Connecting Cities and Music Fans Via Shazam

Anyone who used the original Napster all had a moment where they went “Wow! There’s someone out there that has musical tastes just like me!” It was a fraternal thing, a feeling that no matter how eclectic you might be, you weren’t alone.

Shazam, the magical song-identifying software, wants to replicate that feeling for 2016. There’s a new online tool that lets you see the most-searched-for songs in nearly 5,000 cities around the world. It shows you the top ten hits for your city as well as the place that’s the farthest away yet with the most matches with your hometown.

I typed in “Toronto” and got this:

Clicking the “Shuffle your city” button took me to Antigua, Guatemala, which is twinned best with Slamanaca, Chile. A second click brought me to a comparison between Eli Tigre, Venezuela, and Guymas, Mexico. It’s cool to see what artists/songs have crossed over from nation to nation and continent to continent. It’s fun. Try it.