Since launching in 2002, music discovery app Shazam has identified 100 billion songs, according to a new report. To put this gargantuan number into perspective, that’s 12 songs for every person on Earth. Or if an individual were to identify a song per second, it would take them 3,168 years to reach 100 billion.
“This monumental milestone not only reflects how much people enjoy using Shazam, but also their appetite for new music,” says Oliver Schusser, Vice President of Apple Music and Beats, in a press release. “Music discovery is at the core of everything we do, and we keep innovating to make sure music lovers around the world can tap the Shazam button no matter where they hear music playing!”
The first iteration of Shazam was a text message service for the UK only. Users could dial “2580” and hold up their phone to a speaker so the music could reach the receiver. Then the service delivered the song and artist info via text message.
The current Shazam format launched in 2008 with the advent of the App Store. By 2011, the company’s new iOS app already recognised over 1 billion songs. Apple purchased Shazam in 2018.
Since solidifying this partnership, Apple Music has used the software as a means to share DJ mixes from events for streaming. By using its song identification technology, Apple Music can distribute royalties to rights holders for each song DJs played in their mixes, similar to if the song was streamed individually.
Further innovations that have come from Shazam and Apple’s partnership include integrating the function into the Action Button on newer iPhone and Apple Watch models. This allows song recognition with the touch of a button no matter what other apps may be running on the device.
