EXCLUSIVE: Shazam announces Australian expansion of ‘Next To Know’ platform

TMN can today reveal Shazam’s trending artist platform ‘Next To Know’ is expanding to Australia and several other countries including New Zealand, Canada, Ireland and the UK.

First launching in the US in December 2017, ‘Next To Know’ uses Shazam’s proprietary data to highlight a select group of four artists each month who are trending and headed for success.

Selected artists are featured on Shazam’s app and dedicated social channels, with sponsorship available for brands looking to connect with emerging artists. 

“A Shazam is a strong signal that a music fan loves a song and is proactively looking for more information,” said Julian Marshall, Shazam global head of content. In previous years, our data has helped highlight household names way ahead of them breaking into the mainstream.

"However, we’ve seen a change in how quickly an artist can break and we want to reflect that, too. That’s why, every month, we will update ‘Next To Know’ with four artists who are about to break out.”

Shazam classifies ‘Next To Know’ artists in three categories. ‘Watch’ denotes early signs of growth potential, while ‘Trending’ artists display evidence of sustained growth. Artists classified as ‘Hot’ demonstrate rapid chart movement and a substantial level of user engagement.

TMN can also reveal the four ‘Next To Know’ artists highlighted for the month of March.  

Bazzi

With a personal shout out from Taylor Swift and his debut album well on the way, Bazzi’s name is rapidly growing. Breakthrough single ’Mine’ topped the Shazam Australia chart last week and is peaking at #15 on the TMN Hot 100.   

Barns Courtney

Barns Courtney first cropped up in 2015 when ’Glitter & Gold’ and ’Fire’ were heard in big movies and TV shows. Since then, the Englishman has opened for some big acts including Ed Sheeran, Blur and The Who.  

Jorja Smith

Jorja Smith is lighting up the UK urban scene. At only 20 years of age, she’s already collaborated with Drake on his latest album More Life. The starlet also appears on the Kendrick Lamar-curated Black Panther soundtrack.  

Lil Skies

Following his recent stint on tour with Lil Uzi Vert, Lil Skies dropped his first official mixtape, Life Of A Dark Rose. It’s not his first taste of recording, however, having confessed to tracking his earliest beats at the age of four.