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| Apple's Shazam deal faces European probe | Apple's Shazam deal faces European probe |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| European regulators will launch an in-depth investigation of Apple's planned $400m purchase of Shazam, the music recognition app developed in the UK. | European regulators will launch an in-depth investigation of Apple's planned $400m purchase of Shazam, the music recognition app developed in the UK. |
| The European Commission said an initial probe found Apple may encourage Shazam users to switch to its own music streaming service following a takeover. | The European Commission said an initial probe found Apple may encourage Shazam users to switch to its own music streaming service following a takeover. |
| Apple Music has about half as many paid subscribers as Spotify, the world's biggest streaming platform. | Apple Music has about half as many paid subscribers as Spotify, the world's biggest streaming platform. |
| Apple said in December that it intended to buy Shazam. | Apple said in December that it intended to buy Shazam. |
| The deal would be the iPhone maker's biggest acquisition since it bought Beats, the headphone maker and music streaming service, for $3bn in 2014. That takeover saw Beats co-founder Jimmy Iovine join Apple Music as a senior executive. | The deal would be the iPhone maker's biggest acquisition since it bought Beats, the headphone maker and music streaming service, for $3bn in 2014. That takeover saw Beats co-founder Jimmy Iovine join Apple Music as a senior executive. |
| Music streaming services are 'too similar': Iovine | Music streaming services are 'too similar': Iovine |
| Streaming fuels music industry boom | Streaming fuels music industry boom |
| Shazam lets users identify song titles and artists with their smartphone. The app already presents users with links to Apple's iTunes download store to buy songs. | Shazam lets users identify song titles and artists with their smartphone. The app already presents users with links to Apple's iTunes download store to buy songs. |
| Links to the iPhone maker's music download service generates revenues for Shazam, along with advertising. | Links to the iPhone maker's music download service generates revenues for Shazam, along with advertising. |
| The app can also be used to find out more information about television programmes. | The app can also be used to find out more information about television programmes. |
| The Commission now has 90 working days to decide whether to approve the deal. | |
| Although it does not consider Shazam to be a "key entry point" for music streaming services, the Commission will consider whether Apple Music's competitors would be harmed if Apple discontinued referrals from the Shazam app to them after a takeover. | |
| Spotify subscribers, for instance, can have songs identified on Shazam automatically added to a playlist in the streaming app. | |
| The most Shazamed song - which has been identified more than 23 million times - is Wake Me Up by Avicii, the Swedish DJ and producer who died in Oman on Friday while on holiday. | The most Shazamed song - which has been identified more than 23 million times - is Wake Me Up by Avicii, the Swedish DJ and producer who died in Oman on Friday while on holiday. |
| Shazam was founded in 2002 and is led by executive chairman Andrew Fisher and Rich Riley, who joined in 2013 as chief executive. | Shazam was founded in 2002 and is led by executive chairman Andrew Fisher and Rich Riley, who joined in 2013 as chief executive. |