System and method for online multi-media discovery and promotion

• US 20060224971A1
• Filed: 03/31/2006
• Published: 10/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Benjimin Chobot, Erik Chelstad, Jeffrey Davis, Matthew Paulin
• Original Assignee: Benjimin Chobot, Erik Chelstad, Jeffrey Davis, Matthew Paulin
• Inventors: Davis, Jeffrey, Chelstad, Erik, Chobot, Benjimin, Paulin, Matthew
• Application Number:
  US11/395,442
• Publication Number:
  US 20060224971A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/758
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

The present invention concerns a system and method for facilitating discovery and promotion of musical works via an electronic network. Broadly, the method comprises the steps of receiving the musical works from artists; establishing a virtual room; allowing a user to enter the virtual room and select one or more of the musical works to play; and allowing the user to chat with a second user within the virtual room. To this broad idea can be added, as desired, any one or more of a large number of enhancement features that further facilitate the discovery and promotion of the works.

Claims

1. A method of facilitating discovery and promotion of musical works via an electronic network, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving and storing the musical works;

(b) establishing a virtual room;

(c) allowing a user to enter the virtual room and select one or more of the musical works to play; and

(d) allowing the user to chat with a second user within the virtual room.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1, further including the step of assigning the user a role within the room, wherein the role defines a set of abilities of the user with respect to the room.

3. The method as set forth in claim 1, further including the step of allowing the user to restrict access to the room by the second user.

4. The method as set forth in claim 1, further including the step of establishing a queue for the one or more user-selected musical works, wherein the one or more user-selected musical works are played substantially in the order in which they appear in the queue.

5. The method as set forth in claim 4, further including the step of allowing the user to spend virtual money to change the order in which the one or more user-selected musical works appear in the queue.

6. The method as set forth in claim 4, further including the step of substantially automatically selecting one or more musical works for the queue, wherein the substantially automatically selected one or more musical works are selected based upon a substantial similarity with the musical works previously played in the room.

7. The method as set forth in claim 4, wherein the one or more substantially automatically selected musical works appear at the end of the queue.

8. The method as set forth in claim 4, further including the step of allowing the user to attempt to prevent a particular musical work appearing in the queue from playing by initiating a vote by the user and the second user.

9. The method as set forth in claim 1, further including the step of allowing the user to establish and maintain a list of one or more favored musical works, and to rate the one or more favored musical works on a pre-established scale.

10. The method as set forth in claim 9, further including the step of substantially automatically identifying for the user substantially similar musical works based upon the ratings of the one or more favored musical works.

11. The method as set forth in claim 1, further including the step of allowing the user to designate the second user as a friend, wherein the friend has one or more abilities with respect to the user that other users do not have.

12. The method as set forth in claim 1, further including the step of providing a virtual map of a virtual world including a plurality of rooms, wherein the plurality of rooms includes the room, and wherein the virtual map facilitates the user navigating the virtual world to find the room.

13. The method as set forth in claim 1, further including the step of allowing the user to register as a fan of an artist that created one or more of the musical works.

14. The method as set forth in claim 13, further including the step of allowing the artist to access demographic information about the fan.

15. The method as set forth in claim 1, further including the step of allowing the user to arrange one or more of the musical works into a collection.

17. The method as set forth in claim 1, further including the step of allowing the user to establish and maintain a list of one or more of the musical works which reflect a mood of the user.

18. The method as set forth in claim 1, further including the step of measuring a volume level of the musical work being played by the user.

16. The method as set forth in claim 16, further including the steps of—

allowing the user to arrange the collection;

allowing the user to identify a recipient;

packaging the collection on a suitable medium; and

sending the medium to the identified recipient.

19. A method of facilitating discovery and promotion of musical works via an electronic network, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving and storing the musical works;

(b) establishing a virtual room;

(c) allowing a user and a second user to enter the virtual room and select one or more of the musical works to play;

(d) allowing the user to chat with a second user within the virtual room;

(e) establishing a queue for the one or more user-selected musical works, wherein the one or more user-selected musical works are played substantially in the order in which they appear in the queue;

(f) allowing the user to spend virtual money to change the order in which the one or more user-selected musical works appear in the queue;

(g) substantially automatically selecting one or more musical works for the queue, wherein the one or more substantially automatically selected musical works are selected based upon a substantial similarity with the musical works previously played in the room, wherein the one or more substantially automatically selected musical works appear at the end of the queue; and

(h) allowing the user to attempt to prevent a particular musical work appearing in the queue from playing by initiating a vote by the user and the second user.

20. A method of facilitating discovery and promotion of musical works via an electronic network, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving and storing the musical works;

(b) establishing a virtual room;

(c) allowing a user to enter the virtual room and select one or more of the musical works to play;

(d) allowing the user to arrange one or more of the musical works into a collection;

(e) allowing the user to identify a recipient;

(f) packaging the collection on a suitable medium; and

(g) sending the medium to the identified recipient.