Facebook gets all contextual, can now recognise what you’re listening to

If you’re the kind of person who compulsively shares whatever they’re listening to or watching, you’ll probably welcome the latest addition to Facebook’s features list. The new feature, which works a lot like Shazam, allows you activate your microphone and identify what song is playing or what show or movie is on TV.

According to Facebook, once you’ve activated the feature, you’ll see an audio icon moving on the screen when you write a status update. If the feature finds a match, you can then choose to add the song, TV show or movie to your post.

As with any post, the social network says, you choose who can see it. You can also turn the feature off at any time by clicking the audio icon in the top right of the screen.

If you leave the feature on, you will see the audio icon move and attempt to detect a match when you’re writing a status update. No sound is stored and you’ll always get to choose whether you post to your friends.

If you share music, your friends can see a 30-second preview of the song. For TV shows, the story in News Feed will highlight the specific season and episode you’re watching, so you can avoid any spoilers and join in conversations with your friends after you’ve caught up.

Facebook says the feature will be available on Android and iOS in the US in the coming weeks, although it hasn’t given any indication of when it might roll out to other markets.

A New, Optional Way to Share and Discover Music, TV and Movies from Facebook on Vimeo.