Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is planning to come up with a song identification feature in the upcoming iOS 8 operating system. The new feature is expected to be a part of Siri, and for the same the iPhone maker is working in collaboration with Shazam, says a report from Bloomberg, citing people familiar with the matter.
Song identification to be part of Siri
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) would be working Shazam, which has been known for years for its in-house song identification app and technology in the App Store. The process appears simple for Shazam’s system as Apple would only have to put data into a first-party app as it already does for Weather and Stocks. It is believed that the new feature would immensely benefit iTunes Radio’s digital track discovery, which gets most of its sales from the iTunes music store.
Sources also reveal that Siri might get song ID support allowing users to ask the virtual voice, “What song is playing?” From there, the operation system will pick the data and use it in many ways like searching Apple’s own iTunes Radio or the Music app.
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s new song-identification feature will be included in the mobile platform similar to the way Twitter is currently integrated, implying that users will not have to download a separate app for it.
Apple and music, a longtime partnership
In March 2013, Shazam was expected to be present in 20% of the iPhones, but now, the company claims some 90 million users. The user base of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s iOS has been a significant contributor in the revenues by directing users to buy music tracks primarily from iTunes.
Music has been an important part of Apple’s history with the iconic iPod music player setting the foundation for the growth of the company, more than a decade ago. Even though iPhone and iPad account for most of its product, the company still keeps adding many new features surrounding music. According to researcher NPD Group, Apple accounted for 63% of the share in the paid digital download market, last year. However, sales from download dropped for the first time last year since the launch of the iTunes store, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
At the upcoming Worldwide Developers Conference scheduled (WWDC) from June 2, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is expected to introduce iOS 8.
