business leader
business trends
CEO
consumer trends
customer experience
digitalization
Founder
Future Trends
innovation
invención
Startup
strategic planning
Technological disruption
Chris Barton is the founder and first CEO of Shazam Entertainment Limited, the groundbreaking company that launched the world’s first music recognition service. Barton, along with three co-founders, took Shazam from concept to a reality in 1999, creating a pattern recognition technology that many said was impossible to achieve. Shazam, which reached over a billion downloads before being acquired by Apple in 2018, transformed how people interact with music on their devices. In addition to his role at Shazam, Barton has worked at Google and Dropbox, where he continued to innovate in the mobile technology space.
Chris Barton co-founded Shazam in 1999 with the vision of enabling people to identify songs using their phones. In its early years, the company faced significant technological and financial challenges, including creating a database of millions of songs’ digital fingerprints and developing recognition algorithms despite the technological limitations of the time. Since its market launch in 2002, Shazam gained traction, eventually reaching over a billion downloads. Apple acquired Shazam in 2018 in one of its largest acquisitions.
Throughout his career, Barton also worked at Google, where he led business development for Android in North America, and at Dropbox, managing strategic partnerships with mobile operators. He is now an advisor to startups and a sought-after speaker, sharing his expertise in building successful startups and developing disruptive products.
Chris Barton’s conferences are inspiring and practical, packed with actionable insights from the creation of Shazam to his work in major tech companies. Through his story of persistence and overcoming challenges, Barton motivates audiences to challenge the impossible and innovate. His talks cover resilience, disruptive thinking, and business strategies, providing valuable tools for entrepreneurs, technologists, and business leaders. With a dynamic, experience-driven approach, Barton’s conferences offer a roadmap for those looking to turn their ideas into revolutionary solutions.
Chris Barton recounts the challenges he faced to make Shazam a reality, from inventing a disruptive technology to overcoming technical and financial obstacles. This talk offers lessons on persistence, resilience, and the importance of believing in a vision when everyone says it’s impossible.
Before smartphones and voice assistants, Shazam tackled the challenge of identifying songs in noisy environments. In this conference, Barton shares how he overcame these barriers, inspiring attendees to find creative solutions to technical challenges. Ideal for entrepreneurs and innovation teams.
Barton explores how to create innovative products that delight customers and deliver value, using Shazam’s story as an example of how advanced technology can offer a “magical” experience for users. An inspiring talk for product development and marketing teams.
In this talk, Barton discusses the importance of choosing the “right obsession” to build a successful career or company. He shares his experiences with Shazam, Google, and Dropbox, explaining how a clear and passionate focus can drive success in any industry.
If you’re looking for an inspiring and practical talk on disruptive innovation, perseverance, and building iconic products, you can book Chris Barton through Thinking Heads. As the founder of Shazam and an expert in digital transformation, Chris offers a unique perspective on challenging the impossible and creating products that resonate with the public. Contact Thinking Heads today for more information and to secure his participation in your next event.
View profile
Book Speaker
View profile
Book Speaker
View profile
Book Speaker
View profile
Book Speaker
View profile
Book Speaker
View profile
Book Speaker
View profile
Book Speaker
View profile
Book Speaker
View profile
Book Speaker
View profile
Book Speaker
View profile
Book Speaker
View profile
Book Speaker
View profile
Book Speaker
View profile
Book Speaker
View profile
Book Speaker
View profile
Book Speaker
View profile
Book Speaker
View profile
Book Speaker
View profile
Book Speaker
View profile
Book Speaker
View profile
Book Speaker
View profile
Book Speaker
View profile
Book Speaker
View profile
Book Speaker
View profile
Book Speaker
View profile
Book Speaker
View profile
Book Speaker
View profile
Book Speaker
View profile
Book Speaker
View profile
Book Speaker
View profile
Book Speaker
View profile
Book Speaker
View profile
Book Speaker
View profile
Book Speaker
View profile
Book Speaker
View profile
Book Speaker
View profile
Book Speaker
View profile
Book Speaker
View profile
Book Speaker
View profile
Book Speaker
View profile
Book Speaker
View profile
Book Speaker
View profile
Book Speaker
View profile
Book Speaker
View profile
Book Speaker
View profile
Book Speaker
Contact us
MADRID
+(34) 91 310 77 40
MIAMI
+1 (305) 424 13 20
Seoul
© Thinking Heads, 2025
MADRID
+(34) 91 310 77 40
+(34) 91 310 77 40
MIAMI
+1 (305) 424 13 20
SEOUL
+(34) 91 310 77 40