Over the weekend TechCrunch broke news from undisclosed sources in Apple that the tech giant was close to acquiring market-leading music-ID platform Shazam. Apple could integrate Shazam’s music intelligence into the Apple Music subscription service, and possibly deprive Spotify of its Shazam linkage.
Shazam’s usage footprint is based on over one-billion app downloads. Users in 190 countries activate Shazam 20-million times a day to identify music. The results are compiled in Shazam charts, which represent a unique lens through which to view song popularity. (See Shazam’s 2017 hit list.) Integrations with smart TVs and other consumer devices extend Shazam’s reach.
