Buzz
Apple often keeps users within its ecosystem of seamless yet restricted applications. While this isn’t necessarily negative—I appreciate using my Apple Watch to unlock my Mac—it becomes frustrating when third-party apps or services, such as music streaming platforms or voice assistants, are limited. Shazam, Apple’s song identification tool, exemplifies this issue.
When Siri is asked to identify a song, it listens, identifies the track using Shazam, and provides a button to open it in Apple Music. This works well for Apple Music users but is inconvenient for those who prefer alternatives like Spotify or YouTube Music. Typically, iOS restricts opening these links in third-party apps. However, the iPhone automation community has devised a clever fix: the Quick Shazam shortcut, developed by user @ZXXII on RoutineHub.
Redirect Shazam to Spotify (or Other Streaming Services)
To prevent Shazam from consistently redirecting you to Apple Music, utilize Apple's Shortcuts app. Most iPhones come pre-installed with it, so begin by downloading the Quick Shazam shortcut and executing it on your device. As part of the setup, Quick Shazam will prompt you to select your preferred music platform from the available choices:
Spotify
Deezer
Tidal
iTunes
YouTube
YouTube Music
Pandora
SoundCloud
If you decide to cancel a subscription later, there's no need to stress, as you can easily update your selection at any time. For quicker access, I suggest adding the shortcut to your Home Screen. Simply open the Shortcuts app, press and hold the Quick Shazam icon, then select Share followed by Add to Home Screen. This will allow it to function like a regular app.
Once set up, just tap the shortcut's icon whenever you need it. It will automatically launch Shazam and begin listening for a song. After identifying the track, a Shazam pop-up will briefly display an Apple Music button. Ignore this, as the shortcut will close the pop-up and direct you to the song on your chosen music streaming platform.
