Shazam hits 100 billion song recognitions



Shazam has officially reached a remarkable milestone, surpassing 100 billion song recognitions since its inception. To put this achievement into perspective:

  • This equates to roughly 12 songs recognized for every individual on the planet.
  • A person would need to use Shazam every second for 3,168 years to reach 100 billion recognitions.
  • This figure exceeds 2,200 times the total identifications of Shazam’s most recognized song, “Dance Monkey,” which boasts over 45 million tags.
  • Benson Boone’s “Beautiful Things,” a Shazam Predictions 2023 artist, was the first song this year to achieve 10 million recognitions, doing so in just 178 days. At its current rate, it would take over 4,800 years to reach 100 billion recognitions.

Oliver Schusser, Apple’s vice president of Apple Music and Beats, stated, “This monumental milestone not only reflects how much people enjoy using Shazam, but also their appetite for new music. Music discovery is fundamental to our mission, and we continue to innovate to ensure music lovers across the globe can easily use the Shazam feature wherever they hear music.”

Shazam started in 2002 as an SMS service in the UK, allowing music fans to dial 2580 and identify songs by receiving the title and artist via text message. It gained significant traction over the years, with its iOS app launch in 2008 further expanding its reach to millions. By mid-2011, Shazam had identified over 1 billion songs.

Following its acquisition by Apple in 2018, Shazam entered a new era of technological advancements, offering music enthusiasts faster and more efficient ways to discover music.

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Recent updates include Music Recognition on iOS and macOS, allowing users to identify music around them without removing their headphones. The latest watchOS update enhances the experience by adding Shazam as a widget in the Smart Stack, proactively suggesting song recognition anytime music is detected nearby. Users can also easily activate Shazam using the Action button on newer iPhone and Apple Watch models for quick song identification. Additionally, Shazam has improved its Android experience with a Wear OS update that enables direct music recognition from the watch, and users can now access their history via the Quick Settings tile.

Shazam’s lasting popularity is a testament to its ability to stay attuned to global music trends and moments. For example, during this summer’s events in Paris, Kavinsky’s “Nightcall” became the most identified song in just one minute. These milestones underline Shazam’s dedication to advancing music discovery while connecting over 300 million monthly active users with their favorite artists.

Check out Shazam’s Top 100 Songs of All Time on Apple Music.