Shazam, the mobile music discovery provider, today announced two new versions of its application on the Android platform, providing users with more choice through a free and premium service. Also provided are additional features, including song lyrics, tour information and YouTube videos for tagged artists.
“Music discovery is, and always will be, at the heart of Shazam. Consumers want to find as much information about a song or artist as possible and they want it fast,” said Andrew Fisher, CEO of Shazam. “Whether they now opt for our freemium or paid-for service, that is exactly what our Android customers can rely on from us – a fast and easy way to discover, buy and share music in more ways than ever before.”
For the first time, Shazam’s premium app – Shazam Encore – will be available to download on Android Market. Available at $4.99, €3.99 and £2.99, Shazam Encore offers unlimited tagging and also unlimited Recommendations – enhancing a user’s music collection by introducing them to other music similar to the track that’s been tagged. Shazam users in the US can also directly access Pandora through Shazam Encore to listen to a station from their Tags.
From today, Android users opting to download the Shazam free version will receive a seven day premium trial, followed by the option to upgrade to Shazam Encore or have five tags a month thereafter.
Local chart information to discover popular artists in specific regions will be available in both versions of the Shazam app. All users will also have access to the Shazam blog and receive tag result editorial including lyrics, artist biography, discography and track reviews.
Shazamers that like to share their music moments with their friends can post their tag result through Facebook, Twitter, SMS and email. They can also browse videos and find out when their favourite artist is playing a gig nearby.
Fisher continues: “As the market leader in mobile music recognition we are continuously innovating and improving the experience for our customers. Our latest offering on Android Market is testament to our commitment to bring the most compelling applications to market and provide our customers with a unique music journey”
Shazam applications are live in all Android Market territories across the world; specifically Encore is available in the 13 countries where Android Market supports billing. Shazam also supports a variety of local language versions including English (UK), French, German, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Polish, Czech, Japanese, Russian, Portuguese and Chinese (Traditional). Shazam and Shazam Encore are available directly from the Android Market store.