
Chris Barton
Founder and Creator of Shazam Shazam is Apple’s 6th largest acquisition, with over 2 billion downloads Three-time Startup Founder and advisor/investor to startups First Employee at Google responsible for mobile Early Employee at Dropbox (one of the first 100 employees) Inventor of 12 Patents, including one used in the Google algorithm Instructor of Innovation & Entrepreneurship at four online universities
What Chris Barton's clients say
"Chris’s talk was wonderful on many levels. He connected great with the audience, provided clear practical examples from his business journey, and I really loved the cinematic experience. His keynote was the best I have experienced and we see from the feedback of the guests that they loved it too!"
"Chris’s story resonated deeply with everyone. Many were inspired not only by the insights he shared but also by his positive energy and emphasis on persistence. Personally, I enjoyed every minute of his talk and felt so inspired by his journey. Here are a few comments we received from participants: • ‘Thank you for inviting Chris Barton, the founder of Shazam! The presentation was sooooooo cool and inspiring.’ • ‘It was the best speech of the day. I felt inspired and motivated.’ • ‘Chris has such a shining personality! It was fantastic to have him speak here.’ Overall, his presentation was a highlight for us, and it made a lasting impression."
"The feedback on your session was phenomenal. You really were the high point of our event!"
"You stole the show! Your story is inspiring, thought provoking, and really quite emotional! Personally, I loved every second – professionally, I took a huge amount away and will grow from it. We couldn’t have wished for a better keynote"
"The best keynote I have ever seen! I loved how interactive it was!"
"Chris was amazing. So easy to work with, wonderful on stage. The clients and the audience loved him. Highly recommend!"
"Your presentation at PDW was not just a highlight—it was a visionary revelation. It left us inspired and eager to embrace the future. The way you blended your life and Shazam story with a masterclass in innovation weaved through it resonated deeply with our audience."
"The feedback was excellent! Thank you for being so flexible and supportive on site. The message really resonated with so many of our attendees."
"…feedback has been universally positive…several CEOs asked about possibly booking you for their own events…"
"Your presentation was beyond unbelievable! So inspiring!! I know you have made a difference in how my team, and I will be thinking going forward. Our customers and sponsors were all reeling from your journey! THANK YOU. Cheers to removing boulders with heart!!"
"Thank you, Chris. Your talk was so inspiring that it led to the first ever standing ovation at the Festival – and it was truly well-deserved. Thank you for being generous with your time meeting with some of our entrepreneurs and community members. We would love to welcome you back to Sharjah again soon."
"Yours was one of the top five keynotes I’ve ever seen."
"Best keynote in my eleven years at Sura."
"Your energy was so very encouraging and inspirational; you took a hugely successful big idea and made it relatable to a very diverse, cross-section of our colleagues who were present. You rock, Brother!"
"We LOVED working with Chris – he was incredibly easy going, which was appreciated. The presentation went so well, and he even got a standing ovation!"
"You were brilliant – everyone is talking about you! I cannot tell you the positive feedback we’ve had from your keynote! You made the event for us and were so great to work with."
"That was one of the best speeches I’ve ever heard – the story was incredibly compelling, the messages resonated, the format – slide/music/video – was engaging…just a total home run!"
"You inspired everyone in the audience. And receiving a standing ovation from a full crowd of entrepreneurs is the result of your astonishing history."
"You were the hit of the whole event. Really, it was a pleasure to host you and hope we meet again. You are a true inspiration. People asked me if you were as nice as you seemed on stage - oh boy, that was easy. You are a true gentleman and it was an honor to meet you."
"Your session this afternoon was incredible. I loved every second of it. As a music nerd, vinyl collector and techie, I found it fun and exciting along with being very creative and inspirational. In all honesty, you could and should triple your fee."
"The feedback from my customers was incredible! You nailed it!"
"It was so powerful. The tech guys today said your presentation is the best they have seen and they do all kinds of events and conferences all over Nashville. It was also so genuine, emotional. I think the audience felt incredibly connected to you and your story. A guy at lunch told me he cried at the end of your keynote today. Inspired tears are the best."
"Your presentation set the perfect tone for everything that followed. You opened people’s eyes to a new way of looking at solving the inevitable challenges of trying new things in business. That spirit of openness and discovery carried over to sessions throughout the conference. I’m certain people got more out of their time together as a result and that was a priority for us. Not only did you deliver a great keynote, but you were a true professional throughout the process; easy to work with, engaged directly with attendees and showed a genuine interest to learn about our industry and objectives."
"Your humor and thought-provoking content brought our keynote to life! Thank you for engaging our audience with insights and tools they can use right away to navigate the changes that are going on in the world of investing. People could really relate to the ups and downs you experienced on your journey in creating Shazam. The long line for selfies afterwards speaks for itself. You’re a great speaker with a very powerful and inspiring message!"
"Chris delivered a truly inspiring talk to almost 2000 King employees during our flagship event. It’s among the best we’ve ever had! We appreciate how Chris tailored the message for us, tied it to King’s mission of Making the World Playful, and left Kingsters feeling inspired and encouraged to truly believe in our ideas, seeking out ways to take them to the next level."
"What a message, Chris! We were eagerly anticipating your talk at our Boston conference and you absolutely delivered. You have such an engaging stage manner and your message was perfect for this audience, which puts a premium on actionable insights from real people who’ve accomplished unreal things! The magical Shazam app certainly falls in that category. Thank you for inspiring our people to look tough challenges in the eye and hit them head on."
"Your speech was not only thought-provoking but also relatable, and it gave the audience a sense of renewed motivation to push beyond limits and create something innovative… Your speech reminded us that setbacks are not the end but rather the beginning of greatness… Many thanks for being a beacon of inspiration and for all that you have done and continue to do to pave the way for young entrepreneurs."
"We recently had Chris Barton speak at our 40th anniversary celebration. He delivered what was by far the best one hour keynote that our clients and staff had ever seen. Chris was insightful, energetic, and entertaining speaker with thought-provoking ideas."
"Chris customized a powerful keynote that delivered significant value for Coca-Cola. His messages sparked action among our executives and inspired our bottler partners toward our goals. Chris's energy and enthusiasm really stands out. He is an inspiration with truly eye-opening insights and stories."
"Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant speaker! Chris delivered an inspiring and on point presentation tailored to over 7,000 Optus employees to launch our new Innovation strategy. To date, Chris's talk attracted the highest in real time attendance and engagement as compared to any other speaker we have had on this topic. Chris shed light on how innovation can be a big breakthrough, but it can also be an everyday improvement sharing practical examples from his time at Shazam and Google. The presentation balanced both the mindset that is required to drive a cultural shift for innovation as well as the process to bring innovative ideas to life. Chris delivered a compelling talk that generated talkability across the organization with leaders revisiting the recording later with their teams to help reinforce key messages. Powerful content delivered with an engaging story!"
"We invited Chris as our keynote speaker for two events that we held in Brazil and Mexico for Mercado Libre in the summer of 2022. We invited more than 60 CEO's and top executives to these exclusive “C-Club” events. Chris worked with us to understand the key objectives of these events and delivered a truly inspiring keynote speech that was customized for our goals. Our guests were thrilled! Chris' powerful messages and stories changed their thinking on innovation. Everyone was able to take away unique insights that they can apply day to day in both their organizations and personal lives. It was very important for us at Mercado Libre to work with someone who reflects our culture and Chris could not have been a better partner. He is a down to earth and humble person who dreams big and is always thinking about new ways to improve people's lives. At a personal level I can say that it was a huge pleasure to meet Chris."
"Chris embodies inspiration from head to toe. We loved his stories and insights on the core mindsets that lead to game-changing innovation. His delivery was fun, genuine and honest, both during his speech and as our “guest star” at my leadership team’s offsite dinner."
"Every single person loved your presentation. All day people were coming up to me. Loved that there was so much take away. People are still buzzing about your presentation days later. Thanks for making me look good?"
"Chris's keynote completely captivated our audience of 1700+ SAP customers, partners, and employees. His talk was truly entertaining and inspiring. Our audience's perception of entrepreneurial innovation was completely transformed."
"Chris delivered! He captivated the audience at our annual summer event. His firsthand stories as well as insights drawn from other companies were fascinating to our EO members that come from so many businesses. Chris left us with compelling lessons and a fresh perspective that will stick for years to come."
"A good speaker communicates but a great speaker connects. As an MC, applause usually signals the end of one speech and is my cue to get back on stage. Chris is a different breed of speaker - his story is so authentic and inspiring that he received multiple applause breaks throughout his speech. A particularly impressive feat especially given that he was addressing 5000+ predominantly German business professionals after they had already been wowed by President Obama earlier at that same event. I’ve been a professional Event MC and host to over 500 events around the world and I must say Chris is a truly gifted speaker and genuinely beautiful soul."
"Chris was an inspiring and sincere keynote speaker. His talk was very engaging … the audience was fascinated by his personal insights on entrepreneurship and business strategy. Very on point, with a convincing message!"
"Chris is a charismatic speaker who shared his inspiring story of how a seemingly impossible dream with unsurmountable obstacles eventually came to life. In a very personal and honest tone, Chris shared the many lessons learned from the challenges of creating Shazam – from the power of persuasion and convincing people to believe in their project to building credibility and sharing their passion. The overall message was very inspiring and uplifting and our audience at our UNLEASH show loved having him as a speaker!"
Available for
Languages:
- English
Chris Barton's 2025 biography
Meet Chris Barton
Chris Barton wanted a way to identify songs anywhere he heard them. There wasn’t one – so he invented an app called Shazam. Chris’s creation is nothing short of pure magic. Chris seeks to delight people by using technology to make seemingly impossible ideas come to life. Shazam is just one of them. It changed the way the world discovers music and laid the groundwork for the consumer AI industry we know today. In addition to creating Shazam, Chris holds twelve patents and played key roles in the early days of Google and Dropbox. Chris’s newest venture, Guard, aims to use AI to detect drowning in swimming pools – a never-before accomplished effort. In his speeches, Chris’s story and storytelling completely captivate audiences. He inspires people to make big things happen in their organizations – to create magic in defiance of the obstacles.
Chris grew up with a French mother and British father – both of whom were university professors. Academics were a struggle for him, and Chris would come to realize he had undiagnosed dyslexia. Chris flipped this challenge on its head and learned to embrace what he now calls his superpower. Chris believes that dyslexia has allowed him to overcome barriers to achieve his many accomplishments.
When Chris had the idea to identify music using a mobile phone, no technology existed to achieve his goal. He was told by Professors at MIT and Stanford that the necessary pattern recognition algorithm was impossible. Even after inventing a new technology that didn’t yet exist, he had to build a search engine supercomputer from scratch, create the world’s largest music database, and create a user experience on very basic mobile phones. Did Chris ever think the experts were right? “No way,” he says.
When Chris came up with the idea for Shazam in 2000, it was three years before iTunes and eight years before the App Store. Shazam launched as a phone number that you dialed, and the service struggled, teetering near bankruptcy for six years until the App Store launched in 2008, allowing Shazam to unleash its full potential on the world.
In 2018, Shazam was acquired by Apple for a reported $400 million, making it Apple’s 6th largest acquisition of all-time. Shazam has been downloaded over 2 billion times and is used each month by over 300 million people, making it one of the world’s most popular apps. It has become an integral part of our everyday lives, with its ability to instantly identify songs and provide a range of music features such as lyrics. Shazam has become a verb, and it has changed the way the world discovers music.
Chris has also played a key role in tech history as a founding member of Google’s Android Partnerships team where he created Android’s mobile operator partnership framework. He also spent four years at Dropbox where he led carrier partnerships and was one of the first 100 people at the company.
Holding 12 patents, including one found within the Google search algorithm, Chris has made significant contributions to the tech industry. He also invests in a wide range of start-ups, including artificial intelligence for heart health and inflammatory disease therapeutics.
Today, Chris spends much of his time building his third startup company, Guard, an artificial intelligence system that detects drowning in swimming pools.
When he has time, Chris enjoys speaking at events and sharing lessons learned from his experiences overcoming the impossible. He inspires people with firsthand stories that highlight key take-aways across technology innovation, persistence, removing friction, and entrepreneurship. Chris gives audiences a new framework for making big things happen. His truly inspirational story motivates them to take action.
Prior to his technology career, Chris was a strategy consultant and earned two master’s degrees from UC Berkeley and Cambridge University.
When he isn’t working or speaking, you can find Chris enjoying the outdoors and spending time with his son, Jude.
Chris Barton's 2025 talks & topics
BUILD THE VISION YOU SEE (BUT OTHERS DON’T)
BRING IMPOSSIBLE IDEAS TO LIFE
OVERCOME OBSTACLES WITH IMAGINATION
ELIMINATE EFFORT TO UNLOCK EXPLOSIVE GROWTH
Create your own Shazam magic
Disrupt Your Thinking. Defy Barriers. Inspire Delight.
From the moment Chris Barton dreamt up Shazam, he was told identifying songs out of thin air was impossible. His path from a dream to a $400 million acquisition by Apple is a story out of a Hollywood movie. Meanwhile, Shazam has racked up over two billion downloads! Chris’s story and insights give people the inspiration and tools to accomplish big things within their own organizations. Chris customizes the emphasis of this presentation for each individual audience. He introduces lessons learned from founding Shazam, as well as his pioneering involvement with Android at Google and mobile partnerships at Dropbox. Concepts like “creative persistence” and his Start from Zero methodology are new ways of thinking and overcoming barriers. Startups use these concepts to tackle insurmountable obstacles, and you should too. Make big things happen and create Shazam-like magic in defiance of all odds.
The format can be a presentation or moderated conversation. Chris can tailor an inspiring message on creativity, innovation, leadership, resilience, collaboration, and more. Audiences learn how to make big things happen by:
- Questioning the familiar to distill to the basic truths
- Overcoming barriers with creative persistence
- Remaining focused on core insights despite resistance
- Making things simple and friction-free
- Replacing “uninspiring” with “delightful” by connecting to emotions