First making its name as the go-to app for music recognition software, Shazam has expanded into other media content like TV commercials, movie trailers, and radio ads in the past. This week, however, the company is officially announcing its push into brand-specific advertisement with a new initiative called "Shazam for Brands" (via AdAge).

Shazam for Brands
Using data accumulated from how users interact with the app, and a company's integrated brand advertisement, Shazam will attempt to pick out which artists and musical genre each brand should use to attract the widest swath of their particular audience. Before the official launch of Shazam for Brands, some of Shazam's past partners have included Marvel Studios, Nike and Clinique. Those partners provided fans with experiences like Shazamable movie posters and interactive music videos.

"Advertising had always been secondary, but now we are putting it front and center," said Greg Glenday, chief revenue officer at Shazam. "We are taking advertising seriously by adding stock and people. We sold ourselves short with the advertising industry by just selling banner ads and being transactional."

With such data, a brand will be able to purchase the landing page of a specific Shazam, called "clickable listening screens," so that their products can be displayed in conjunction with the a particular artist's song. Glenday said the new ad-push for the company won't bring any noticeable changes on the user side of things, and that all of Shazam's fans "will still receive the results they want without interruption."

Shazam for Brands will also allow the company's partners to incorporate Shazam's technology -- using the same, traditional Shazam app -- into their own marketing materials. For example, earlier in the month Coca-Cola introduced a Shazamable bottle design that prompted users to film a video of themselves lip-syncing to one of a handful of songs displayed on the drink's label.

Furthermore, the company is looking to get into the live-event business, in a festival centered around up-and-coming artists set to open later in the year. Shazam intends to use beacon technology to create an event where each performer will be able to be discovered by the app. Following today's launch, the company hasn't said who its next major advertising and brand partner will be, but it has created a new Shazam for Brands Twitter account so users can follow its progress on the social network.

Shazam is available on the App Store for free [Direct Link]. Users can also download Shazam Encore for $6.99 [Direct Link], negating all of the company's attempted advertisements.

Tag: Shazam

Top Rated Comments

Porco Avatar
123 months ago
"It all starts here."

No. 'It all ends here' for you on any of my devices Shazam. :p
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Crusoe Avatar
123 months ago
Shazam was a very handy tool for identifying music.

Then it was a handy tool with other tabs telling you what other people were looking for.

Then it was a handy tool with half a screen for identifying music and the rest all about sharing and recommendations.

I mostly understand that they're trying to monetise something that otherwise had a limited possibility of generating income, but I hate the app now. Five tabs, of which half of one is what I'm interested in, and statements like the above don't give me hope it'll get any better.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ButteryScrollin Avatar
123 months ago
Sounds horrific
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BuffaloTF Avatar
123 months ago
It has become very difficult to shazam a song because so many buttons. Is there a viable alternative as good as Shazam ?
SoundHound... been using it for years. You can even hum or sing the words of a song you've heard but couldn't search for fast enough.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
2457282 Avatar
123 months ago
I fail to see how which songs someone "Shazams" has any bearing on an advertiser trying to target a certain market. I've used it to ID so many different random songs—even ones I didn't like but was just curious because I couldn't remember who made it. I'd likely never actually listen to a playlist of the songs I've searched for because it's a bunch of completely random crap. I just can't see how this is useful? Can someone explain??
just as bad as the whole big data personlized and curated ads / news crap. just because i looked at something doesnt mean its what i actually like. its in fact quite dangerous cuz you miss out on general content or things u may like but didnt actively look for.

Facebooks horrible "Top News" Feed comes to mind
I actually work in the Business Intelligence/Data Warehousing/Big Data space. At an individual basis it can be difficult to look at limited and potentially random data points, as you both describe, and make any reasonable extrapolations or assumptions. However, over large amounts of data trends do show up that can be useful. Even some basic stuff that feels hit or miss can move the hit rate on ads by a few percentage points and that equals real money. As they get more data and do more sophisticated analysis this could allow for better target ads that yield higher hit rates and higher revenues. As someone who has made a career and money on this, I can assure you that this stuff works overall even if it misses at an individual level.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
PowerBook-G5 Avatar
123 months ago
Uninstalling now.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro and Air Feature

Two iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone Air Colors Appear to Scratch More Easily

Friday September 19, 2025 10:02 am PDT by
As reported by Bloomberg today, some of the new iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone Air models on display at Apple Stores today are already scratched and scuffed. French blog Consomac also reported on this topic. The scratches appear to be most prominent on models with darker finishes, including the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max in Deep Blue, and the iPhone Air in Space Black. Images Credit: Consoma ...
iOS 26

iOS 26.0.1 Coming Soon, Likely With iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro Fix

Thursday September 18, 2025 9:17 am PDT by
Apple is preparing to release iOS 26.0.1, according to a private account on X with a proven track record of sharing information about future iOS versions. The update will have a build number of 23A350, or similar, the account said. It is likely that iOS 26.0.1 will fix a camera-related bug on the new iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro models. In his iPhone Air review, CNN Underscored's Henry T. ...
iPhone 17 Pro Colors

iPhone 17 Pro Max Teardown Reveals Qualcomm's Snapdragon X80 Modem for 5G

Friday September 19, 2025 7:39 am PDT by
While the iPhone Air is equipped with Apple's custom C1X modem for cellular connectivity, all of the iPhone 17 models are outfitted with Qualcomm modems still. A teardown video shared on Chinese platform Bilibili today (via Reddit) appears to confirm the iPhone 17 Pro Max is equipped with Qualcomm's Snapdragon X80 modem in particular. The same modem is likely used in the iPhone 17 and iPhone ...
iphone 17 pro max techwoven

Here Are The Best Cases You Can Buy for Your New iPhone 17 and iPhone Air

Friday September 19, 2025 6:46 am PDT by
Apple's new iPhones launch today, and there are plenty of options to choose from when it comes to protecting your new device from drops and scratches. In this article, we're taking a look at some of the best options for iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Air cases, as well as a few charging accessories. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a...
iOS 26 on Three iPhones

iOS 26's Liquid Glass Design Draws Criticism From Users

Wednesday September 17, 2025 2:56 pm PDT by
It's been two days since iOS 26 was released, and Apple's new Liquid Glass design is even more divisive than expected. Any major design change can create controversy as people get used to the new look, but the MacRumors forums, Reddit, Apple Support Communities, and social media sites seem to feature more criticism than praise as people discuss the update. Complaints There are a long...
iphone 17 pro inside

iPhone 17 Teardowns Confirm SIM and eSIM-Only Battery Capacities

Friday September 19, 2025 8:39 am PDT by
YouTube channel REWA Technology today shared an iPhone 17 Pro teardown video, offering a closer look inside the model with a SIM card tray. We are still waiting for repair website iFixit to share a more comprehensive teardown of the latest iPhone models, but this video provides a good look in the meantime. The device features various internal design changes, including larger rear camera...