Latest news on Shazam claims that it officially surpasses 100 billion song recognitions by November 20, 2024. This corresponds to almost 12 songs identified for each person on Earth.
On November 20, 2024, Shazam hit a milestone number of over 100 billion song recognitions since launching in 2002. This would equal roughly 12 songs identified for each person on the Earth planet and would equate to an individual having to make a call using the application every second of the time for 3,168 years.
Shazam started off as an SMS service in the UK allowing users to identify a song, by dialing a particular number and receiving information through short message service text.
Its popularity exploded as it debuted in the App Store in 2008 and went over 1 billion songs identified by 2011. Shazam was purchased by Apple in 2018 for $400 million.
The most identified song on Shazam is Dance Monkey by Tones and I, which has gained over 45 million tags. In 2023, Benson Boone’s “Beautiful Things” was the fastest track to be identified by 10 million, taking this in 178 days.
Shazam started as an SMS service in the UK, enabling users to identify songs by calling a number. The application transitioned into a mobile format when the App Store was launched in 2008. It had identified over 1 billion songs by 2011, and it has since reached that mark following its purchase by Apple in 2018.
Recent updates have added new functions to Shazam, such as music recognition on iOS and macOS, integration of Apple Watch and iPhone functionalities, and a Quick Settings tile on Android devices.
Shazam was initially founded in 1999 by Chris Barton, Philip Inghelbrecht, and Dhiraj Mukherjee while all three were still students at UC Berkeley.
It started its business in August 2002, in the UK, when people could identify a song through their mobile phone by calling a number: 2580 and transmitting an audio sample. T. Rex’s Jeepster was identified as the very first one in April 19, 2002.
Shazam expanded its business into the US market in the year 2004 through partnership with AT&T Wireless.
In 2008, the app launched on the Apple App Store. The first song identified using the iOS app was “How Am I Different” by Aimee Mann.
In 2010, Shazam reached 1 million identifications using Ke$ha’s “TiK ToK”.
The first song to reach 10 million Shazams was identified by the application in 2012 for “Somebody That I Used to Know” from Gotye.
In 2015, David Guetta became the first artist to hit 100 million Shazams.
In September 2018, Apple bought Shazam for about $400 million. This purchase enabled Apple to integrate Shazam’s capabilities into its ecosystem.
After the acquisition, Shazam remained as a subsidiary but continued focusing on growing its user base and enhancing its technology.
By June 2021, Shazam had reached 1 billion monthly song identifications and by May 2022, it had reached 2 billion lifetime installs.
As of August 2022, Shazam marked its 20th anniversary, with over 70 billion total song recognitions.
The Music Recognition feature has been on iPhones and iPads for several years. Users can access this functionality directly from the Control Center, where they can identify songs playing in their environment without needing to open the Shazam app.
Identified songs are stored in a history that syncs across devices via iCloud.
With the macOS Sonoma 14.2, Shazam’s features have been deeply integrated into the Mac operating system.
As reported by the latest Shazam news, Users can now access Shazam directly from the Control Center and the menu bar without needing the standalone Shazam app. This integration allows users to start a listening session simply by clicking an icon in the Control Center or menu bar.
On WatchOS, Shazam is accessible through the Smart Stack feature, which allows a user to quickly access several apps and functionalities on an Apple Watch.
A user can invoke Shazam to identify music playing around them directly from their wrist. This hands-free capability comes in handy for users who may not have immediate access to their iPhone or Mac.
While Shazam is tied to the Apple ecosystem, it does also have functionality on Android devices. The Quick Settings feature of Android allows a user to add a Shazam tile for access to music recognition.
Shazam’s user base crosses many demographics and regions, with growth in Africa and South Korea. The app has grown in popularity in these regions as K-pop and African music have increased in popularity.
The audience composition of Shazam is predominantly male (62.32%) with a massive share of users aged 18 to 24 years.
Users use the app to discover new music, which creates trends in what is popular around the world. For example, tracks such as Rema’s “Calm Down” and FIFTY FIFTY’s “Cupid” have topped Shazam’s charts.
According to the latest Shazam news reports, Shazam announced it surpassed 100 billion song recognitions since its inception in 2002, equating to approximately 12 songs identified for every person on the planet.
One example of Shazam’s impact is Benson Boone’s Beautiful Things, which became the fastest track to reach 10 million recognitions achieving this in just 178 days.
During the 2024 Paris Olympics, Kavinsky’s “Nightcall” was said to be the most identified song in one minute.
Shazam Recent Features (November 2024)
Shazam now can automatically recognize songs playing in the background of other apps. To do so, users will have to activate the Auto Shazam feature wherein the app continues to listen for music even when not actively open.
This feature is useful for identifying songs within videos on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube without having to switch back and forth between apps.
Auto Shazam is enabled by holding down the Shazam button in the app or by using the app’s icon on a user’s home screen. It will then identify the songs automatically and save them to the user’s library.
The latest Shazam news reports indicate that with the new update, Users can now identify songs from TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube by opening the Shazam app, tapping the blue button and then switching back to the app where the music is playing.
After a short period of listening, Shazam will display the identified song along with options to add it to playlists or view concert information related to the artist.
Songs discovered through this integration are automatically stored in a user’s Shazam history, and can be easily accessed at a later time.
Aside from song discovery, Shazam has also come up with a personalized Concert Discovery hub that uses listening history to recommend upcoming concerts.
Shazam App Predictions for 2024
Shazam has become a very powerful tool for foretelling popular songs as well as future trends within music. Its capability of scanning massive amounts of data from users enables it to determine which artists and what songs are likely to receive much-needed attention within the music world.
In 2024, Shazam unveiled its Predictions Playlist for the year 2024, highlighting 50 artists who could take their music to the next level.
Global Artists
- Bloody Civilian (Nigerian singer-songwriter)
- Flyana Boss (LA hip-hop duo)
- Kenya Grace (British artist)
- The Last Dinner Party (British indie rock band)
- RIIZE (K-pop group)
Regional Artists
- Aupinard (France)
- Jacotene (Australia)
- Sira (Germany)
- Sukha (India)
- Yarge (Venezuela)
Shazam’s User Base (November 2024)
| Country/Region | Estimated User Base |
|---|---|
| United States | 150 million |
| United Kingdom | 30 million |
| Brazil | 20 million |
| Germany | 15 million |
| France | 10 million |
| Australia | 8 million |
| Canada | 5 million |
| Spain | 4 million |
| Italy | 3 million |
| South Korea | Increasing |
| African Nations | Emerging |
Since its 20th anniversary in 2022, the Shazam app has had growth with a tag amount of about 2.6 billion monthly.
Presently, in December 2023, Shazam boasts more than 300 million monthly active users compared to the number it attained in August 2022, at 225 million, steadily adding around five million new users monthly since then.
Shazam hit 100 billion song recognitions in November 2024. The average of 2.6 billion tags per month is equivalent to 87 million tags per day.
Genres that have gained popularity on Shazam in 2023 include Afrobeats, K-Pop, and Música Mexicana.
In October 2008, the Shazam app is released on Apple’s App Store followed by its release on Android later that same month.
In 2014, Shazam reported that users had Shazamed 15 billion times, averaging over 20 million song recognitions per day.
In September 2018, Apple acquired Shazam for $400 million. In June 2021, Shazam broke the record of over 1 billion song recognitions per month.
In May 2022, the app reaches more than 2 billion lifetime installs and claims 225 million monthly active users. It also reports that users have identified more than 70 billion songs since its launch.
In August 2022, Shazam officially reaches 70 billion song recognitions.
In November 2023, Shazam is announced to have hit a milestone of 300 million active users every month across the globe. A new feature called Concerts is launched that lets the users track live music events based on their Shazam history.
To add the Music Recognition feature from Shazam to your iPhone or iPad’s Control Center, simply go to Settings > Control Center, and tap on the “+” next to the “Music Recognition.”
Once added, users can quickly identify songs by swiping down from the top right corner (or up from the bottom on older devices) and tapping the Shazam icon. This feature allows for song identification even when using headphones or while in other apps.
Users can enable Auto Shazam to automatically identify songs playing around them. This feature can be activated by pressing and holding the Shazam button.
Since its introduction in iOS 14.2, Shazam via Control Center has identified over 1 billion songs.
The Shazam feature is also available on macOS and allows users to identify music directly from their Mac’s menu bar.
Users can access it similarly by adding it through the System Preferences under the menu bar options. Identified songs sync with the Shazam app and can be accessed from My Music.
On Android devices, users can use a feature called Pop-Up Shazam, which allows them to identify tracks while using other apps.
This is similar to the functionality available in iOS but tailored for Android’s interface. The integration into Quick Settings provides a quick access point for song recognition without needing to open the full app.
Shazam is also available on the Apple Watch, where users can identify songs directly from their wrist. Recent identifications are displayed below the Shazam button on the watch interface and are synced with My Music on the paired iPhone.
According to the latest Shazam news reports, specifics regarding Wear OS integrations were not mentioned in search results, but Shazam is usually compatible on Wear OS-enabled smartwatches, so users may use it to identify tracks on the go.
Who Created Shazam App?
Shazam was co-founded by Chris Barton, Dhiraj Mukherjee, and Philip Inghelbrecht as the music identification application of choice for many users around the world.
Shazam’s idea was conceived during late 1999. Barton had always felt vexed when he was not able to identify the various songs that he would often hear in different settings.
Shazam App Release Date?
Shazam was launched officially on August 19, 2002. The service was first introduced in the UK as a text message service where users could identify songs by dialing a certain number and getting the title of the song and artist through SMS.
Later on, the application became a mobile platform where its iOS version was launched in July 2008 and Android version in October 2008.
Is Shazam Free to Use?
Shazam is a free application; one can recognize any song, know the respective artists and many other functions free of charge.
Users can easily recognize their favorite songs using this app; it supports connectivity to streaming services such as Spotify and Apple Music, allowing even the recognition of tracks with an offline function, completely internet-free.
Who is the CEO of Shazam?
The current Shazam CEO is Rich Riley, who has been occupying that position since April 2013. He took over Andrew Fisher, who was the CEO beforehand.
Rich Riley joined Shazam after a considerable working period at Yahoo! and has been a contributing key player in increasing partnership of Shazam for Music recognition.
Is Shazam Owned by Apple?
Yes, Apple Inc. owns Shazam. The deal became official on September 24, 2018 for a projected sum of approximately $400 million.
Other Latest News (November 2024)
Shazam announced a new feature that allows users to identify songs playing in videos on social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram and YouTube. This update enables users to recognize music without needing to leave the app they are using, even while wearing headphones.
Shazam announced a partnership with Spotify to create personalized playlists based on users’ identification history.
Shazam reported a 40% growth in song recognitions during Halloween weekend compared to the same period in previous years.
Shazam also has a new user interface designed to enhance the music discovery experience for users. The update includes a feature called Concerts, allowing users to discover personalized live music events based on their Shazam history.
Users can view, search and filter events by artist, date, and location. Users can also save events and set reminders for upcoming shows.
Shazam has announced a partnership with TikTok to improve music discovery within the app. Shazam’s integration on TikTok enables users easily to identify songs playing through videos by using Shazam’s music recognition right within the TikTok experience. Users can tap their way to discovering the name and artist of a song playing in a video being watched.
According to the latest Shazam news reports, Shazam has launched a promotional event featuring exclusive content from popular artists through its new Concerts feature.
This feature will help users discover live music events and access unique content like behind-the-scenes videos, tour photos and set lists from select artists.
Shazam has announced an integration with smart home devices specifically through a partnership with Samsung. This partnership lets users of Samsung Smart TVs identify songs playing in TV shows or movies with the ease of a button or voice recognition through the Samsung One Remote asking, “What is this song?” and getting instant information on the music, including title, artist, and lyrics.
Shazam has recently partnered with radio stations to make song recognition possible while broadcasting live. The initiative will enable listeners to identify songs playing on the radio in real-time.
The integration is expected to take Shazam’s technology directly into radio broadcasts.
The latest Shazam news reports state that the company has seen growth in users who engage more while on live events and concerts. It has 300 million monthly active users.
Top Songs in October 2024
United States
- Die With A Smile – Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars
- Timeless – The Weeknd & Playboi Carti
- APT. – Flatland Cavalry
- WHATCHU KNO ABOUT – ROSÉ & Bruno Mars
- Beautiful Things – Benson Boone
Global
- APT. – Mr Pilato, Ego Slimflow & Tebogo G Mashego
- Die With A Smile – Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars
- Biri Marung – Unknown Artist
- BIRDS OF A FEATHER – Billie Eilish
- Beautiful Things – Benson Boone.