Music-identification app Shazam has added on-demand streaming service Deezer as a partner, enabling Deezer account holders in four countries to listen to full-length songs immediately upon identifying them with Shazam’s mobile app. The deal also replaces an existing integration of Spotify in Shazam’s app, where Spotify has been removed as an option to stream a song in those territories.
A Shazam spokesperson said that under the new partnership, Deezer has replaced Spotify as a user option in the U.K., Germany, Mexico, and Brazil. In the U.K., users are now seeing Rdio and Deezer as their two choices. Territorial availability of
streaming services varies; in the U.S., Shazam users’ two options to stream a song are via Rdio and Spotify. Those two services are available to subscribers in a few dozen countries apiece, while Paris-based Deezer’s is offered in about 180 countries — but is notably absent in the U.S.
“We are very excited to welcome Deezer into the Shazam music result,” said Shazam head of music Peter Szabo in a statement exclusive to Billboard. “Shazam has always made it easy to identify songs, and we’re thrilled to continue making it simple for users to buy or stream the songs they love.”
A Spotify spokesperson was unaware of the issue when notified by Billboard, and was still looking into it at press time. We’ll update this story if Spotify issues a statement.
Deezer CEO Axel Dauchez told Billboard in February that the company is aiming to introduce its service in the U.S. sometime in 2014, but it has yet to announce plans formally. Deezer said last week that Dauchez will leave the company in September.
Shazam’s deal with Rdio includes an additional feature that was added in January. Once users connect their accounts with the two services, songs identified via Shazam are automatically added to an Rdio playlist.
In addition to streaming options, Shazam allows users to buy songs from Apple’s iTunes store. The company makes money by taking a cut of song sales as it directs users to the store.
