Shazam is adding a new lyric feature to its premium Encore and RED applications to engage consumers with real-time technology.

The LyricPlay feature lets users identify song lyrics with music that they are already listening to with real-time technology. The new feature signals Shazam?s first corporate acquisition with music search engine Tunezee.

?We?re always looking for new ways to engage with our readers, and we knew from their interests that they needed a new way to interact with music,? said Beatrice Farina, vice president of marketing at Shazam, London.

?We found that music fans want to take their experience beyond just tagging a track,? she said.

?Lyrics are an important part of discovering new music, and we wanted to integrate it into our app to engage with our users.?

The addition of the new feature on the app comes shortly after the deal between Shazam and Oxygen Network to engage readers with real-time content while watching television (see story).

Shazam is a music-identifying app.

Waxing lyrical
Lyrics were already available on the app in a static, read?only format, but the improvements to the app add a virtual aspect for users.

The new feature lets users tag songs and then prompts them to click on a LyricPlay icon.

Users then turn their mobile devices horizontally to launch the feature.

The app takes the color palette of the track and adds visual elements, including scrolling, jumping and popping in real-time with the song.

The new feature is being incorporated in 25,000 songs on the app with plans to add more in the future.

Shazam built the LyricPlay function based on the app?s most popular songs.

Code play
Shazam?s LyricPlay feature is only one more way that the company hopes to engage with music fans through its app.

Shazam also recently released Shazam Friends for Apple and Android devices, a real-time feed that works with Facebook to show users which music their friends are tagging.

?Our goal has always been to tap into the in-the-moment desire that music fans have when discovering new music,? Ms. Farina said.

?We are focused on building compelling features that focus on discovering and sharing music, and we hope the launch of LyricPlay will help us interact with users more,? she said.

Final Take

Lauren Johnson is editorial assistant on Mobile Marketer, New York