Shazam has been in touch to point out that the videogame Grand Theft Auto IV, released earlier this week by Rockstar Games, features an in-game service called Zit which bears an uncanny resemblance to Shazams mobile music discovery service.
This illustrates a key moment in mainstream culture, as mobile music recognition becomes an established way to discover and buy new music, says Will Mills, Head of Music at Shazam. Following on from Guitar Hero and Rock Band, videogames are now developing into a new channel to discover and purchase music. As one of the most innovative players in the gaming industry, Rockstar has been quick to spot that mobile music discovery is a brilliant path for consumers to buy new music, so its very flattering that GTA features a spoof of Shazam with its in-game service.
Shazam enables consumers to iD their favourite tunes with their mobile phone. Just  hold up your mobile and dial 2580 to sample a track for five to 10 seconds. Shazam will identify the track and immediately text back the name of the artist, song title and option to buy the music.