In yet another win for trainspotters, and a potential blow to the art of DJing, Shazam has struck a deal with Beatport to incorporate over 1.5 million songs into its inventory. The smartphone app that has enabled 275 million people to discover new music will beef up its catalog significantly with this deal.
As an indicator of how big the genre is becoming, 31 of Shazam's most tagged songs in 2012 were in the "dance" category. Because of the way Shazam processes songs, it will be able to detect tunes regardless of their pitch, speed, or interfering sounds (like a crowd, air cannon, or raging bull horn in your ear).
Undoubtedly, this is fantastic news to many. Punters will get to discover their favorite songs, and producers will get more recognition for their work. However, the DJs that spend countless hours digging through tracks to find rare and under-played gems may find themselves greeted by a handful of phones, and a less than rare collection when everyone else starts buying the same records.
There is no doubt that dance music is quickly becoming the music of choice for major markets around the world - what that means for the once-underground genre is to be determined.