Chances are fairly good that you still think of Shazam as that app that identifies songs for you, and yes, it does that, but the app has also been adding other functionality. The app now offers built-in music video playback, but it’s still based on Shazam’s core functionality: discovering and learning more about new music. Moreover, Shazam also now lets users identify and share songs directly within iMessage, because after all, music is a social experience.
Now, even if you’re mid-text, you can figure what song is playing in your favorite coffee shop, simply by touching the Shazam button within iMessage. The results is then displayed in the message field and can be sent to your friends (or yourself).
“We are very pleased to bring the new functionality of iMessage to our global audience,” said Fabio Santini, Chief Product Officer, Shazam. “We are always working to improve our user experience with new technology, and we are excited to launch this feature with iOS 10. We think music fans will love how easy it is to share Shazams within a great conversation. ”
And in introducing the new music video functionality, Santini added, “We continually look for new ways to expand the ways in which our users can discover music. We want to give fans a great reason to spend more time with Shazam by giving them access to a rich and immersive music video experience. In turn, this creates new revenue opportunities for artists and, moreover, powerful ways of gaining exposure for brands.”
Previously, when Shazam would ID a song, the user would be presented with the option to listen to the song via Spotify or Apple Music, or to purchase it via iTunes. Now, if a video is found to be associated with the song, the user will see the video instead, though they will still have to tap it to play, so there is no need to worry about auto-playing the wrong song.
This new video functionality is powered by a new partnership between Shazam and Vadio, a Portland, Oregon-based music video platform. Vadio already has deals in place with labels like Warner Music Group that allow Shazam to play music videos for users without fully committing to streaming like they have to with companies such as Spotify or Apple.
“Introducing Vadio’s immersive music video experience into Shazam enables their audience to better engage with artists,” Vadio co-founder and CEO Bryce Clemmer said. “Shazam is the quintessential destination for music discovery with hundreds of millions of global users. By incorporating high-quality video, Shazam is making it possible for brands and artists to provide new ways for its global audience to discover music.”
Vadio will attempt to find the identified song’s official music video, though if one can’t be found, it will search for other videos, including live performances. It will take a while to see how well this works in practice, but this could be a handy feature for listeners who aren’t interested in purchasing songs or paying for a subscription to a streaming service.
