Chris Barton - Tech Speaker

Chris Barton is an entrepreneur and inventor best known for creating the music-recognition app Shazam. His idea came from a simple frustration: he wanted a way to instantly identify songs he heard, but no such technology existed. Determined to solve the problem, Barton set out to invent it himself.

 When Barton proposed identifying music through a mobile phone in the year 2000, experts from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stanford University told him the required pattern-recognition technology was impossible. Undeterred, he helped invent the necessary algorithms, built a powerful search engine, and created a massive music database. Shazam originally launched as a phone number users could dial, struggling for years until the arrival of the Apple App Store in 2008 allowed it to reach its full potential.

In 2018, Apple acquired Shazam for about $400 million. Today, the app has been downloaded over 2 billion times and is used monthly by more than 300 million people.

Barton has also worked with Google and Dropbox, holds 12 patents, and now leads his new AI startup, Guard, which detects drowning in swimming pools. His story inspires audiences to pursue ambitious ideas despite obstacles.

KEYNOTES
Tech Innovation - Bring Impossible Ideas to Life
Technology and AI are rapidly transforming what is possible in our world. In this talk, Chris encourages audiences to rethink assumptions, embrace bold ideas, and imagine new possibilities for the future. He shares the remarkable story behind Shazam and the obstacles he overcame to bring it to life

Creative Persistence - Overcome Obstacles with Imagination
Chris believes that a great idea alone is not enough—true innovation requires persistence and determination. Through his experiences, audiences gain new mindsets for overcoming setbacks and pushing beyond limitations. His message inspires people to persist, think differently, and pursue bold ideas that can shape the future

Entrepreneur Mindset - Build the Vision You See, but Others Don’t
A talk to inspire entrepreneurs to overcome obstacles and turn bold ideas into reality. Through the story of creating Shazam, he shares practical lessons on persistence, prioritisation, and persuading others to believe in a vision. Chris's talk highlights the creative problem-solving that helped transform an idea into a product used by billions.

Frictionless - Eliminate Effort to Unlock Explosive Growth
Chris explains that while simplicity is powerful, friction often prevents organisations from creating great products. Drawing on his experience building Shazam and working with Google and Dropbox, he shows how removing friction can drive innovation, improve experiences, and unlock growth for businesses and customers.