Shazam, the erstwhile exclusively music discovery app that has expanded into TV as a companion app letting users ‘tag’ TV shows (and ads) to get quick access to a plethora of related content, has today named a new chief product officer — poaching Daniel Danker from the BBC to lead “the product expansion of the Shazam service”.
The position is a new one for Shazam, underlining that its expansion into TV is the main driver for the hire. Danker was General Manager of Programmes and On Demand at the BBC, with responsibility for strategy and delivery of the BBC’s on-demand TV streaming service iPlayer, plus iPlayer Radio and its Red Button digital products. Prior to the Beeb, he spent around a decade in a variety of roles at Microsoft — including helping develop Mediaroom, Microsoft’s internet-connected TV platform, and the Microsoft Xbox Music platform.
At Shazam, in addition to working on Shazam for TV, Danker will be responsible for app development for phones, tablets and other devices across all major platforms, as well as working with “major social networks” such as Facebook, Twitter and Google+, Shazam added.
“I am incredibly excited about my new role as Shazam’s Chief Product Officer,” said Danker in a statement on his new job. “Producing one of the most-downloaded apps of all time, Shazam has built its reputation on providing people with a discovery experience for music and television that sets the standard. I look forward to using my experience at Microsoft and the BBC to help Shazam create engaging products that delight.”
The Shazam for TV service was launched in 2011 in the U.S. for advertising and “select television programmes”, expanding to include all programming on 160 channels. Shazam for TV advertising also launched the U.K., Western Europe and Asia in the last year. The company says it’s been integrated into hundreds of ad campaigns since launch, while Shazam for TV has been used by “millions” of people as a companion app while watching high profile events such as the GRAMMY Awards, Super Bowl, and the Olympic Games, as well as popular programs such as “American Idol” and “Girls”.
The company does not break specific figures for its TV/ad services vs its music discovery product, saying only that Shazam is used by more than 300 million people globally.
Here’s how Shazam explains its TV tagging/companion app feature: