Apple reportedly partnering with Shazam to bring song ID feature to iOS 8

Apple could be working on integrating Shazam's song identification tech directly into iOS 8. Song recognition apps including Shazam and SoundHound are widely available across mobile platforms, but Apple could make it more commonplace by making this functionality part of its device and software ecosystem.

Bloomberg reports that Apple could be interested in Shazam's tech as a way to boost its iTunes and iTunes Radio offerings. Songs identified through the feature could be matched against the iTunes catalog and offered for purchase.

Song recognition could logically be baked into Siri, Apple's voice recognition feature which can recognise spoken commands and take dictation. A user could long-press his or her iPhone's home button to automatically begin listening for music, just like the device begins listening for commands now.

Integration would extend to other parts of iOS as well, with Bloomberg's report describing a relationship similar to the one with Twitter, which extends into iOS's sharing features within all kinds of apps.

Apple's prime competitor Google added a similar feature to its voice-powered search tool in Android just a month ago. Manufacturers of Android-based phones, such as Sony, have also included song recognition widgets on their home screens.

Apple has launched a streaming radio service within the US, with plans to expand it internationally over time. It is also rumoured that Apple will break out this service into its own app, to give it more prominence in iOS 8. Apple is still the world's largest seller of digital music downloads, but has faced increasing competition from subscription-based streaming services such as Pandora and Spotify.

These features, along with others including a Healthbook app, deeper iCloud integration, and improved mapping capabilities, could be unveiled at Apple's annual World Wide Developers' Conference, scheduled for early June this year.