Today, the Shazam apps for iOS and Android are getting a big update that could completely change the way you use the sound identification service. Don’t worry, you’ll still be able to Shaza songs on the fly like before, but now you’ll also be able to browse and listen to music like you do in other music services.
Shazam is one of the most popular apps in the world because its core functionality, telling you what song is playing almost instantly, is so universally useful. It has expanded its reach in recent years to also listen to TV shows and commercials. Yet for the most part, it’s still the app you open when you want to understand something, not a default app you open all the time.
The new built-in music player and associated music discovery features aim to let you use the app more often. Now, if you link your Rdio or Spotify account, you’ll be able to listen to your tagged songs from the app, as well as other music trending or otherwise featured on the service. And yes, you will need to be a paid Rdio or Spotify subscriber for this to work. Previously, you could only listen to snippets from the app. Note: Spotify integration won’t hit Android right away, but it is coming.
In a particularly handy feature, music you tag using Shazam will automatically be added to a Shazam playlist. Shazam will also now have a News Feed with music recommendations you might like, as well as updates on what your friends are listening to.
Throughout the application, you will be able to simply choose a list of songs, for example trending songs, and simply play them all. From there, you can like or dislike left and right swipes like Tinder. This data will then be used to suggest better music to you down the line.
It all sounds great, and the auto-playlist of songs you’ve tagged is a godsend. The worry would be that Shazam’s gloriously simple experience would be cluttered. But as long as marking a song in a flash before it ends still works, I’m cool.[[[[itunes]