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Fiat, Fox Broadcasting Co. target multiscreen users via Shazam app sponsorship

Fiat and Fox Broadcasting Co. are the initial sponsors of Shazam?s new iOS application that has been redesigned from the ground up to help consumers discover music and television content better.

The app includes new features that hone in on location and make it easier for consumers to tag content using audio recognition.The new Shazam features are geared towards Apple?s iPad, but are also available on the company?s iPhone and iPod touch apps.

?With the launch of the newly redesigned Shazam App, fans who use their iPad to discover music will be able to view lyrics synchronized in real-time with the song they are listening to, wherever they are,? said David Jones, executive vice president of marketing at Shazam, London.

?Plus, the new experience takes advantage of all the space offered by the iPad to deliver the app's animation full-screen,? he said. ?It?s a fun way for anyone who loves music to experience more of the songs they love.?

Hands-free listening
Fiat?s sponsorship of the app is indicated in the top left-hand corner of the app, and the brand is also running in-app banner ads.

When consumers tap on the ads, they are directed to a YouTube page for the car brand?s new music video with Arianna and Pitbull.

Fox is running banner ads that promote its show ?So You Think You Can Dance.? The ads are linked to the show?s site.

Fiat's and Fox?s sponsorships run for the next three months.

One of the biggest features with the new app is a feature called Auto-Tagging.

Auto-Tagging uses audio recognition to pick up on music and media ? such as television programs ? that consumers are listening to.

The app then automatically tags content in the background, and a red bar at the top of the screen shows consumers when the app is recording a sound.

A toggle at the top of the screen lets users choose to enable Auto-Tagging.

In the past, consumers had to click a button to tag content and wait while Shazam recognized the sound.

For consumers who prefer to tag content themselves, a large button in the bottom right-hand corner can be tapped to Shazam a piece of content from any page within the app.

Also new is an integration between tagging and Rdio. Consumers with a subscription to Rdio can listen to songs that they tag or sign-up for a trial subscription with the music streaming service.

The Shazam iOS app has been updated with a new home screen that focuses on discovery. The screen shows users the top TV shows and music in real-time.

There is also a friends tab that can be synced with Facebook to show consumers music and TV that their friends are listening to.

The Explore tab uses a mobile device?s built-in GPS to show media that is popular in their area. Users can then zoom in on an area to find, share and buy music.

Mobile discovery
As consumers increasingly use their mobile devices to research and discover content, the new features are geared towards differentiating between smartphone and tablet users.

For example, the Auto-Tagging feature fits particularly well with tablets when consumers are likely browsing through content from their couches.

The company has also been aggressively moving into TV in addition to music discovery.

For instance, Dodge and Universal Pictures recently rolled out a mobile-enabled TV campaign with Shazam to promote ?Fast & Furious 6? (see story).

?IPads and tablets, by virtue of their size when compared to a smartphone, are inherently ideal for interacting with television,? Mr. Jones said.

?Compared to smartphones, people spend a greater percent of their time on their iPad in front of the TV,? he said.

?The larger screens are perfect for delivering images and rich media.  Additionally, as tablets are set to outsell laptops this year and all PCs by 2016, it?s imperative for Shazam to deliver a compelling and satisfying TV second-screen experience that takes full advantage of the elegance and power of iPad and all that it can do."

Final Take
Lauren Johnson is associate reporter on Mobile Marketer, New York