Apple has acquired the music-identification service Shazam for a reported $US400 ($A530 million). The sale is said to be Apple’s biggest ever acquisition.

Shazam is an app that can recognise a song after just hearing a few bars and will complement Apple’s iTunes.

In 2016, London-based Shazam said its app had surpassed the billion mobile download mark. In addition to identifying music, Shazam also directs users to streaming apps like Spotify, Deezer, Apple Music and Google Play Music.

Apple have been coy on the exact details of the sale, but said in a statement: “Apple Music and Shazam are a natural fit, sharing a passion for music discovery and delivering great music experiences to our users.

“We have exciting plans in store, and we look forward to combining with Shazam upon approval of today’s agreement.”