Shazam launches artist updates, friends’ tags and newsfeed-style interface

Shazam 7.1 for iOS (iPhone screenshot 001)Shazam 7.1 for iOS (iPhone screenshot 002)

The music discovery and fingerprinting engine Shazam is among a bunch of apps that were updated with iOS 7-inspired interface shortly after Apple released the new iPhone, iPad and iPod software for public consumption on September 18.

It’s been quite a wait since Shazam’s last feature-packed update and today’s release has seen to that.

Not only does Shazam now let you see what your friends are tagging in real-time and check out updates from the artists you follow, it also sports a brand new interface to interact with the Shazam community. More on that in just a second…

The new Shazam 7.1 introduces Shazam News which replaces the Shazam Friends feed. In a nutshell, News is basically souped up Friends with a reworked interface and improved functionality.

For instance, Shazam News feels right at home in iOS 7 and allows for frictionless interactions. This is where all the latest happenings based on what you’ve been Shazaming get displayed, including updates when artists you’ve been tagging are releasing a new album.

Shazam 7.1 for iOS (iPhone screenshot 003)Shazam 7.1 for iOS (iPhone screenshot 004)

Also, there’s live feed of your friends’ tags which lets you see what others are Shazaming, in real-time. You will only see friends’ tags if you’ve approved Shazam to use your Facebook account. Last but not least, iPhone 5s owners should breathe a sigh of relief: a minor bug with tweeting your Shazams has now been squashed.

For  those wondering, Shazam’s had an iOS 7 style app icon for a while now.

Shazam 7.1 for iOS (app icon, small)

If you use Twitter, Shazam song previews you share on the micro-blogging service now play inline. And just a few months ago, the Shazam mobile apps received the ability to buy multiple songs on iTunes in one go and gained a new music discovery feature called Pulse.

The free Shazam app for the iPhone and iPad is available on the App Store.

The $6.99 Shazam Encore is ad-free and sports premium features.

The $6.99 (Shazam)RED charity edition is also available.

An iPhone, iPod touch or iPad running iOS 6.0 or later is required.