It seems like music discovery is all the rage these days. Twitter launched a new iPhone app back in April, and Apple launched its iTunes Music service earlier this month, both of which place a large focus on helping users discover new music.
And today, Shazam pushed further into the space. The popular song, album and artist identifier released a significant update to its iPhone and iPad apps this morning with, among other things, a new ‘Pulse’ feature for discovering new music…
Here’s the 6.1 change log:
New in 6.0: Auto Tagging, available only on the iPad, can be toggled on/off on the home screen. Auto Tagging allows Shazam to recognise music and media around you automatically, but it can’t recognize what you’re saying.
New on iPhone in 6.1:
-Shazam Pulse – Find fresh new music and preview from the trending real time charts
-Friends – Smoother loading
New look tab bar:
-Settings is now located on the top left of the home screen
-When a Friend tags, they appear in the tab bar
-Chart updates are displayed in the tab barNew on iPad in 6.1:
-Easier to delete tags from Favorites, tap edit then select tags
-Improved stability in Friends feedNew on iPhone and iPad in 6.1:
-Shazam Pulse – Discover new music by sampling of what’s being tagged right now. To find it on your iPad, swipe -right on the home screen. To find it on your iPhone swipe right in Discover.
The new Pulse feature works as advertised. On the iPad, swipe to the right on Shazam’s Home screen and on the iPhone swipe to the right in the ‘Discover’ section, and you’ll be able to find new music and preview tracks from real-time trending charts.
In addition to the new features, Shazam has also given some UI elements in its app a bit of facelift, to bring them more in line with its recent 6.0 makeover. The entire iPhone app feels cohesive now and with the additions today, feels a bit more useful.
If you’re interested, you can find the new Shazam app in the App Store, for free.