Apple Completes Purchase of Shazam, Will Remove Ads
Apple has completed its acquisition of audio-recognition mobile app Shazam following approval earlier this month by European regulators.
Apple has completed its acquisition of audio-recognition mobile app Shazam following approval earlier this month by European regulators. As a welcoming gift to Shazam’s hundreds of millions of users, Apple will soon be removing all ads from the free version of the popular app, the company said.
“Apple and Shazam have a long history together. Shazam was one of the first apps available when we launched the App Store and has become a favorite app for music fans everywhere,” said Oliver Schusser, Apple’s vice president of Apple Music. “With a shared love of music and innovation, we are thrilled to bring our teams together to provide users even more great ways to discover, experience and enjoy music.”
Apple announced last year that it was going to buy Shazam for $400 million. The iPhone maker’s Apple Music streaming service competes with rivals including Spotify. The EU’s Antitrust Commission recently approved the acquisition following a months-long acquisition, finding that competing providers would not be shut out of the market following the acquisition.
In addition to a free version, which carries banner ads, Shazam also runs an ad-free paid version called Encore that includes integration with Spotify, Apple Music’s chief rival.
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