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Shazam Debuts In-App Listening Feature

 & Angela Moscaritolo Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

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Chances are you don't spend a lot of time in the Shazam app. You probably use it for its main function—identifying songs—and that's it. But that might soon change.

Shazam on Wednesday debuted a new feature that lets you connect to Spotify or Rdio and stream full songs as well as other trending and featured music without leaving the app. This means you can identify a song, and then jam out to it right away.

Previously, you could only listen to short previews within Shazam. The new feature is available now on iOS, and "coming soon" to Android. You'll need to be a paying Rdio or Spotify subscriber for it to work.

Even better, all the music you identify using Shazam will now automatically be added to a playlist in Spotify called "My Shazam Tracks." This is really useful and should save a lot of time, as it cuts out the whole process of having to go into the Spotify app, search for the song, and then save it.

Besides that, there's a new home screen where you'll find news from the artists you've Shazamed. You can also find out which tracks your friends have Shazamed by logging into Facebook.

In addition to revamping its mobile apps, Shazam has completely "retooled" its website with new music content and more.

"It's loaded with customized artist-specific news so now the amount of information you can find on your favorite acts is mind-blowing," the Shazam team wrote in a blog post. You can also now search for songs and lyrics on the Shazam website.

Plus, there's a new Hall of Fame section celebrating the artists who have had the most success on Shazam. With more than 19 million tags, Avicii's "Wake Me Up" is the most Shazamed song of all time, followed by Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines," Gotye's "Somebody That I Used to Know," and Passenger's "Let Her Go."

The updated app is available in the App Store. Check in on Google Play for the Android version when it arrives. For more, see PCMag's full review of Shazam (for iPad).

About Our Expert

Angela Moscaritolo

Angela Moscaritolo

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

My Experience

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade. 

Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The Technology I Use

My little Florida beach bungalow is brimming with smart home tech. I have a smart speaker or display in every room, allowing me to control other connected devices by voice. The Nest Hub on my bedside table lets me set wake-up alarms, control my smart light bulbs, and set the temperature on my smart thermostat. I use the Amazon Echo Show 8 on my kitchen counter to browse recipes, reorder protein powder, check the weather, and watch the news while I do dishes. 

Because I suffer from allergies, air purifiers are essential. My favorite model is the Dyson Purifier Cool TP07, which doubles as a fan and continuously sends indoor pollution data to its companion mobile app. 

My pitbull Bradley sheds, so a good robot vacuum is a must. I currently use a premium Ecovacs Deebot that can both vacuum and mop, empty its own dustbin, and wash its own mop cloth. 

For fitness, I like to mix up my routine with cycling, indoor rowing, running, and strength training in addition to yoga. I take classes on the Tonal 2 smart strength training machine, I row indoors on an Aviron machine, and track my beach runs with an Apple Watch while listening to music on my Apple AirPods Pro. On the weekends, I love riding e-bikes like the rugged, beach-friendly Aventon Aventure for fun and fitness.

My job involves a lot of virtual meetings, so a quality webcam, microphone, and ring light are important. I use the Jabra PanaCast 20 webcam, the Elgato Wave: 3 microphone, and a Yesker tripod ring light. 

As for my preferred phone platform, I'm an iPhone person, but I've also extensively used Android for product testing.

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