Apple looks to add to its music, and information recognition services by acquiring song-recognition app Shazam; internet pioneers add their voices to efforts to stop dismantling of net neutrality s…
One Word… Shazam: That’s what was likely being said around Apple’s headquarters Monday as the company confirmed reports that it has acquired Shazam Entertainment, the British company that makes the popular song-recognition app Shazam.
Apple wouldn’t divulge the terms of the deal, but various reports put the price tag at $400 million. That amount alone would make it the third-largest acquisition in Apple’s history, trailing only the $404 million Apple paid for NeXT, in 1997, and the $3 billion Apple spent in 2014 to acquire Beats Electronics.
In statement provided to this publication, Apple said it was “thrilled that Shazam and its talented team will be joining Apple.” Shazam has been one of the most-popular apps on Apple’s App Store; in October 2016, Shazam said its mobile apps had been downloaded more than 1 billion times, and that users had performed, in Shazam’s words, more than 30 billion “Shazams,” or song recognitions.
Apple didn’t divulge exactly what it has planned for Shazam, or if it will continue to make the Shazam app available. However, it’s probably not too much of a stretch to believe that Shazam’s will be incorporated into Apple’s Apple Music service, and even its Siri voice-recognition and information technology.
Apple even said in its statement about acquiring Shazam that “Apple Music and Shazam are a natural fit, sharing a passion for music discovery and delivering great music experiences to our users.”
Tim Bajarin, president of tech research firm Creative Strategies, called the deal “a good buy” for Apple as it will likely help the company develop new services for Apple Music and other Apple offerings.
“It will also give them good data on their own customers’ interests as well as good data from Android owners as well,” Bajarin said. “Shazam also has important AI intellectual properties (IP) that can be used throughout other Apple apps and services.”
And with Apple’s long-time emphasis on finding “one more thing,” it probably thinks Shazam will help it recognize what might come next.
Related Articles
Bitcoin’s surge leads to the top of Apple’s App Store chart
Oracle heads back to court against Google; net neutrality supporters won’t back down
IPhone X vs. iPhone 8 durability; Tim Cook keeps talking in China
No Trump in year’s top retweets; ‘House of Cards’ to return for final season
Apple to start paying back taxes to Ireland; Senators ask FCC to delay ending net neutrality Into The Net: With the Federal Communications Commission on tap to begin dismantling the Obama administration-era net neutrality rules, those hoping to keep the guidelines in place are mounting one last attempt to get the FCC to change its mind. In an open letter to the House and Senate committees responsible for technology and communications issues, legendary internet pioneers Vint Cerf and Tim Berners-Lee called the FCC’s plans “rushed” and urged for assistance in getting the FCC to, at least, slow down with its net neutrality dismantling efforts.
Quote Of The Day: “We’re trying to get ahead of the wave.” — California Secretary of State Alex Padilla, who said his office has set up an online portal to help entrepreneurs get set up in California’s $7 billion legal cannabis industry. California will start issuing licenses on Jan. 1 for cannabis businesses and shops to start legally selling recreational marijuana.
