When Shazam launched its premium versions, Shazam Encore and (SHAZAM)RED, last fall, it was unclear if the new features would be worth the $4.99 price tag. The new Last.fm-enhanced features significantly change the value proposition.
Here's what you can now do with the Shazam Encore and (SHAZAM)RED apps:
- You can listen to Last.fm stations directly from your tagged Shazam tracks.
- You can create new stations from those tracks in Last.fm, provided you have the Last.fm iPhone app installed.
- You can view ticket and tour info for tagged artists with geolocation support to see when your favorite band will be near you.
To us it makes sense to combine a discovery engine like Shazam with a music aggregator like Last.fm. It takes away the need to go the extra step of researching an artist, and also lets you find other artists with similar sounds.