Shazam hits 100 billion song recognitions


Apple has announced that its music identification app Shazam has recognized 100 billion songs.

The app used to identify songs was acquired by Apple in 2018 and has since identified 100 billion songs – the equivalent of 12 songs for every person on the planet.

In August 2002, Shazam launched a text message service where users in the UK could identify songs by calling 2580 on their phones, holding it up to the device, and playing the tune.

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Shazam then made it onto the new App Store and Android versions in October 2008. After that, it was bought by Apple for reportedly $400 million in 2018.

In 2021, Shazam surpassed 1 billion ‘Shazams’ per month. After that, it hit 2 billion lifetime installs and its 20th birthday in 2022.

Now, in 2024, the music app has recognized 100 billion songs, which is 2,200 times the number of identifications of Shazam’s top song ever, “Dance Monkey,” with over 45 million tags, Apple said.

“This monumental milestone not only reflects how much people enjoy using Shazam but also their appetite for new music,” said Oliver Schusser, Apple’s vice president of Apple Music and Beats.

Shazam facts

The first ever song to be identified using Shazam was “Jeepster” by T. Rex in April 2002.

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“Butter” by BTS was the fastest track to reach 1 million just nine days after its release in 2022.

The most ‘Shazamed’ Artist award goes to Drake, who achieved over 350 million Shazams, according to Apple.