After Conquering Music, Shazam to Start Recognising Physical Objects
Shazam, the music app that allows you identify music, is extending its scope by including visual identification. Shazam set up in 1999 and gained its wildly popular reputation because of its ability to identify any string of music at a click of a button. Now, the app can sell songs the user has identified, thanks to fortified deals with all major music streaming services like Spotify and Deezer. It is also one of the top 25 most downloaded app for years.
At the Mobile World Congress 2015, Chief Executive of Shazam, Rich Riley told Reuters,
Shazam is already a verb. We want to expand the universe of what you can Shazam. The famous blue button that our users love will remain on the home screen but will be able to do much more.
This new feature looks like an advanced version of Google Goggles. This update will soon let users identify or learn more about anything they point out at. For example, you could point your phone at a cereal box to get in-depth nutritional information, or at a DVD case to buy the soundtrack from your device.
Shazam has raised $30 million for recruiting new members to its team and sign partnerships with publishers and content companies. Riley also said that the funds would give Shazam some flexibility to choose whether the next money-raising exercise are on the public markets or the private markets.
