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Apple Announces ShazamKit to Enable Audio Recognition in Third-Party Apps, Even on Android

Apple has announced that it is opening up Shazam, the audio recognition app purchased in 2017, to third-party apps, even on Android, enabling them to use Shazam's powerful technology to identify audio.

shazam app clip ios 14
Over the years, Apple has been integrating Shazam more tightly into the core iOS experience. With iOS 14.2 earlier this year, Apple added a Shazam toggle to Control Center, allowing users to tap into Shazam's audio recognition technology from anywhere on the device. The new toggle also allowed users to identify a song playing locally from their device, a scenario that previously required users to locate a secondary device to activate Shazam.

ShazamKit allows developers to match "music to the millions of songs in Shazam’s vast catalog" or by creating prerecorded audio that's recognizable through an app's own custom catalog, consisting of content such as audio from a video, podcast, and more.

Develop features in your apps using music recognition and seamlessly connect users to Shazam’s catalog of music. ShazamKit lets you enrich your app experience by letting users find out a song’s name, who sang it, the genre, and more. Learn where in the song the match was found in order to synchronize content with user experiences.

ShazamKit can also be used to create a fully custom experience, such as having an app react to specific audio that is played from its custom audio library. Developers can learn more about ShazamKit here and by watching this WWDC session.

Tag: Shazam

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Top Rated Comments

67 months ago

Smart move on Apple's end. Buy out Shazam, build it up during the exclusivity period, then sell the kit to 3rd party devs and recoup even more money.
Where was it mentioned the kit being sold?
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
67 months ago
Shazam embedded into Control Center has honestly been one of my most used additions to iOS updates.

It’s so easy to just tap without needing to unlock and open an app, also making it to where I don’t need to do anything with it immediately, I can just leave the notification there or open the Shazam app later during free time if I want to add the song or not.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
67 months ago
Nightmare scenario: Apple expands Shazam beyond music to other sounds and allows Facebook to use the API. Then the "Facebook uses your phone's mic to target ads to you" meme will become reality.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
67 months ago
By far one of Apple's best acquisitions. Glad they are opening up the API!
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
67 months ago
It seems Apple is definitely beginning to open up it's software to thirdparty. Now whether they think that will benefit the customer or they are afraid of antitrust issues, I am happy either way.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
67 months ago

Agreed. Even easier on the Apple Watch. I have the Shazam complication? on my main watch face and every time I want to identify a song it's a breeze.
😱🤯 I have my watch set to not automatically download apps from my phone and I actually never thought about this, but now it’s on there. Even better!
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)