【1977 Archives】

It's official: Your go-to method for finding out what song977 Archivesplaying in your Lyft is changing hands, with Apple confirming today that will acquire Shazam.

Founded in 1999, the company makes an app that listens to music and tells users the artist and song name. It also works with movies and television shows. Anyone interested in adding that random song they keep hearing on the bus to their repertoire could download a standalone version of the app or use it through Snapchat.

The acquisition, confirmed by BuzzFeed News, comes with a few unanswered questions. Namely, how much is Apple paying for it, and what, if any, changes will come to the service as a result.

"We are thrilled that Shazam and its talented team will be joining Apple," Apple spokesperson Tom Neumayr told Mashable in an emailed statement. "Since the launch of the App Store, Shazam has consistently ranked as one of the most popular apps for iOS. Today, it’s used by hundreds of millions of people around the world, across multiple platforms."

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Notably, Apple may be interested in the service for reasons other than cultural cachet. The data gathered by Shazam could, at least in theory, be extremely valuable in predicting what songs are going to be hits. This, of course, would be incredibly valuable for Apple Music.

"Apple Music and Shazam are a natural fit, sharing a passion for music discovery and delivering great music experiences to our users," added Neumayr. "We have exciting plans in store, and we look forward to combining with Shazam upon approval of today’s agreement."

This story has been updated to include comment from Apple.