Shazam logo
The Shazam app matches the digital fingerprint of an audio to a database of millions of tracks.
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  • Shazam is an app that can identify music and TV shows by listening to a short sample of their audio.
  • To use Shazam, simply tap the Shazam button in the app or activate it through Siri on an Apple device.
  • Once a song or TV show is identified, Shazam displays additional information and sharing options.
  • Visit Business Insider’s Tech Reference library for more stories.

For those moments when you hear music and want to know what song you’re hearing and who plays it, Shazam can help. The music recognition app has been helping people identify songs since 2002. In those days, people had to dial 2580 and hold their phone up to the music. Users were then sent a message with the song information. 

In 2008, Shazam was one of the first apps to be available in Apple’s App Store. In 2011, it added TV programs and ads to its database.

These days, all you need to do to use Shazam is open the app and tap the Shazam logo or use the service through Siri. 

How Shazam works

All it takes to identify a song or TV show on Shazam is a tap of the screen, and it can feel a little bit like magic when the app identifies what you’re listening to in just a few seconds. You can also activate Siri on an Apple device and ask Shazam to identify the relevant audio source that’s playing. 

Shazam revealed what actually happens when you tap to Shazam: First, Shazam creates a digital fingerprint of the audio picked up from your device’s microphone. Then, it matches the digital fingerprint to a database containing millions of music tracks and TV shows. Once it finds a match, Shazam displays the name of the song and artist or TV show, plus additional information like lyrics, sharing options, and more.

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After you tap the Shazam icon in the app, Shazam creates a digital fingerprint of the audio and gets to work.
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Devices that support Shazam

The Shazam app is available to download for iOS and Android devices. It's also available for the Apple Watch, Android Wear, and Macs. Shazam has been built into Siri on Apple devices since 2018, after Apple acquired the company. 

Shazam app features

Shazam does more than tell you the name of the TV show, song, or artist you're listening to. 

The app shows you lyrics in real time so you can sing along, plus top songs by the same artist, other albums by the artist, music videos, suggestions for similar songs you may like, and track information. 

Shazam offers sharing options for social media apps, email, and text messages, and options to open the song in Apple Music or Spotify, or buy it on iTunes. You can also add songs you find on Shazam to Apple Music or Spotify playlists.

The app automatically saves the songs you Shazam so that you can refer back to them later in the library tab.

If you use Shazam without an internet connection, the app will still create a digital fingerprint of the audio, which it will match to the Shazam database the next time your device has an internet connection.

Auto Shazam is a feature that allows Shazam to automatically identify the songs and TV shows playing around you, even when you're using other apps. To activate Auto Shazam, tap and hold the Shazam button. To turn it off, just tap the Shazam button.

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