With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today.
Apple Buys Song-Recognition App Shazam
Listen
1:07
Listen to the Story
STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
OK. Quick question for you - what is this song?
(SOUNDBITE OF MADONNA SONG, "VOGUE")
INSKEEP: OK, yeah, you know it, but do you know it, the name? Well, if the name lingers just outside your memory, you can call on help. Let some of it play into a smartphone app called Shazam, and its music recognition software should tell you it's "Vogue" by Madonna.
Sponsored message
MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:
We're telling you all this not just because we love to vogue - though we do - but also because Shazam is in the news. Apple says it is buying Shazam, a service people used even before many of us had smartphones.
INSKEEP: At first, you would call a number on your cellphone and get a message back with the song title.
KELLY: And when Apple launched its App Store in 2008, Shazam was featured in the advertisements.
(SOUNDBITE OF AD)
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: (As character) You know when you don't know what song is playing and it's driving you crazy? With the Shazam app from the App Store, you just hold up your iPhone to the song.
INSKEEP: OK, now Apple is going to own that app. Tech analysts think that some of the value here will be the vast amounts of data available about who is searching for music where. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
At LAist, we focus on what matters to our community: clear, fair, and transparent reporting that helps you make decisions with confidence and keeps powerful institutions accountable.
Your support for independent local news is critical. With federal funding for public media gone, LAist faces a $1.7 million yearly shortfall. Speaking frankly, how much reader support we receive now will determine the strength of this reliable source of local information now and for years to come.
This work is only possible with community support. Every investigation, service guide, and story is made possible by people like you who believe that local news is a public good and that everyone deserves access to trustworthy local information.
That’s why we’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Thank you for understanding how essential it is to have an informed community and standing up for free press.
Your support for independent local news is critical. With federal funding for public media gone, LAist faces a $1.7 million yearly shortfall. Speaking frankly, how much reader support we receive now will determine the strength of this reliable source of local information now and for years to come.
This work is only possible with community support. Every investigation, service guide, and story is made possible by people like you who believe that local news is a public good and that everyone deserves access to trustworthy local information.
That’s why we’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Thank you for understanding how essential it is to have an informed community and standing up for free press.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
