Shazam is a utility application for the N97 provided by Shazam Entertainment Ltd. It already exists for other platforms such as iPhone, Blackberry and Android and offers the same functionality as TrackID on the Sony Ericsson platform; the ability to determine artist and track name from a few seconds of audio.

Features

Shazam can analyze audio both played on the phone and from an external source. It then sends a server request to get tag information (artist, track and album). There is also an integration with the Nokia Music Store, so with just a click you can go to the store and search for any tagged track automatically. Shazam is available for free until November 30. After that the program can be converted to a Lite version that will be free, or you will be able to purchase a full license.

Can it really hear what you and I hear?

In a way, yes! As long as the music played to it is somewhat mainstream and the audio quality is good enough (no vacuum-cleaner in the background!) it does the trick every time!

The program finds music played on the phone easier than external sources. It does however work with external sources as well, but it took me a few tries to realize that it’s a good idea to turn up the volume a notch, as this seems to make the music played more identifiable to the program.

On the negative side, the program seems heavy on system resources – especially graphics – and might not be really optimized for the S60v5 platform yet. Also, while I will no doubt keep the program on my phone, I’m not quite sure how often I will actually use it. Most of the time I do know what I’m listening to…

In time if the range of music it can identify widens, it will be an incredibly useful tool for tagging songs. I’m thinking individual tracks within DJ mixes, classical music or just some old analog stuff I might dig up from my hidings… And no matter what; it’s a fascinating technology, isn’t it?

Summary

Pros

• Free
• It works!
  

Cons

• Heavy on system resources
• Can only identify mainstream artists and tracks for the time being
  

Overall, highly recommended if you have use for it or if you are just curious! To find out more and to download, visit our forum:

Download Shazam