A fresh way to discover trending music has just dropped. Apple Music’s new Viral Chart is here, and it’s fueled by the power of Shazam.
The Shazam + Apple Music Evolution
Back in 2018, Apple made a smart move by acquiring Shazam, the app most of us have used at least once to identify a song playing in a cafe, on TV, or at a party. Since then, Apple has gradually brought Shazam’s music-recognition magic into the Apple Music experience. Now, it’s finally doing something that feels like a natural next step: turning Shazam’s real-time data into a curated playlist.
Introducing the Viral Chart Playlist
The new Viral Chart is exactly what it sounds like, a constantly updating playlist of the most Shazamed songs around the world. Every 24 hours, Apple Music refreshes the list, serving up the top 50 tracks that users are actively searching for using Shazam.
Think of it as a sonic snapshot of what people are obsessively trying to identify right now.
More Than Just TikTok Trends
Here’s what sets the Viral Chart apart: it’s not just about viral TikTok sounds or influencer-driven hype. Apple describes it as a way to track the full spectrum of songs going viral, whether it’s a sleeper hit from a streaming series, a throwback anthem popping off at sports games, or an international track breaking borders. If people are Shazaming it, it’s showing up here.
Official Playlist Description (And Why It’s Cool)
Apple sums up the new playlist like this:
Forget everything you thought you knew about viral music. Shazam’s new Viral Chart playlist doesn’t just track TikTok hits—it captures the full spectrum of songs blowing up right now, whether through streaming, socials, TV placements, or that random 2004 banger suddenly resurfacing at bars and baseball games…”
Translation? This playlist is part pop culture radar, part musical time capsule. And it updates daily, which makes it a must-follow for anyone trying to stay on top of what’s heating up.
Related: Apple Launches ‘Snapshot’ Hub Highlighting Celebs Across Music, TV, and Podcasts
Where to Find It
You can check out the Viral Chart directly in the Apple Music app (just search “Viral Chart”), or through this link if you’re browsing on the web.
This feels like a long-overdue move and a perfect example of what Apple Music can offer that others can’t. By tapping into the massive amount of song identification data that Shazam collects, Apple Music now has a uniquely organic way of tracking real-time music trends.
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