Shazam

Ever hear a familiar song and struggle for the rest of the day to figure out the title or who sings it? Or you’re listening to the radio and want to know the artist belting out a new tune you really like? Shazam has your back: Fire it up and tap the tag button (we like to think of it as a name-that-tune button) and Shazam will use your phone’s microphone to listen to the song and then check it against its online database. In as little as one second (thanks to recent updates), Shazam identifies the track and the band for you. Then you can go straight to iTunes and buy the song if you choose, or read information about the band, the track and the album.

Shazam used to only let you tag five songs per month for free, but thankfully, Shazam released unlimited free tagging to the free app in September 2011. Another highly addictive feature: Shazam’s LyricPlay, also available with the free Shazam download. LyricPlay is like having a karaoke player right on your smartphone. Once the app recognizes the tune you’re listening to, you can tap the LyricPlay icon, turn your phone sideways and read the song’s words that stream in real time (bolding the words that are being sung at that moment) across your screen.

The LyricPlay lyrics appear in funky fonts and colors, but in addition to reading lyrics on the LyricPlay real-time screen, you can also tap the more basic lyrics feature tab in the app for the song’s lyrics—all in one place with no scrolling screen and no fancy fonts.

Shazam is unarguably known for its music features, but with the launch of Shazam for TV, Shazam is increasingly being noted for its advertising partnerships—companies from Honda to Disney Parks have made their ad campaigns or commercials “Shazamable.” This means that ordinary people like you and us can watch a commercial, Shazam it, then the app will take us to a “second screen experience,” where we can partake in anything from the brand’s special promotion or giveaway to additional footage from the commercial.

According to Shazam, Shazam for TV gives brands a unique opportunity to interact with their customers. Plus, we can’t argue that it makes commercial watching a bit more interesting, too. (Although, now you’ll need to find another time to schedule your bathroom breaks.) Check out how ads became Shazamable during the biggest football game of the year.

The update to Shazam 5.0 lets users indentify songs and ads in as little as one second. This super-power update applies to all three of the Shazam apps (Free, Encore and (Shazam) RED), along with an updated UI and improved sharing features. Check back for more Shazam updates. (They happen quite often.)

For more ratings on this app's security, battery consumption and data usage, check out Verizon's Android App Reviews.

Reviewed: Jan 16, 2012 | Mary Georger

Also featured on: 6 Best Music Apps of 2012, Also featured on: Shazam Founder Avery Wang on Inspiration, Insights and Mobile Trends, Also featured on: 10 Best Android Apps of 2012…So Far

This app is included in a scenario called 5 Apps for Sunday’s Big Football Game