Method and system for time-shortening songs

• US 7,473,839 B2
• Filed: 03/24/2006
• Issued: 01/06/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Reel George Productions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Reel George Productions, Inc.
• Inventors: Gimarc, George
• Primary Examiner(s): Warren; David S.
• Application Number:
  US11/389,486
• Publication Number:
  US 20060272480A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,019 Days
• Field of Search: 846/00, 846/01, 846/09, 846/46, 846/49, 700/94, 434/308, 434/319, 708/172, 704/500, 704/503
• US Class Current: 84/601
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0264 based upon schedule
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0272 Period of advertisement exposure
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0025 Automatic or semi-automatic music composition, e.g. producing random music, applying rules from music theory or modifying a musical piece automatically producing a series of tones G10H1/26
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/031 Musical analysis, i.e. isolation, extraction or identification of musical elements or musical parameters from a raw acoustic signal or from an encoded audio signal neural networks for electrophonic musical instruments or musical processing G10H2250/311
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/131 Morphing, i.e. transformation of a musical piece into a new different one, e.g. remix
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/091 Info, i.e. juxtaposition of unrelated auxiliary information or commercial messages with or between music files metadata G10H2240/075
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/131 Library retrieval, i.e. searching a database or selecting a specific musical piece, segment, pattern, rule or parameter set

Abstract

A method and system for time-shortening one or more songs to generate time-shortened versions of the one or more songs are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a song editor time-shortens one or more songs and provides the time-shortened versions to a music provider. The music provider can then distribute one or more of the time-shortened songs to one or more listeners. Alternatively, in another embodiment, a song editor enables a music provider to time-shorten one or more songs. The song editor can enable the music provider by providing the music provider a procedure to time-shorten a song, where the song is provided by the song editor or is obtained separately by the music provider. The music provider can then apply the supplied procedure to the song to generate a time-shortened vision. Alternatively, the song editor can enable the music provider by providing one or more characteristics of a song selected for time-shortening. These characteristics can be provided to the music provider as identifiers embedded in the data representative of the song or as identifiers provided separately, such as in a table. The music provider can then use the supplied characteristics to time-shorten the song according to a procedure available to the music provider. Various embodiments of the present invention can be performed manually or by using an automated process, such as a software application executed by a computer.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving first data representative of a first song;

analyzing the first song to determine a plurality of song portions of the first song, each of the plurality of song portions comprising one selected from a group consisting of;

an intro;

an outro;

a verse;

a chorus;

a bridge;

or an interlude;

generating second data comprising a plurality of identifiers associated with the plurality of song portions, each identifier representing at least one characteristic of a corresponding song portion, the at least one characteristic comprising a familiarity weight representative of an expected familiarity of the corresponding song portion to a listener; and

storing the first data and the second data at a storage device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the characteristic of a corresponding song portion comprises one selected from a group consisting of:

a characteristic weight associated with the song portion;

a tempo of the song portion;

a song portion type;

or a length of the portion.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein storing the first data and the second data at a storage device comprises embedding the second data within the first data at the storage device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the storage device comprises a portable storage device selected from a group consisting of:

a compact disc (CD);

a digital versatile disc (DVD);

or a magnetic tape.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing the storage device to a music provider;

generating, at the music provider, third data representative of a second song based on the first data and the second data, the second song comprising a first time-shortened version of the first song having fewer than the plurality of song portions; and

providing the second song to at least one listener based on the third data.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

generating, at the music provider, fourth data representative of a third song based on the first data and the second data, the third song comprising a second time-shortened version of the first song having fewer than the plurality of song portions, the second time-shortened version different than the first time-shortened version of the first song.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein generating the third data representative of the second song comprises:

determining a song portion of the plurality of song portions to be removed;

determining data of the first data associated with the song portion to be removed based on the plurality of identifiers; and

removing the identified data from the first data to generate the third data.

8. An apparatus comprising:

a storage device embodying a set of data, the set of data comprising;

first data representative of a first song, the first song comprising a plurality of song portions, each of the plurality of song portions comprising one selected from a group consisting of;

an intro;

an outro;

a verse;

a chorus;

a bridge;

or an interlude; and

second data comprising a plurality of identifiers associated with the plurality of song portions, each identifier representing at least one characteristic of a corresponding song portion, the at least one characteristic comprising a familiarity weight representative of an expected familiarity of the corresponding song portion to a listener.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the characteristic of a corresponding song portion comprises one selected from a group consisting of:

a characteristic weight associated with the song portion;

a tempo of the song portion;

a song portion type;

or a length of the portion.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the second data is embedded within the first data at the storage device.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the storage device comprises a portable storage device selected from a group consisting of:

a compact disc (CD);

a digital versatile disc (DVD);

or a magnetic tape.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

an information handling machine coupled to the storage device, the information handling machine configured to;

access the first data and the second data from the storage device;

generate third data representative of a second song based on the first data and the second data, the second song comprising a time-shortened version of the first song having fewer than the plurality of song portions; and

provide the second song to at least one listener based on the third data.

13. A method comprising:

receiving, at a music provider, first data representative of a first song, the first song comprising a plurality of song portions, each of the plurality of song portions comprising one selected from a group consisting of;

an intro;

an outro;

a verse;

a chorus;

a bridge;

or an interlude;

receiving, at the music provider, second data comprising a plurality of identifiers associated with the plurality of song portions, each identifier representing at least one characteristic of a corresponding song portion, the at least one characteristic comprising a familiarity weight representative of an expected familiarity of the corresponding song portion to a listener;

generating, at the music provider, third data representative of a second song based on the first data and the second data, the second song comprising a first time-shortened version of the first song having fewer than the plurality of song portions; and

providing the second song to at least one listener based on the third data.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

generating, at the music provider, fourth data representative of a third song based on the first data and the second data, the third song comprising a second time-shortened version of the first song having fewer than the plurality of song portions, the second time-shortened version different than the first time-shortened version of the first song.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the characteristic of a corresponding song portion comprises one selected from a group consisting of:

a characteristic weight associated with the song portion;

a tempo of the song portion;

a song portion type;

or a length of the portion.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein receiving the second data comprises receiving a portable storage device embodying the second data, the portable storage device selected from a group consisting of:

a compact disc (CD);

a digital versatile disc (DVD);

or a magnetic tape.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the portable storage device further embodies the first data.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein receiving the second data comprises receiving an electronic transmission representative of the second data at an information handling machine of the music provider.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein generating the third data representative of the second song comprises:

determining a song portion of the plurality of song portions to be removed;

determining data of the first data associated with the song portion to be removed based on the plurality of identifiers; and

removing the identified data from the first data to generate the third data.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein determining a song portion of the plurality of song portions to be removed comprises:

receiving, at the music provider, a procedure to shorten the first song, the procedure identifying at least one song portion of the plurality of song portions of the first song to be removed; and

determining the song portion to be removed based on the procedure.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

determining the procedure from a plurality of procedures based on a song format represented by the plurality of song portions.