Apple is working on a new music recognition feature that will integrate Shazam into iOS, according to a new report.
Apple is said to be planning to unveil an iOS update that features the ability to recognise a song playing in the background. That’s according to Bloomberg, which cites two anonymous people with knowledge of the product.
It claims that Apple is partnering with Shazam Entertainment, whose app is one of the most popular means for detecting the identification of songs in this way.
Apparently, Apple will incorporate Shazam into its own software, offering a seamless experience in much the same way as it did with Twitter. As such, there will be no separate Shazam app. The technology will be integrated into Siri, allowing you to ask what song is playing.
This news seems to shed a little more light on recent reports that Apple is looking to dramatically overhaul its iTunes offering due to declining MP3 download sales.
It’s just a week since a report emerged concerning the perceived failure of iTunes Radio to drive additional iTunes sales with its free playlist offering. As a result, it’s claimed that Apple is looking to new solutions to arrest the slide.
Some suggestions for this have been to spin off iTunes Radio (which is rumoured to be coming to the UK soon) into a stronger stand-alone app. It’s also being claimed that Apple is considering an iTunes service for its biggest rival, Android.
In light of these suggestions, Shazam integration seems likely to be a fairly small detail in Apple’s plans.
Shazam, for its part, is said to be considering an initial public offering, so a major deal with Apple would certainly help boost its value.
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