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[Gambo]

I wouldn't be without Shazam now, as it's the only reliable means of identifying music hitherto unknown. It's especially handy when it's background music in a shop, on an ad or soundbed for a TV programme, but also when listening to radio as it's always possible the crappy DJ won't give information either before or afterwards as to artist and title. As said above, it's still a very powerful and impressive app when one considers what must be involved on the technical side and the millions of recorded pieces it must have access to. It is annoying when it gives a nil return, but then that's often because there's too much other background noise, or possibly with TV or film incidental music because it's a piece specially-written for that broadcast and hasn't been issued on any streaming or sales platforms. Occasionally it's thrown up an obviously incorrect result, but in my experience over eight years of regular use, maybe only five occasions, so pretty consistent really. It's helped direct me to many tracks I've gone on to buy, so in my case perhaps it is a pre-indicator of what could result in future purchases or online listens and I expect it's the same for many. Though I am bound to say that I don't think its daily rolling chart is as relevant as those provided by actual sales or streaming sites, as notwithstanding its ongoing relevance and high usage numbers, it's a one-off transaction that is entirely free, and it doesn't always safely denote a listener enjoyed it or would wish to stream/buy in future. While it may be a minority, I'm certain some people Shazam stuff they don't like and would never consume directly, yet still are curious as to who performed the track and what it's called. I know I have.

Nevertheless it's another interesting metric for how people engage with digital technology to access and educate themselves about music, and it is interesting for those who follow the markets and resultant charts to see how closely it does reflect what is currently being played most on radio, TV and online outlets. It's not meant to be a better or more accurate barometer than official or other site-compiled consumption charts; just a different slant. So definitely worth posting Tefo and thanks for bothering.

This post has been edited by Gambo: 15th October 2020, 11:33 AM