Written by the co-founder and first CEO of Shazam, the music identification app, this is the inside story of how an “impossible” idea became a global phenomenon. Moneyball meets Grit, this is a story of inspiration and perseverance that we think will have wide appeal.
SHAZAM: The Quest to Bring an Impossible Idea to Life
by Chris Barton
St. Martin’s Press, Winter 2028
Today, Shazam is one of the most iconic and widely used apps in the world, with a brand name so recognizable that it has become a verb. But what few people know is that it was invented before smartphones existed. Chris dreamed up Shazam in 1999, when people were still buying CDs and carrying around portable CD players with wired headsets. There was no Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and certainly no App Store. The closest thing to streaming music was the illegal sharing of digital files on platforms like Napster. There was no Facebook, Instagram, or even Myspace. Chris’s idea, that anyone, anywhere, could use their phone to identify a song playing in the background, sounded like science fiction. More than 100 experts told him it couldn’t be done, but Chris refused to give up. Instead, he assembled a dream team of brilliant minds—engineers, scientists, and business thinkers—who shared his vision (after some persuasion). United by a shared sense of purpose and determination, they set out to build the impossible from scratch. Together, they would develop the technology that would power the world’s first AI-driven consumer tool, years before anyone had even heard the word “app.” What followed was an eighteen-year odyssey marked by near-bankruptcy, groundbreaking innovation, sabotage, fierce competition with behemoths like Google and Sony, and bitter internal battles among team members. Through every setback and betrayal, Chris never gave up on his vision, and he continued to fight to keep Shazam on course. In the end, the idea that no one thought could work became a global phenomenon. This is more than a tech success story. It’s a deeply human, often emotional narrative about vision, grit, and the power of believing in the impossible.
This story will appeal to music lovers, business book readers, or anyone who likes a narrative about overcoming odds and finding success.
Chris Barton is the original co-founder and first CEO of Shazam, which he conceived the idea of as an MBA student at U.C. Berkeley. He was also a founding member of Google’s mobile partnerships team and later joined Dropbox as one of its first 100 employees. Barton has an active speaking platform, delivering keynote speeches to audiences all around the world.
Whether you’re dealing with constant demands, the pressure to perform, or the stress of adapting to rapid changes, the workplace is often where you’re tested the most mentally and emotionally. As psychotherapist, speaker, and podcast host Amy Morin discovered, sharpening your mental strength is the key to not only tackling workplace challenges but taking your performance to the next level. The Mental Strength Playbook is specifically designed to help you thrive professionally, with 50 scientifically proven plays you can use right now.
In this book, I take you on a journey back to yourself; to your body, your feelings, your inner sea.