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Shazam for iOS adds TV to its list of media it can identify

Shazam for iOS just got a major update with faster response time, new media it can recognize, and other handy features.

Jason Parker Senior Editor / Reviews - Software
Jason Parker has been at CNET for nearly 15 years. He is the senior editor in charge of iOS software and has become an expert reviewer of the software that runs on each new Apple device. He now spends most of his time covering Apple iOS releases and third-party apps.
Jason Parker
2 min read
Shazam 5.0
After only a few seconds, Shazam can identify the song you're hearing and give you options to buy, share, or listen to previews. Screenshot by Jason Parker/CNET

One of the first apps that showed off the power of early iPhones was Shazam, the app that let you hold up your iPhone to "listen" to music playing and could identify the artist and offer you options to buy that music.

Today, Shazam Entertainment announced a new update with Shazam 5.0 that makes the app even better than before. The company says the app now launches a second faster to let you identify media much more quickly. It also can take as little as 1 second to identify media once you touch the button, and even starts "listening" the second you open the app in case you're trying to identify media in a hurry.

Shazam 5.0
Lyrics now sync up better with the audio in version 5.0. Screenshot by Jason Parker/CNET

Shazam is no longer limited to music in this latest version. The company says you'll now be able to use the app to identify Shazam-enabled television shows and ads to quickly find out what you're watching and see additional content for the show or ad, and products and apps related to the content. This means that if a show is Shazam-enabled, you can run the app to get complementary content or an associated app in the iTunes App Store.

Among the smaller changes to Shazam, the company says it has listened to users and made it possible to edit tweets; streamlined the app for smoother scrolling and a much more responsive user interface; improved the speed of the friends feed; and improved the sync on LyricPlay -- the feature that lets you view lyrics as the song is playing.

Shazam 5.0 is available now at the iTunes App Store and all the major versions including Shazam (free) Shazam Encore ($5.99), and Shazam Red ($5.99) all offer the latest features.