The digital platforms are acutely aware of the potential of country music, which, as the reps from Apple, Spotify, Pandora and Shazam collectively point out, is one of the most active and fastest-growing areas of the music-content spectrum.

Peter Szabo Shazam SVP Global Music

What initiatives have you worked on with Nashville labels, managers and artists? Some of our most unique ideas recently have been coming out of Nashville. The country artists have been fantastic to work with and are getting incredibly creative. Everyone from Keith Urban toCole Swindell to Maren Morris have used Shazam recently in unique ways. Keith Urban actually kept Shazaming songs he liked prior to recording his album Ripcord. Then when he started writing, he was able to go back and listen to them for inspiration. He even ended up collaborating with Pitbull on his song “Sun Don’t Let Me Down” because he Shazamed a Pitbull song he liked. Then, for a really new twist, we worked with Cole Swindell on a scavenger hunt through New York. He led his fans on a five-step hunt to various spots in Manhattan. People had to Shazam for the next clue at each stop, and the grand prize was a flyaway to CMA Fest! Five other people won a trip to NYC to see Cole there.

How does Shazam work hand in hand with radio and streaming services? Country radio programmers use Shazam to see what songs are reacting in their cities and hot zips. They will use the Explore tab to pinch and zoom their way to get feedback from their listeners on which songs they like. They also pay attention to the Top Country Chart as well to see what songs are moving up there.

Based on Shazams, what are the next things we should watch for out of Nashville? From what we’re seeing from our users, LANco, Maren Morris, Dan + Shay and Jon Pardi are some of the new artists you’ll be hearing from a lot more. LANco’s “Long Live Tonight” reacted so quickly in L.A. and Kansas City that we named it one of our Songs of the Summer.

The digital platforms are acutely aware of the potential of country music, which, as the reps from Apple, Spotify, Pandora and Shazam collectively point out, is one of the most active and fastest-growing areas of the music-content spectrum.