It's Official, Apple Buys Shazam for Undisclosed Sum
Yes, it’s true, Apple buys Shazam. Just days after the rumors began, Cupertino has confirmed it has purchased Shazam, the popular app that identifies songs, TV shows, and movies by listening.
The news was confirmed in a statement to Buzzfeed News:
“We are thrilled that Shazam and its talented team will be joining Apple,” Apple spokesperson Tom Neumayr said in a statement to BuzzFeed News. “Since the launch of the App Store, Shazam has consistently ranked as one of the most popular apps for iOS. Today, it’s used by hundreds of millions of people around the world, across multiple platforms.”
“Apple Music and Shazam are a natural fit, sharing a passion for music discovery and delivering great music experiences to our users,” Neumayr continued. “We have exciting plans in store, and we look forward to combining with Shazam upon approval of today’s agreement.”
On Friday, TechCrunch became the first media outlet to report Apple was probably buying Shazam.
Apple didn’t announce how much it paid to purchase Shazam. Buzzfeed notes it’s “likely less than half of the $1 billion Shazam was said to be worth during its last round of fundraising in 2015.”
It will be interesting seeing how Apple uses the technology behind Shazam in the coming months and years. No doubt, further integration with Siri will be at the top of the list. Stay tuned.
