Shazam reveals plans for new app to allow users to track products on TV

Music and TV identification company Shazam has announced plans to develop an app that is set to revolutionise the way that consumers shop via mobile devices.

“Shazamming” will allow mobile users to identify a product worn or used by somebody on screen in one click, and then track and order that product online.

Speaking to the Observer, Shazam’s CEO Andrew Fisher said: “We are focused on creating a new category which we call media engagement. We make it easier for consumers to engage with a brand or a piece of content they are interested in, without having to go through search engines, then mining the results.

“That works with both TV programming and advertising: a 30-second slot can be turned into a three-minute brand engagement – and more.”

Fisher also commented on Shazam’s ambitions to integrate into the global brand advertising industry, which is worth approximately a trillion dollars.

“There are five billion mobile phones in the world, so we are only at 5% of the market opportunity: that’s a lot of growth and development potential.”

Shazam – currently at the 20 million download mark in the UK alone – works by users tagging a music or TV programme, which is then matched to a vast database. The new app will work in the same way, though Fisher hopes that image recognition will be the next step for Shazam.