How does "Shazam" do its thing? (iPhone) | FerrariChat

How does "Shazam" do its thing? (iPhone)

Discussion in 'Technology' started by Fast_ian, Nov 24, 2008.

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  1. Fast_ian

    Fast_ian Two Time F1 World Champ

    Sep 25, 2006
    23,397
    Campbell, CA
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    Ian Anderson
    Hi,

    I recently downloaded this to my iPhone, and am completely blown away - Let it listen to a song for a few seconds and it identifies it!

    How'd they do that?......
     
  2. junglistluder

    junglistluder F1 Rookie
    Owner Silver Subscribed

    Mar 23, 2007
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    Brendan
    Not sure, but my Verizon LG Voyager has done this long before the iPhone.
     
  3. Ralph K

    Ralph K Formula Junior

    Sep 18, 2008
    286
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    Ralph
    True this option has been there for a while. We had it as #DJ here in Montreal under carrier Fido a couple of years ago. It probably just matches the recording with its database (iStore for iPhone).
     
  4. Fast_ian

    Fast_ian Two Time F1 World Champ

    Sep 25, 2006
    23,397
    Campbell, CA
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    Ian Anderson
    No doubt. Although I suspect it's going to it's own DB rather than the iTunes store.

    However, I'm amazed it can determine a "unique" signature (?) as quickly and accurately as it does.

    Cheers,
    Ian
     
  5. Fast_ian

    Fast_ian Two Time F1 World Champ

    Sep 25, 2006
    23,397
    Campbell, CA
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    Ian Anderson
    From the Shazam site:

    The ability to define an "exact fingerprint" from a few seconds of a track that is unique among 6 million tracks is, to me at least, very impressive!

    Cheers,
    Ian
     
  6. Gilles27

    Gilles27 F1 World Champ

    Mar 16, 2002
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    Jack
    Play a Beatles song and see what happens.
     
  7. ExoticSpotter

    ExoticSpotter Formula Junior

    Jun 1, 2008
    685
    my G1 has the same trick...I know it won't work if you sing into it, so I assume they must have created some kind of electronic signature based on the notes and tone. if you notice, on some songs it lets you scroll over to see where it could be one of many songs that have similar chords.
     
  8. wax

    wax Five Time F1 World Champ
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    Jul 20, 2003
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    Yup - I read a short blurb about that in Blender last week ago - then, yesterday, a co-efforter showed how his iphone with Shazam nailed it. In short, this thread was created shortly before I would have done the same.

    Picture the following as Bookkeeping, by Certified Public Accountants;

    In terms of efficiency, I'm guessing the Shazam algorithm somehow eliminates [says "No!" to] X number of tracks before even it reaches [the portion of] the servers where the actual tracks reside. This would require a specific sampling size, from anywhere within a song - "weighting it" in a sense - all the while "segregating" and eliminating that which does not apply.

    What *Boggles* my mind is how, no matter what is known on servers with digital signatures for the qualifying tracks, Shazam can ignore White Noise or Ambient Sound which logically, should compromise findings greatly, yet still outputs correct [Yes!"] results, at speed.
     
  9. Pepsi10

    Pepsi10 Formula Junior

    Nov 24, 2008
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    InlandNorthWest
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    Mike M
    Hey Thanks for mentioning this. I had this feature on a Sony phone I had, and was missing it on the iPhone.

    M
     
  10. brownsgolf

    brownsgolf Formula Junior

    Dec 18, 2007
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    Dan
    Verizon has had a free app out for at least a year and a half that does the same thing.
     
  11. Fast_ian

    Fast_ian Two Time F1 World Champ

    Sep 25, 2006
    23,397
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    Ian Anderson
    EXACTLY! Its fast and almost scary good - I demo'd it the other day in a moving car and we even "spoke" over it's "recording" phase for a moment - It still nailed it on the first attempt. I want to know how it does it!.....

    My one regret is that I put "iPhone" in the subject line ;)

    cheers,
    Ian
     
  12. Fast_ian

    Fast_ian Two Time F1 World Champ

    Sep 25, 2006
    23,397
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    Ian Anderson
  13. 285ferrari

    285ferrari Two Time F1 World Champ
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    Sep 11, 2004
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    Robbie
    Where do I find it for Verizon?
     

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