• Home
  • News
  • Fortune 500
  • Tech
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechApple

Apple Is Buying Shazam: Here’s What That Could Mean

By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
Down Arrow Button Icon
December 11, 2017, 12:46 PM ET

Apple has confirmed its plan to acquire the music-discovery service Shazam.

In a statement to Fortune, an Apple spokesperson said that the tech giant is “thrilled that Shazam and its talented team will be joining Apple.” While the Apple spokesperson didn’t share terms of the deal, the statement did say that “Apple Music and Shazam are a natural fit,” suggesting the service could be integrated into Apple’s own music streaming app.

The U.K.-based Shazam was founded in 1999 but came into its own in 2008 when its mobile app debuted on the iPhone. The app allowed users to quickly identify from the app which song was playing. The company’s music-discovery service would then provide a link to iTunes, where users could quickly buy the app from Apple’s online store. An Android version of the app was released later that year.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter

Shazam has since deepened its product offerings and can now recognize a variety of content, including movies, advertising, and television shows. The app, which uses the smartphone’s microphone and then compares what it hears to its database of content, has been available as a free download since 2008. Its app has been downloaded more than 1 billion times.

As Shazam’s popularity grew, the company was courted by a variety of venture capitalists. Over its 18-year history, Shazam raised $143 million from a variety of firms, including Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, and has been valued at as much as $1 billion.

While neither Apple nor Shazam confirmed how much the tech giant is paying for Shazam, a report from TechCrunch on Friday tipping that a deal was in the offing said that Apple would pay about $400 million for the company. If that’s true, Apple is paying significantly less than Shazam had been valued at.

It’s unknown exactly what Apple has planned for Shazam, but it’s likely the discovery features will be added to Apple Music at some point in the future. As of this writing, Shazam is still available in app marketplaces, but the iPhone maker in the past has removed its acquisitions from other stores to make them unique offerings for its own services. It’s possible Apple does the same with Shazam.

In a statement to Fortune, a Shazam spokesperson said that the company is “excited” to be joining Apple.

About the Author
By Don Reisinger
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Big TechSpotify
Spotify users lamented Wrapped in 2024. This year, the company brought back an old favorite and made it less about AI
By Dave Lozo and Morning BrewDecember 4, 2025
2 hours ago
InnovationVenture Capital
This Khosla Ventures–backed startup is using AI to personalize cancer care
By Allie GarfinkleDecember 4, 2025
6 hours ago
AIEye on AI
Companies are increasingly falling victim to AI impersonation scams. This startup just raised $28M to stop deepfakes in real time
By Sharon GoldmanDecember 4, 2025
6 hours ago
Jensen Huang
SuccessBillionaires
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang admits he works 7 days a week, including holidays, in a constant ‘state of anxiety’ out of fear of going bankrupt
By Jessica CoacciDecember 4, 2025
7 hours ago
Ted Pick
BankingData centers
Morgan Stanley considers offloading some of its data-center exposure
By Esteban Duarte, Paula Seligson, Davide Scigliuzzo and BloombergDecember 4, 2025
7 hours ago
Zuckerberg
EnergyMeta
Meta’s Zuckerberg plans deep cuts for metaverse efforts
By Kurt Wagner and BloombergDecember 4, 2025
7 hours ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Economy
Two months into the new fiscal year and the U.S. government is already spending more than $10 billion a week servicing national debt
By Eleanor PringleDecember 4, 2025
12 hours ago
placeholder alt text
North America
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos commit $102.5 million to organizations combating homelessness across the U.S.: ‘This is just the beginning’
By Sydney LakeDecember 2, 2025
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Success
‘Godfather of AI’ says Bill Gates and Elon Musk are right about the future of work—but he predicts mass unemployment is on its way
By Preston ForeDecember 4, 2025
7 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
Ford workers told their CEO 'none of the young people want to work here.' So Jim Farley took a page out of the founder's playbook
By Sasha RogelbergNovember 28, 2025
6 days ago
placeholder alt text
Health
Bill Gates decries ‘significant reversal in child deaths’ as nearly 5 million kids will die before they turn 5 this year
By Nick LichtenbergDecember 4, 2025
18 hours ago
placeholder alt text
North America
Anonymous $50 million donation helps cover the next 50 years of tuition for medical lab science students at University of Washington
By The Associated PressDecember 2, 2025
2 days ago
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.