Mobile discovery company Shazam has made its first corporate acquisition, with the purchase of synchronized lyric technology from Tunezee, a Silicon Valley-based company. As part of the deal, Shazam is immediately launching Shazam LyricPlay, a new feature in the Encore premium app that enables Shazamers to view lyrics synchronized in real-time with the music they are listening to, wherever they are. 

The new feature automatically synchronizes lyrics with a music source. Shazam has incorporated it into its core technology, improving its accuracy, and added a layer of animation and visualization to enable the app’s users to see the lyrics in real-time with the song. In parallel, Shazam has built a database of lyrics to launch the new feature with a comprehensive and growing library of more than 25,000 of the most popular songs that Shazam users have identified through the app. 

To use Shazam LyricPlay, users tag a song they like, then activate the feature by tapping the new LyricPlay icon when it appears in a Tag result and turning their device horizontally to a landscape position. Then watch the lyrics as they scroll, jump, pop or slide in real-time with the song. To stop LyricPlay, tap the lyrics for options to return to the Tag result for that song.

The feature is available for free within the Shazam Encore and (SHAZAM) RED apps for iPhone and iPod touch. It is available initially in the US and Canada for Shazam Encore, then rolling out for both versions of the app in the UK, France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Australia and New Zealand.
The updated Shazam Encore and (SHAZAM) RED Apps are currently available for existing Shazamers. New users can download the premium Encore App for $3.99 (£2.45) for a 1-year subscription, or a one-time fee of $5.99 on iOS.