Popular music ID app Shazam has decided to call it quits on their hosted web app for Windows 10 on PC and Mobile.
Announced in October 2015 for Windows 10 the company boasted about how easy it was to make a 'hosted web app' for Windows 10 on the Microsoft blog later in February 2016.
Despite a few updates here and there, the app disappeared from the Store in early February and, as it turns out, was officially declared end-of-life on February 7, 2017, within the app's help area. While users can still download the app using a direct link, it won't show in a store search. Likewise, Shazam has removed all mentions of Windows Phone and PC versions of the app from their site's app section.
From the app help area:
Effective Feb. 7, 2017, we are sunsetting Shazam for Windows. However, anyone who previously downloaded and installed Shazam for Windows on their phone can continue to use the app and access all features.What happened to Shazam for Windows?It has been discontinued, and as of Feb. 7, 2017, will no longer be supported—nor will it appear in the Microsoft App Store as an available download.Can I still use Shazam for Windows on my phone if I previously downloaded it?Yes! Shazam will continue to work until or unless it becomes incompatible with a different version of Microsoft's operating system.Will there be any further updates to Shazam for Windows?No. The current Shazam for Windows is the final version.
No specific reason was given, but presumably, low user adoption was the driving factor. Curiously, the Shazam app for Windows 10 was never a native UWP one, but instead, like Amazon, relied on funneling website elements through an app-like experience. While it worked well enough, it was never as fully featured as iOS and Android.
Nevertheless, despite being the low-bar for an app adoption and usage was low enough not to warrant any further development, which is a troubling sign for Windows 10. Most of Shazam's usage likely comes from mobile (we never used it on the PC, where it makes less sense) and the lack of Windows phone market share likely hit it harder than expected. The app did have over 2,000 reviews, however, with a 4.5 out of 5 stars rating.
Windows 10 through its built in help-assistant Cortana does have a music ID feature built in making Shazam slightly redundant for many users as well. Indeed, using Cortana is often easier and faster, and that may have undercut the "need" for Shazam for some consumers.
The good news, if any, is that you can still download the app and it does work although Facebook login may be problematic.
