are sent to Shazam’s servers to identify media content in Shazam’s databases. As always, for user privacy, the original audio cannot be reconstructed from Shazam audio fingerprints.
The new feature is available in the Free and Encore versions for iPhone, and iPod touch. Auto Shazam is already available on iPad.
