Siri Comes with Shazam-like Powers in iOS 8, Can Identify Songs Played on Any Device

[RaduTyrsina]

Siri, Apple's voice assistant, has gotten smarter with iOS 8 and it can now identify songs played on any device. Thus, Apple device owners who've upgraded to iOS 8 can now ask Siri the name for songs played on the radio or anywhere else.

This isn't exactly a novel feature, as Siri has long been able to identify a song being played on the same device. However, with the official release of iOS 8, Siri's musical abilities have been improved. Now, you can play a song on a different device, on the radio, on a CD, or on some other source, and it will be able to name that tune for you.

Once you get iOS 8, you will just need to ask Siri the question: "What song is this?" when the song is playing. Siri will respond by saying: "Let me listen." and depending on how far along you are in the track, it will probably take at least a few seconds to recognize it. After that, it will respond by saying something like "I can name that tune."

Yes, this sounds exactly like Shazam and that's because Apple has teamed up with Shazam to integrate the app's capabilities directly into Siri. Here's what Shazam said on a new support page:

"With the release of iOS 8, the magic and convenience of Shazam is now fully integrated into Siri. To know the details of the music/media around you, open Siri, and ask a question..."

Lance Whitney from Cnet has tested this feature, and here's what he said:

On my iPhone, I tested Siri's new musical talents against a few devices, including an iPad, a CD, and an old-fashioned radio. I also quizzed Siri on a variety of songs, including modern pop tunes, classical selections, and some of my favorite jazz music. And it was able to name that tune each time.

With this new music recognition feature, Siri is trying to keep up with the competition, as Google Now and Windows Phone's Cortana voice assistant offer their own music ID talents.

Source: Cnet