SXSW 2015: Shazam Partners With Brands to SimplifySearch

Shazam's chief product officer, Daniel Danker, spoke with ClickZ at South by Southwest about a newfeature on the brand's app that will use images and audio for search.

Shazam is best known as a music identification app that helps connect artists to listeners, but thecompany is expanding its platform to use both images and audio to make everything from retailitems to movie posters searchable.

The new search feature will rely on visual watermarks along with audio cues from store soundsystems that are inaudible to humans but picked up by phone speakers. Consumers can takephotographs of participating brands' merchandise for more product information or use audio signalsin store for special offers. For example, in a clothing store, Shazam users could take a picture of anitem and then use the app to find a different size or even order and ship the item online without everleaving the store.

In an interview with ClickZ at South by Southwest, Daniel Danker, chief product officer for Shazam,said the new services will simplify search by giving users all the information they need at the touchof a button. "It's a real pain point to have to take a photo of something to Google later," Danker said."We've cut out complications in connecting artists and fans, and now we're applying that sameblueprint to the world around us."

Danker also thinks the new service will integrate more seamlessly into retail stores than beacons oreven apps because smaller brands often have a hard time adapting to technologies that requirepermissions from users before sending push notifications and using location information.

"Beacons require Bluetooth, and not every store has that," Danker said. "And smaller retailers don'thave a chance of getting customers to download an app. Now they don't have to. Shazam has userpermissions and location. We're already on phones."

Shazam is currently partnering with brands to launch the new search services, and Danker hopesthe platform will be a boon to small businesses.

"We're giving brands the chance to offer both connectedness and authenticity so they can focus oncreating a wonderful experience for customers," Danker said.

Image via Shutterstock.

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