Many in the tech community were shocked when Snapchat balked at Facebook?s $3 billion acquisition offer in 2013, but developments such as a one-touch integration with Shazam indicate Snap, Inc.?s prescience in scaling the platform.

The massively popular app?s latest update rolls out a few new features, including the introduction of group chat (an element of Snapchat?s messaging platform that was sorely missed by users); a new suite of photo editing features; and, in keeping with the company?s dedication to clean user experience, an easy-to-use integration with music identification platform Shazam. Snapchat?s update is the largest one in recent memory, and it makes significant strides in justifying CEO Evan Spiegel and co.?s valuation of their product as not just an application, but a platform.

"With Snapchat, the user flow lines up perfectly with what we do," said Greg Glenday, chief revenue officer at Shazam. "We are all about exploration and discovery? and this fits really nicely into the great experiences their users have come to expect from them.

"This removes a step for our users and allows them to Shazam while they are in Snapchat rather than switching over," he said. "Anytime we can remove friction for our users and get them the information they want faster, we will always do that. 

"As for augmenting the user experience of Snapchat, now their users will have the magic of Shazam at their fingertips!  Their users are extremely active and social?meaning they are constantly exposed to music they may not know. Now they will."

The partnership will make it possible for users to Shazam from within Snapchat by pressing and holding on the Snapchat camera screen when music is playing nearby, but only after updating their versions of the app to the latest iteration, which was released yesterday. 

Once Shazam recognizes the song, the app will offer a selection of features within Shazam for those interested, all without disrupting the Snapchat experience; it is not necessary to record a Snap in order to leverage the new feature.

The new feature will allow fans to recognize music, engage with Shazam content, and send their music and artist discoveries as Snaps to their friends. The integration with Shazam also provides seamless transition between the Snapchat user interface and Shazam?s, meaning that users can go from the Snapchat app to listening to their identified songs, watching its music video, looking up lyrics and searching through Shazam?s recommended tracks with merely a few swipes of a finger.

The update also touts Shazam?s integration with major music streaming providers, meaning that users can go about listening to the song on their Apple Music or Spotify accounts through the integrated user interface, as well.

And another aspect of the partnership?one that, if Snapchat?s previous gambles into content indicate anything, will be well received?is the ability to send Shazam song content to users? friends on Snapchat; it is no coincidence that this development was rolled out in conjunction with Snapchat?s new group chat feature.

The pairing of the two applications was unexpected, but certainly not unwelcome. Shazam?s user interface was/still is in serious need of some polishing, and there is no easier way to do it than through a partnership with the app that revolutionized how both consumers and developers perceived the importance of UI. 

Much like Snapchat, the music identification platform seems to be setting up the pieces for growth, despite detractors concerns: it is providing Android users (primarily aimed at emerging markets) with a slimmed down version of its application in response to backlash and concerns about bloatware (see story). 

And a Hired executive at ad:tech New York 2016 explained that Snapchat?s user base is quantitatively proven to be the most engaged out of all major platforms, meaning brands and retailers need to dive into the application to tap into a marketing goldmine (see story).

""We are really excited about the momentum we have at Shazam," Mr. Glenday said. "For us, our top priority is to make it really easy for our users to experience the magic of Shazam. 

"This is an obvious win for the user in that regard," he said. "We know that if we do that well, it will allow us to better serve our brand partners and our music partners too. 

"Because of our global scale and consistently positive environment, we are quickly building a world class advertising business.  The reason it is growing so rapidly is because people come to Shazam to discover, so what better time to deliver a message?"