Apple today updated song identification app Shazam with a new feature that allows users to search for content.
The refreshed version of the app features a new Search button right on the Home screen that can be used to look up any artist, song, or song lyric.
Got a song on your mind? You can now tap the new Search button on the home screen to search for any artist or song. Can't remember the name of it? Try searching with lyrics instead!
The search button replaces the camera icon that was previously in the Shazam app, and the camera functionality appears to have been eliminated from the Shazam app entirely.
The camera button was used for a visual feature that allowed Shazam users to scan images with a Shazam camera logo or a QR code. When the "See It, Shazam It" feature was released, Shazam had partnerships with Disney, Sports Illustrated, the WSJ, and more.
The camera functionality dates back to 2015, prior to when Apple acquired the Shazam app. It's likely that all of the prior partnerships Shazam had with outside companies have expired, leading the camera technology to become outdated.
Tapping on the new search icon that replaces the camera icon opens up a dedicated search interface where content can be searched for and then played right in the Shazam app for those who have Apple Music. Other app functionality, such as the library of saved Shazam songs and the top charts remains unchanged.
Along with adding search capabilities to the Shazam app, Apple today also updated the Shazam Encore app to make it free. Shazam Encore was a paid app that cost $2.99 and it was the counterpart to the free Shazam app, removing the ads that were in the free version.
When Apple purchased Shazam in 2018, all of the ads in the main Shazam app were removed, making it essentially identical in functionality to Shazam Encore. For some reason, though, Apple never made the Encore app free to purchase.
There's no point in downloading Shazam Encore if you have the standard Shazam app, and we wouldn't be surprised to see it discontinued in the future. Shazam and Shazam Encore can both be downloaded from the App Store for free.
