Facebook introduces Shazam-style music, TV and film feature

Facebook has today announced the introduction of a new feature which allows users to share music, TV and films via their mobile device without having to type it out.

From now on, users will have the option to use their phone’s microphone to identify which song is playing or what programme or film is on TV, and then attach the info to a status update.

When the feature is activated, an audio icon will move on the screen when a user is writing a status update. If the feature finds a match, the user will then be able to choose to add the relevant content to their post.

Sharing music via the new feature will post a 30-second preview of the song, while sharing a TV show will highlight the specific season and episode being watched.

The technology is similar to the way Shazam uses a smartphone’s built-in microphone to gather a sample of music being played before revealing the song’s name and artist.

Shazam currently has around 450 million users and recently secured a $3 million investment from Sony Music.

“In the last year, people shared more than 5 billion status updates,” Facebook’s product manager, Aryeh Selekman wrote in a blog post this week.

“Today, we’re making those conversations quicker and easier by introducing a new way to share and discover music, TV and movies.”

The new feature will be available on Android and iOS in the US in the coming weeks.