Chris Barton and the Birth of Shazam
Chris Barton wanted a simple thing: to identify a song he heard anywhere. When no solution existed, he decided to invent one. That idea became Shazam. At the time, experts from leading universities insisted the technology required to recognize music patterns simply could not be built. Chris ignored the verdict.
Creating Shazam meant inventing entirely new technology, building a supercomputer-like search engine from scratch, and assembling the world’s largest music database. All of this had to function on extremely limited mobile phones, years before smartphones or app stores existed. Shazam launched in 2000 as a phone number users dialed, and for six long years the company struggled to survive. It was only with the launch of the App Store in 2008 that Shazam could finally unleash its full potential.
Today, Shazam has surpassed two billion downloads, identifies tens of billions of songs, and is used by more than 300 million people each month. Its acquisition by Apple marked it as one of the company’s most significant purchases and cemented Shazam’s place in technology history.
Turning Obstacles into Superpowers
Chris’s story is not just about technology, but about perspective. Raised by a French mother and British father who were both university professors, academics were unexpectedly difficult for him. Later in life, Chris discovered he had undiagnosed dyslexia. Rather than seeing this as a limitation, he learned to embrace it as a strength.
Chris believes dyslexia shaped the way he thinks, helping him see patterns, simplify complexity, and imagine solutions others overlook. On stage, he shares how reframing personal challenges can unlock creativity and resilience, offering audiences a powerful new way to think about their own obstacles.
Inside Google, Dropbox, and the Startup World
Beyond Shazam, Chris has played key roles inside some of the most influential technology companies in the world. As a founding member of Google’s Android Partnerships team, he created the mobile operator partnership framework that helped Android scale globally. He later joined Dropbox as one of its first 100 employees, leading carrier partnerships during its formative years.
Chris is a three-time startup founder and an active advisor and investor across a wide range of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence for heart health and inflammatory disease therapeutics. He holds twelve patents, including one embedded within the Google search algorithm, underscoring his lasting impact on the tech ecosystem.
Guard, AI, and What Comes Next
Today, Chris is building his third startup, Guard, an artificial intelligence system designed to detect drowning in swimming pools. The goal is to use AI to solve a problem that has never been effectively addressed before, once again applying technology to save lives and make the impossible possible.
Chris also teaches innovation and entrepreneurship across four online universities, sharing real-world lessons from decades at the forefront of technology and product creation.
Book Chris Barton for Your Event
When you book Chris Barton for your event, you bring audiences a rare combination of visionary thinking and hard-earned practical insight. His talks explore innovation, persistence, entrepreneurship, and the art of removing friction to create breakthrough products.
Chris delivers firsthand stories from the early days of Shazam, Google, and Dropbox, blending humor, honesty, and inspiration. He gives leaders and teams a clear framework for turning bold ideas into reality, even when experts say it can’t be done.
Whether speaking to executives, entrepreneurs, or creative teams, Chris Barton leaves audiences energized, motivated, and ready to take action. His message is clear: magic is not accidental, it is built through belief, persistence, and the courage to challenge what everyone else accepts.
