The EU has cleared Apple's takeover of music recognition app Shazam.

UK-based developer Shazam's main service 'listens' to a song being played and attempts to identify it.

Last year, Apple - whose Apple Music service is the EU's second largest music streaming service, behind Spotify - announced its plans to acquire the UK-based company for $400 million.

A number of member states - Austria, France, Iceland, Italy, Norway, Spain and Sweden - had asked the European Commission to look into the proposed acquisition.

Investigators were asked to investigate whether Apple would obtain access to commercially sensitive data about customers of its streaming competitors through acquiring Shazam, as well as whether competitors would be harmed if Apple discontinued referrals from Shazam.

The investigation has now found that the merger would not "shut out" competing music streaming services, adding that Shazam has "limited importance" as an entry point for competitors.

Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager explained: "Data is key in the digital economy. We must therefore carefully review transactions which lead to the acquisition of important sets of data, including potentially commercially sensitive ones, to ensure they do not restrict competition.

"After thoroughly analysing Shazam's user and music data, we found that their acquisition by Apple would not reduce competition in the digital music streaming market."

Last year's $400 million price for Shazam marked a notable decline in value for a company which had once been valued at more than $1 billion.

It announced in 2016 that it had become a profitable business, 15 years after it was established.

An Apple spokesperson told The Verge last year that the company was "thrilled that Shazam and its talented team" would be joining the tech giant.