Published: September 03, 2010
Shazam Unveils Major Feature Update for its Music Discovery Apps for iPhone and iPod touch on App Store
LONDON - (BUSINESS WIRE) - Shazam,
the world's leading mobile discovery provider, today announces
significant feature updates on the App Store, many of which take
advantage of iPhone 4 features and iOS4 operating system. The new
features are applicable to all Shazam versions for the iPhone and iPod
touch - Shazam Encore, Shazam (Product) RED Special Edition App* and
the Shazam free App. The company is also introducing a new annual
pricing option for its premium offering.
Support for the multitasking feature on iOS4 allows a user to leave the
Shazam App and use another function, such as to take a call or purchase
music on iTunes, and return anytime where they left off to continue
their Shazam experience.
The new Shazam App is optimised for the iPhone 4's new retina display,
which means all icons and imagery are brighter and clearer.
Other significant features include:
-
Settings can now be customized, such as 'tagging on start-up,' to
deliver the fastest possible music identification experience.
-
An improved video experience, which delivers multiple videos per tag
from YouTube, which Shazamers can watch without leaving the App.
-
A completely new, intuitive design which includes:
-
Improved artist information, including track and album reviews,
artist biographies and discographies, as well as song lyrics**.
-
A new 'Discover' tab to access Shazam Tag Charts, detailing the
most popular new music in 20 countries/regions, as tagged by
Shazam users. Shazamers can select which Tag Charts they want
delivered every week, choosing charts from as many countries as
they like, as well as 'Europe' or 'World' listings.
-
Shortcut icons which now appear when tapping on track cover art,
enabling users to simply and easily preview the music, buy it on
iTunes or share it via Facebook and Twitter.
-
Search for ringtones and videos on iTunes with one tap.
"This is a major enhancement for our customers," said Andrew
Fisher, CEO of Shazam. "Whether it is Shazam's free, premium or (RED)
version, we have made a significant investment to provide the most
intuitive, interactive and immersive discovery experience yet. 20
million music lovers are already using Shazam on the iPhone and iPod
touch and we're confident that our new design and feature update will
encourage more discovery, sharing and buying of music than ever before."
Shazam Free App
Users of Shazam's free version for iPhone
and iPod touch will now have access to a number of new features which
include: access to Tag Charts from around the world, 30-second clip
previews of tagged tracks and a search function to discover new music by
artist, track or album from Shazam's eight million song database.
Also, starting today, users will be able to upgrade to Shazam Encore
from within the App. They can choose to buy the premium version for an
annual fee of $2.99 (launch offer) or choose lifetime at $4.99.
Alternatively they can stay with the free version offering five tags a
month***.
Shazam Encore and (SHAZAM) RED
Encore and (RED) users will
continue to benefit from unlimited tagging capabilities and a range of
exclusive features such as recommendations, car mode and integration
with Pandora and Last.fm.
All updates and new features are available in all countries around the
world where Shazam is available.
New users can purchase the premium versions, Shazam Encore and (SHAZAM)
RED, for $4.99 (£2.99), or download the Shazam free version on the App
Store for iPhone and iPod touch or at www.itunes.com/appstore/.
* Updated (SHAZAM) RED application will be available shortly.
**
Lyrics in 9 countries.
***Existing users who downloaded the Shazam
App before Encore and (SHAZAM) RED was launched in November 2009 will be
able to enjoy all the new features, without tagging limitations.
ENDS
About Shazam Entertainment
Shazam is the world's leading
mobile discovery application - enabling consumers to experience and
share music with others across mobile devices and the Internet. Since
its launch as the first mobile-specific service to help users discover
new music eight years ago, over 75 million people have used the service.
Shazam has created a new way for users to connect to each other through
their music tastes and preferences.
Headquartered in London, England, Shazam's solutions enhance the music
strategies of carriers in more than 200 countries, including AT&T,
T-Mobile and Vodafone. It has deployed across multiple platforms such as
iPhone, Android, Symbian, Brew, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile and Java.
The Shazam Tag Chart, generated by the company's mobile music
recognition service, is constantly referenced by the music industry as a
true indicator of market interest in pre-release material and a monitor
of the hit potential of a track or artist.
Shazam's successes have been recognized through numerous awards,
including the Mobile Entertainment Award for Best Music Service
Provider, the Red Herring 100 Europe Winners and the Meffys for Best
Music Service 2010. Since launch Shazam has also attracted funding from
Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers, Acacia Capital and DN Capital.
For more information please visit www.shazam.com
The Shazam name and symbol are trademarks of Shazam Entertainment
Limited.
About (RED) and Shazam RED
(RED)'s primary objective is to
engage the private sector in raising awareness and funds for the Global
Fund, to help eliminate AIDS in Africa. Companies whose products take on
the (PRODUCT) RED mark contribute a significant percentage of the sales
or portion of the profits from that product to the Global Fund to help
finance HIV/AIDS programs in Africa, including interventions targeting
women and children. Current partners are: American Express (U.K. only),
Apple, Bugaboo, Converse, Gap, Emporio Armani, FLOWE(RED)
(U.K. only), Hallmark (U.S. only), Dell, Nike, Penguin Classics and
Starbucks. Since its launch in the Spring of 2006, $150 million has been
generated by (RED) partners and events for the Global Fund. (RED) money
is at work in Ghana, Lesotho, Rwanda, South Africa, Swaziland, and
Zambia and supports programs that have reached more than 5 million
people. For more information, visit www.joinred.com.
About The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria
The
Global Fund is a unique global public/private partnership dedicated to
attracting and disbursing additional resources to prevent and treat
HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. This partnership between
governments, civil society, the private sector and affected communities
represents a new approach to international health financing. The Global
Fund works in close collaboration with other bilateral and multilateral
organizations to supplement existing efforts dealing with the three
diseases.
Since its creation in 2002, the Global Fund has become the dominant
financier of programs to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, with
approved funding of US$ 19.3 billion in 144 countries. To date, programs
supported by the Global Fund have averted more than 5.7 million deaths
through providing AIDS treatment for 2.8 million people, TB treatment
for 7 million people, and by the distribution of 122 million
insecticide-treated bed nets for the prevention of malaria worldwide.
The Global Fund provides nearly a quarter of all international financing
for AIDS globally, as well as three-fifths for TB and malaria. (RED) is
the Global Fund's largest private sector contributor. For more
information visit http://www.theglobalfund.org.
Shazam
For UK/Europe media enquiries please contact:
Heather
Forty
+44 207 608 4658
Email: shazam@skywritecomms.com
or
For
US media enquiries please contact:
Greg Kalish
+1 516 665
3292
Email: shazam@gkcomms.com
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