Shazam

Is Shazam safe?

Yes. Shazam is about as low-risk as a popular app gets. It identifies a song, shows you lyrics and concert dates, and links out to a streaming service. Apple's App Store label lists no data used to track you across other companies' apps, there is no chat or upload feature for anyone to misuse, and we found no breach. We score it 82/100, well above Spotify (57) and in line with Apple's own Safari (81).

The main thing to know is that a free app still collects something. Shazam keeps a list of the songs you identify, often with where you were when you did it, and Apple uses that history to recommend music and build its charts.

What happens when you tap the button

According to Apple's Shazam privacy page, the app sends Apple a unique audio fingerprint of the song plus your IP address, which it uses to process the request and catch fraud or misuse. It does not describe sending recordings. By default, each request is tied to a random identifier generated on your device rather than to your Apple Account.

That design is the strongest part of Shazam's privacy record. Many recognition and streaming apps tie every search to a named profile. Here the link to your identity only appears if you sign in to an Apple Account with two-factorTwo-factor authenticationSigning in with a second proof of identity on top of your password, such as a code from an app, a security key or a passkey.More in the glossary login turned on, at which point your history syncs through iCloud. Apple says it is encrypted in transit and at rest there, though not end to end, so Apple could read it.

What Apple's label shows

Data linked to you covers purchase history, coarse location, a user ID and device ID, product interaction and "other data". Precise location and search history are collected but not linked to you. The label has no "Data Used to Track You" section at all, which puts Shazam in a small group of mainstream apps.

Two points sit slightly against that picture. The App Store listing says the app contains advertising, and the label lists usage data, not linked to you, used for Apple's own marketing. And Apple shares deidentified, aggregated data with labels, artists and chart compilers, such as which songs are identified and the approximate location of each request. Apple says this helps its partners see which tracks are taking off.

On Android, Google Play's data safety section says Shazam shares no data with third parties, encrypts data in transit and lets you request deletion.

Location, Apple Music and other links

Location is optional. If you allow it, Shazam shows where you identified each song and lists concerts near you, and Apple uses it to "improve the quality of the service". If you have an Apple Music subscription, the two are linked automatically so you can add songs to playlists, and Shazam may personalise suggestions based on whether you subscribe. You can still open any song in Spotify, YouTube Music, Amazon Music or Deezer.

Concert listings link out to ticket sellers. Shazam does not sell tickets itself, so check the site you land on before paying, especially for resale tickets.

The 2018 EU review

When Apple bought Shazam, the European Commission opened an in-depth investigation focused on data. Its question was whether Shazam's information about people who use rival streaming services would let Apple poach them for Apple Music. On 6 September 2018 it cleared the deal, finding that Shazam's data was not unique and would not shut rivals out. Commissioner Margrethe Vestager noted that a merger decision does not release companies from data protection law. This was a competition case, not a privacy finding, so it does not count against Shazam. A merger review is not a review of how the app treats its users, though, so with no fine or order since, Shazam's regulatory record is 88, the top of our range for apps that no regulator has reviewed.

How to use Shazam more privately

1. Set location access for Shazam to "Never" or "While Using" in your phone's settings. Recognition still works without it.
2. Clear songs you do not want kept from the History tab in the app.
3. Turn off Shazam in your iCloud settings if you do not want your history synced to your Apple Account. Songs already saved stay there until you delete them.
4. Switch off Music Detection on Apple Watch if you do not want the watch listening for music around you.
5. Use Apple's Data and Privacy page to download or delete what Apple holds about you.

How we scored it

The regulatory record and scams and harmful content (both 88) are Shazam's strongest factors: no fine or order, no chat, no uploads and nothing for strangers to exploit. Privacy (82) is high because there is no tracking and requests use a random ID, held back by linked location and purchase data. Security (80) reflects Apple's bounty and a clean record, with history stored under Apple's keys rather than end to end. On the regulatory record, the only close look by a regulator, the 2018 merger review, found no competition concerns about Shazam's data.