Information processor and information processing method

Abstract

To provide an information processor capable of appropriately producing long music according to a desire of a related user while the user can easily post tracks.SOLUTION: An information processor 1 includes: an upper limit setting part 11 for setting upper limit time of a track; a track reception part 12 for receiving posting of the produced tracks from each of a plurality of users; a music production part 13 which produces music by connecting the plurality of posted tracks based on a derivative relation between the tracks; a consent confirmation part 14 which confirms with each of a plurality of related users who post a plurality of tracks having derivative relationship whether or not the user agrees to change upper limit time and create music longer than length before upper limit time changes. The upper limit setting part 11 sets upper limit time to first upper limit time at start time of music production and changes upper limit time to second upper limit time longer than first upper limit time when consent to production of long music is obtained from the plurality of related users.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information processing apparatus and an information processing method.

Background Art

[0002] A music production system for producing one piece of music by overlapping a plurality of tracks is known. In such a music production system, a user posts a track created by himself / herself on a predetermined website via the Internet or the like. For example, when user A posts a track, other users can listen to this track of user A. Further, other users consider producing a track to be overlaid on the track of user A. For example, user B produces and posts a track to be overlaid on the track of user A. Furthermore, user C, who has listened to the tracks of user A and user B overlaid on each other, produces and posts a track to be further overlaid on the two tracks. Then, user D performs a mixing operation on these tracks to complete them as one piece of music and releases the completed music.

[0003] As a related technique, Patent Document 1 discloses an Internet-based music production system in which composers and lyricists cooperate with each other on an operator's production management server, seek and complement each other in areas where they are lacking, and produce one completed piece of music. The music production system disclosed in Patent Document 1 notifies the other member when a registered work is downloaded by another member or when a work obtained by modifying the downloaded work is registered on the production management server.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In a music production system that creates one piece of music by overlaying a plurality of tracks as described above, in order to enable many users to easily submit tracks, there may be a limit on the length of the tracks that can be submitted. For example, by limiting the upper limit time of a track to a short time such as one minute, users can easily submit tracks. When the upper limit of a track is set within one minute, the master track produced in the mixing phase is also similarly limited to within one minute. For high-quality music, users may want to produce music with a longer performance time. However, when there is such a limit on the upper limit time, users cannot produce music in a long format (full length) exceeding one minute. In this case, it is also conceivable to simply change the upper limit of the track length in the mixing phase to produce a long piece of music, but it is unclear whether all the relevant users have the intention to produce long tracks. Therefore, cases may occur where the music cannot be completed.

[0006] In view of the above problems, an object of the present disclosure is to provide an information processing apparatus and an information processing method capable of appropriately producing a long piece of music according to the wishes of relevant users while enabling users to easily submit tracks.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] The information processing apparatus according to the present disclosure is an upper limit setting unit that sets an upper limit time for submitted tracks, a track reception unit that receives submissions of tracks produced according to the upper limit time from each of a plurality of users, a music production unit that produces music by connecting a plurality of submitted tracks based on the derivative relationship between the tracks, and a consent confirmation unit that confirms for each of a plurality of related users who have submitted a plurality of tracks in a derivative relationship whether to change the upper limit time and agree to produce a longer piece of music than before the change of the upper limit time. The upper limit setting unit sets the upper limit time to a first upper limit time at the start of music production, and changes the upper limit time to a second upper limit time longer than the first upper limit time when consent is obtained from the plurality of related users to produce the long music piece.

[0008] The information processing method according to the present disclosure is wherein an information processing apparatus performs an upper limit setting step of setting an upper limit time for a track to be posted, a track reception step of receiving submissions of tracks produced according to the upper limit time from each of a plurality of users, a music production step of producing a music piece by connecting a plurality of submitted tracks based on a derivative relationship between the tracks, and a consent confirmation step of confirming, for each of a plurality of related users who have submitted a plurality of tracks in a derivative relationship, whether to change the upper limit time and consent to produce a longer music piece than before the change of the upper limit time. In the upper limit setting step, the upper limit time is set to a first upper limit time at the start of music production, and when consent is obtained from the plurality of related users to produce the long music piece, the upper limit time is changed to a second upper limit time longer than the first upper limit time.

Advantages of the Invention

[0009] The information processing apparatus and the information processing method according to the present disclosure enable a user to easily submit a track, and enable an appropriate production of a long music piece according to the wishes of related users.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0010]

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Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same or corresponding elements are denoted by the same reference numerals. For the sake of clarity of explanation, duplicate explanations are omitted as necessary.

[0012] (Configuration and Outline of Music Production System 100) With reference to FIG. 1, the configuration and outline of the music production system 100 according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of the music production system 100. The music production system 100 includes an information processing apparatus 1 and a plurality of terminal devices 2. In FIG. 1, one information processing apparatus 1 and three terminal devices 2 are shown, but the number of the information processing apparatus 1 and the number of the terminal devices 2 are not limited to those shown. That is, the number of the information processing apparatus 1 may be any number of one or more, and the number of the terminal devices 2 may be any number of one or more.

[0013] The information processing device 1 and the plurality of terminal devices 2 are connected via a network N. The network N is a wireless or wired communication line. As the network N, for example, an Internet line, a mobile phone line, a wireless LAN (Local Area Network), a wired LAN, etc. may be used, and the type of communication is not limited. The information processing device 1 is, for example, a PC (Personal Computer), etc. The terminal device 2 is a terminal device used by a user. The terminal device 2 is, for example, a smartphone, a mobile phone terminal, a tablet terminal, a PC, etc.

[0014] The music production system 100 is a system capable of producing a music by overlaying tracks produced by a user. For example, the terminal device 2 transmits a track produced by the user to the information processing device 1 via a predetermined website publicly available to the user. For example, the terminal device 2 transmits a track to the information processing device 1 by posting the track on the website.

[0015] At the start of music production, the information processing device 1 sets the upper limit time of the track to be posted as the first upper limit time. The user produces a track so that the length of the track is within the first upper limit time and posts the produced track. For example, assume that the first upper limit time is set to 1 minute. In this case, the user produces a track within 1 minute.

[0016] The information processing device 1 accepts the posting of tracks produced according to the first upper limit time from each of a plurality of users, and produces a music by connecting a plurality of tracks based on the derivation relationship between the tracks. The information processing device 1 generates a tree diagram visually showing the process of producing the music, and causes the display unit provided in the terminal device 2 to display the generated tree diagram. The tree diagram includes at least a node and a branch as components. The node indicates a track produced by the user. The branch indicates a line segment connecting between nodes. Thereby, the branch indicates the derivation relationship between the tracks.

[0017] Hereinafter, when explaining two tracks in a derivative relationship, they may be referred to as the source track and the destination track, respectively. The source track is a track that was posted earlier than the destination track in the derivative relationship. Similarly, the destination track is a track that was posted later than the source track in the derivative relationship. The source track can also be said to be a track selected by the user who posted the destination track as an object to overlay the track. The source track may be in a derivative relationship with multiple destination tracks. Also, another track may be derived from the destination track. In this case, the destination track becomes the source track when viewed from the other track that is further derived.

[0018] When a track is posted, the information processing apparatus 1 generates a node indicating the posted track. Also, when a new track for overlaying the track is posted, the information processing apparatus 1 generates a node corresponding to the new track. The information processing apparatus 1 connects the newly generated node and the node that has been generated in advance with a branch. Thereby, the tree diagram represents that the track posted in advance (source track) and the newly generated track (destination track) are in a derivative relationship.

[0019] Each time a track is posted, the information processing apparatus 1 repeats the above process to increase the nodes and branches. When a predetermined stage is reached, the information processing apparatus 1 completes one piece of music using a plurality of tracks and releases the completed music. By doing so, the tree diagram can represent the process of producing music by multiple users. Hereinafter, each user who posted a plurality of tracks in a derivative relationship will be referred to as a "related user" for explanation.

[0020] In addition, the information processing device 1 checks with each of a plurality of related users who have posted a plurality of tracks in a derivative relationship whether they agree to change the set upper limit time to a second upper limit time and create a longer piece of music than before the change of the upper limit time. The second upper limit time is longer than the first upper limit time. For example, assume that the second upper limit time is 5 minutes. The information processing device 1 checks with each of the plurality of related users whether they agree to change the upper limit time from 1 minute to 5 minutes and create a piece of music within 5 minutes. Each related user agrees to create a piece of music within 5 minutes if they wish to create a longer piece of music.

[0021] When consent to create a longer piece of music is obtained from each of the plurality of related users, the information processing device 1 changes the upper limit time from the first upper limit time to the second upper limit time. In the above example, the information processing device 1 changes the upper limit time from 1 minute to 5 minutes. As a result, the related users can post tracks with an upper limit time of 5 minutes.

[0022] The information processing device 1 accepts submissions of tracks created within 5 minutes from each of the plurality of related users. The information processing device 1 uses the tracks created within 5 minutes instead of the tracks created within 1 minute to create a piece of music. As a result, the information processing device 1 can create a longer piece of music. If consent is not obtained, the information processing device 1 does not change the upper limit time from the first upper limit time. By doing so, the information processing device 1 can appropriately create a longer piece of music while respecting the will of the plurality of related users.

[0023] (Configuration of the information processing device 1) Subsequently, with reference to FIG. 2, the configuration of the information processing device 1 will be described. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the information processing device 1. The information processing device 1 includes an upper limit setting unit 11, a track reception unit 12, a music production unit 13, a consent confirmation unit 14, a generation unit 15, a display control unit 16, a communication unit 17, and a storage unit 19.

[0024] The information processing apparatus 1 includes a processor and a memory as a configuration not shown in the drawings. A storage unit 19 configured by a storage device stores a computer program in which the processing according to the present embodiment is implemented. The processor can cause the computer program to be read from the storage device into the memory and execute the computer program. Thereby, the processor realizes the functions of the upper limit setting unit 11, the track reception unit 12, the music production unit 13, the consent confirmation unit 14, the generation unit 15, and the display control unit 16. Each of the upper limit setting unit 11, the track reception unit 12, the music production unit 13, the consent confirmation unit 14, the generation unit 15, and the display control unit 16 may be realized by dedicated hardware.

[0025] Further, some or all of the components of the information processing apparatus 1 may be realized by general-purpose or dedicated circuitry, a processor, etc. or a combination thereof. These may be constituted by a single chip or may be constituted by a plurality of chips connected via a bus. Some or all of the components of each device may be realized by a combination of the above-described circuitry, etc. and a program. Also, as the processor, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), a quantum processor (quantum computer control chip), etc. can be used.

[0026] Also, when some or all of the components of the information processing apparatus 1 are realized by a plurality of information processing apparatuses, circuitry, etc., the plurality of information processing apparatuses, circuitry, etc. may be centrally arranged or may be distributed. For example, the information processing apparatus, circuitry, etc. may be realized in a form in which each is connected via a communication network, such as a client-server system or a cloud computing system. Also, the function of the information processing apparatus 1 may be provided in the form of SaaS (Software as a Service).

[0027] The upper limit setting unit 11 sets the upper limit time of the submitted track. For example, at the start of music production, the upper limit setting unit 11 sets the upper limit time to the first upper limit time. The start of music production is the timing before accepting submissions of new tracks that have no derivative relationship with other tracks. The upper limit setting unit 11 may set a fixed time in advance as the first upper limit time, or may set a time according to user attributes such as the user's age and track submission experience. The user attributes may include information such as the user's age and track submission experience.

[0028] The first upper limit time is, for example, 1 minute. However, it is not limited to this. The first upper limit time may be a short time that allows users to easily produce tracks. The upper limit setting unit 11 may calculate the relationship between the track length and the number of track submissions from past submission histories, and set the first upper limit time based on the calculation results. For example, the upper limit setting unit 11 may calculate the length of the track with the most submissions and set the calculated length as the first upper limit time.

[0029] The setting of the upper limit time performed by the upper limit setting unit 11 includes changing the upper limit time. When consent is obtained from a plurality of related users to produce a long music piece, the upper limit setting unit 11 changes the upper limit time to a second upper limit time that is longer than the first upper limit time. The second upper limit time is, for example, 5 minutes, but is not limited to this. The second upper limit time may be any time longer than the first upper limit time. The upper limit setting unit 11 may confirm the wishes of a plurality of related users regarding the second upper limit time and set the second upper limit time according to the wishes.

[0030] The track reception unit 12 receives submissions of tracks produced according to the upper limit time from each of a plurality of users. When the upper limit time is set to the first upper limit time, the track reception unit 12 receives submissions of tracks produced to a length within the first upper limit time. For example, when the first upper limit time is 1 minute, the track reception unit 12 receives submissions of tracks produced to a length within 1 minute.

[0031] Also, when the upper limit time is changed to the second upper limit time, the track reception unit 12 receives submissions of tracks produced according to the second upper limit time from each of a plurality of related users. For example, when the upper limit time is changed from 1 minute to 5 minutes, the track reception unit 12 receives submissions of tracks produced to a length within 5 minutes. At this time, when a track longer than the first upper limit time is submitted, the track reception unit 12 may not accept the submission of the track, or may accept the submission of a track longer than the first upper limit time as long as it is within a predetermined range width from the first upper limit time. The same applies to the second upper limit time.

[0032] The music production unit 13 produces music by connecting a plurality of submitted tracks based on the derivative relationship between the tracks. Specifically, the music production unit 13 produces music by connecting a source track and a destination track derived from the source track. When a plurality of destination tracks are derived from one source track, the music production unit 13 produces music by connecting the source track and each of the plurality of destination tracks. By successively connecting the derived tracks, the music production unit 13 can produce music such that a plurality of tracks in a derivative relationship are strung together.

[0033] Also, when the upper limit time is changed from the first upper limit time to the second upper limit time, the music production unit 13 produces music using tracks produced according to the second upper limit time instead of tracks produced according to the first upper limit time. For example, when the upper limit time is changed from 1 minute to 5 minutes, the music production unit 13 produces music using tracks produced to a length within 5 minutes instead of tracks produced to a length within 1 minute. The music production unit 13 releases the music with overlapping tracks in a derivative relationship as a completed music.

[0034] The consent confirmation unit 14 confirms, for each of a plurality of related users who have posted a plurality of tracks in a derivative relationship, whether to change the upper limit time and agree to create a longer piece of music than before the change of the upper limit time. Hereinafter, in some cases, the confirmation of whether to agree to create a longer piece of music than before the change of the upper limit time will be described as "consent confirmation".

[0035] The consent confirmation unit 14 may perform consent confirmation by means of display on a display unit 22 (described later) provided in the terminal device 2, notification to the terminal device 2, etc. For example, the consent confirmation unit 14 may cause the generation unit 15 to generate a consent status display indicating the result of the consent confirmation. The consent status display will be described later.

[0036] The consent confirmation unit 14 may perform consent confirmation each time a track is derived, or may perform consent confirmation at a predetermined stage of music production. For example, the consent confirmation unit 14 performs consent confirmation at a predetermined stage before a master track that aggregates a plurality of tracks in a derivative relationship is posted from the start of music production.

[0037] For example, the consent confirmation unit 14 performs the first consent confirmation at the stage when a new track is derived from the first posted track and the number of tracks in a derivative relationship becomes two. The consent confirmation unit 14 may perform consent confirmation each time a new track is derived from the posted tracks. By performing consent confirmation and consent status display step by step each time a track is derived, the user can easily grasp the consent status. Thereby, the user can consider participating in music production with reference to the content of the consent status display.

[0038] Not limited to this, the consent confirmation unit 14 may perform consent confirmation according to the progress of music production. For example, the consent confirmation unit 14 may perform consent confirmation when the number of tracks in a derivative relationship reaches a predetermined number (for example, 5) or more. Also, the consent confirmation unit 14 may perform consent confirmation when the music reaches a predetermined level or approaches a predetermined level. The predetermined level is a level sufficient for a music composed of multiple tracks to be released as a completed music. The consent confirmation unit 14 may perform consent confirmation at a predetermined time interval (for example, every other day). The number of consent confirmations is not limited. The number of consent confirmations may be any number of 1 or more.

[0039] Based on the result of consent confirmation, the consent confirmation unit 14 determines whether consent has been obtained from multiple related users to produce a long track. For example, the consent confirmation unit 14 determines that consent has been obtained from multiple related users when all related users have given their consent. Also, the consent confirmation unit 14 determines that consent has not been obtained from multiple related users when there is one or more related users who do not give their consent among the multiple related users. Not limited to this, even when there is a related user who does not give consent, the consent confirmation unit 14 determines whether it is possible to produce a long music, and if it is possible, it may determine that consent has been obtained from multiple related users. The consent confirmation unit 14 outputs the confirmation result of consent confirmation to the upper limit setting unit 11.

[0040] The generation unit 15 generates display information to be displayed on the display unit 22 of the terminal device 2. For example, the generation unit 15 generates a tree diagram including at least as constituent elements a node indicating a track and a branch indicating the derivative relationship of multiple tracks by connecting between multiple nodes. For example, the generation unit 15 generates a tree diagram such that multiple nodes in a derivative relationship are in a chain. The generation unit 15 transmits the generated tree diagram to the terminal device 2 via the communication unit 17.

[0041] The components of the tree diagram are not limited to nodes and branches. The components may be characters, figures, or images related to the track indicated by the node. For example, the components may include user information about the user who created the track and track information about the track. The user information may be, for example, the user name or the user's nickname. The track information may include various information such as information on the musical instrument used in the performance, the posting date and time of the track, the taste of the track, or the role of the track in the completed piece of music. A specific example of the tree diagram will be described later.

[0042] In addition, the generation unit 15 generates a consent status display indicating the result of the consent confirmation in the consent confirmation unit 14. The consent status display is an example of display information. For example, the generation unit 15 generates a consent status table showing the consent status of a plurality of related users as the consent status display. The consent status table is a table that associates related users with the consent status. The consent status is represented by symbols such as a circle or a cross, for example. The consent status may be represented by characters such as "agree" or "disagree". The related users are represented by, for example, the user name.

[0043] The generation unit 15 may generate a consent status display including the number of related users who agree and the ratio of the number to the total number of all related users. When it is determined that consent has been obtained from related users to create a long track, the generation unit 15 may generate a message such as "Everyone has agreed" as the consent status display.

[0044] Not limited to the above-described display information, the generation unit 15 may generate various display information. For example, the generation unit 15 may generate an "Agree" button indicating agreement and a "Disagree" button indicating disagreement for the consent confirmation. In addition, the generation unit 15 may generate various buttons for playing or downloading the track. The generation unit 15 transmits the generated display information to the terminal device 2.

[0045] The display control unit 16 controls the display of the display information on the terminal device 2. For example, the display control unit 16 causes the tree diagram and the consent status display to be displayed on the display unit 22 of the terminal device 2. The display control unit 16 may display the consent status table, which is one of the consent status displays, near the tree diagram. For example, the display control unit 16 displays the consent status table in proximity to the corresponding node. The display control unit 16 may be configured to display the consent status table corresponding to the selected node in the vicinity of the selected node when the node is selected by a click or the like.

[0046] The communication unit 17 communicates with the terminal device 2. For example, the communication unit 17 receives a track created by the user from the terminal device 2. Also, for example, the communication unit 17 transmits the display information generated by the generation unit 15 to the terminal device 2. The communication unit 17 may be configured by a communication interface for performing communication by wire or wirelessly.

[0047] The storage unit 19 is composed of a semiconductor memory or the like and stores various data and programs. At least a part of the storage unit 19 is composed of a non-volatile memory so that the data is retained even when the power of the information processing apparatus 1 is turned off. The storage unit 19 may store the generated display information and the like.

[0048] (Configuration of the terminal device 2) Subsequently, with reference to FIG. 3, the configuration of the terminal device 2 will be described. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the terminal device 2. The terminal device 2 includes an input unit 21, a display unit 22, an audio output unit 23, a communication unit 27, and a storage unit 29.

[0049] The input unit 21 receives the user's input in response to the operation of the user of the terminal device 2. For example, the input unit 21 creates a track in response to the user's operation. Also, the input unit 21 posts the track created by the user to a predetermined website via the communication unit 27. The user may create a track using, for example, a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) application or the like.

[0050] The input unit 21 may be provided with, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, a trackball, or a stylus pen. The input unit 21 may be provided with a microphone or a camera. That is, the input unit 21 may be provided with a voice input function or a video input function. Without being limited to this, other input devices may be used as the input unit 21.

[0051] The display unit 22 displays information related to music production. The display unit 22 is a display device such as a display, for example. The display unit 22 may be a touch panel having the function of the input unit 21. That is, the input unit 21 and the display unit 22 may be integrally configured. The display unit 22 displays the display information generated by the information processing apparatus 1. The display unit 22 displays, for example, a tree diagram and a consent status display.

[0052] The voice output unit 23 outputs information related to music production by voice. The voice output unit 23 is a speaker, for example. The voice output unit 23 outputs the voice corresponding to the component selected in the tree diagram. For example, when a node is selected, the voice output unit 23 plays the track corresponding to the node. Further, when the system indicating the music is selected, the voice output unit 23 plays the music corresponding to the system. The voice output unit 23 may output a voice indicating the consent status. For example, when it is determined that consent has been obtained from the relevant user to produce a long track, the voice output unit 23 may output a sound effect indicating that consent has been obtained or a voice such as "Everyone has given consent".

[0053] The communication unit 27 communicates with the information processing apparatus 1. For example, the communication unit 27 transmits the track produced by the user to the information processing apparatus 1. Also, for example, the communication unit 27 receives the display information generated by the information processing apparatus 1. The communication unit 27 may be configured by a communication interface for communicating by wire or wirelessly.

[0054] The storage unit 29 is composed of a semiconductor memory or the like and stores various data and programs. At least a part of the storage unit 29 is composed of a non-volatile memory so that data is retained even when the power of the terminal device 2 is turned off. The storage unit 29 may store the produced tracks. Also, the storage unit 29 may store the downloaded music.

[0055] As described above, each component of the music production system 100 according to the present embodiment has been explained. The configuration of the music production system 100 described above is merely an example and can be changed as appropriate. For example, in the above description, an example has been described in which the information processing device 1 generates display information and transmits the generated display information to the terminal device 2 so that the terminal device 2 displays the display information, but the present invention is not limited to this.

[0056] For example, the music production system 100 may perform the processing according to the present embodiment via a web application. In this case, the information processing device 1 implements a web application that executes the processing according to the present embodiment. Also, the terminal device 2 stores (installs) a web browser for displaying a page of a predetermined website in the storage unit 29. The terminal device 2 executes a part of the processing according to the present embodiment via the web browser displayed on the display unit 22. For example, the terminal device 2 performs a part of the processing of the above-described consent confirmation unit 14, generation unit 15, and display control unit 16 via the web browser. For example, the terminal device 2 displays a tree diagram and plays music on the web browser by a web application stored in the storage unit 19 of the information processing device 1.

[0057] (Tree diagram generation process) Next, with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5, the basic processing performed by the information processing apparatus 1 will be described. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the tree diagram generation processing performed by the information processing apparatus 1. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a basic tree diagram T1 generated by the tree diagram generation processing of the information processing apparatus 1. Here, an example will be described in which users A to G who use the music production system 100 post the tracks they have produced to a predetermined website. Also, here, the basic processing performed by the information processing apparatus 1 will be described, and the problems in the present disclosure will be specifically described.

[0058] First, the track reception unit 12 receives a track post from the terminal device 2 (S1). Here, it is assumed that the track reception unit 12 has received the post of the guitar track TR1 produced by user A. User A can produce the guitar track TR1 using the terminal device 2 and post the produced audio data to the website as the track TR1. The track reception unit 12 associates the track TR1 with the track information and stores it in the storage unit 19 as track data. The track data includes, for example, a node number, a track number, a user name, an instrument name, and audio data.

[0059] The node number is a number for identifying a node. The node number may be automatically assigned to the node indicating the track when the track is added. The track number is a number for identifying a track. The track number may be automatically assigned to the track when the track is added.

[0060] The user name is information indicating the name of the user. The user name may be the account name or nickname used by the user. Also, the user name may be an automatically assigned identification number or the like. The instrument name is information indicating the name of the instrument used in the performance. The instrument name may be registered, for example, by the user from the terminal device 2, or may be determined by the information processing apparatus 1 based on the melody of the track.

[0061] Audio data is data indicating the content of a track. The audio data may be data recording the timbre of an instrument, or may be data recording a person's singing voice, etc. Since these are just examples, the track data may not include some of this information, or may include other information. For example, the track data may include the posting date and time of the track, etc.

[0062] Subsequently, the generation unit 15 generates a tree diagram T1 (S2). At this stage, only the track TR1 of user A has been posted. Therefore, the generation unit 15 generates a tree diagram T1 having only the node indicating the track TR1 as a component. The generation unit 15 may generate the tree diagram T1 after two or more tracks have been posted. The display control unit 16 causes the tree diagram T1 to be displayed on the website (S3). As a result, the display unit 22 of the user's terminal device 2 displays the tree diagram T1.

[0063] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the tree diagram T1. Here, nodes indicating other tracks to be added later are also illustrated. The circles shown in FIG. 5 indicate nodes, and the arrows connecting the nodes indicate branches. The direction of the arrow indicates the derivation relationship. Also, the characters shown inside each node indicate the user name. For example, the node indicated as "A" indicates the track TR1 posted by user A. Although not illustrated, the tree diagram T1 may include information about musical instruments, etc. For example, characters or figures indicating "guitar" may be displayed in proximity to the node of user A. The same applies to the subsequent figures.

[0064] For example, assume that the node of user A is selected by the user by clicking or the like. The display control unit 16 plays the track TR1 in response to the selection of the node of user A. As a result, users other than user A can also listen to the track TR1. Also, the user can create a track to overlay on the track TR1.

[0065] Return to FIG. 4. The generation unit 15 determines whether there is a new post (S4). If it is determined that there is no new post (NO in S4), the generation unit 15 waits until there is a new post. If it is determined that there is a new post (YES in S4), the information processing device 1 returns to step S1 and repeats the subsequent processing.

[0066] In the example of FIG. 5, for the track TR1 of user A, user B posts a piano track TR2 and user C posts a drum track TR3. Also, for the track TR3 of user C, user D posts a bass track TR4 and user E posts a saxophone track TR5. Further, for the track TR4 of user D, user F posts a piano track TR6. Then, user G mixes the tracks TR1, TR3, TR4, and TR6 posted by users A, C, D, and F. The music production unit 13 can produce a music piece by connecting the plurality of posted tracks based on the derivation relationship between the tracks.

[0067] The information processing device 1 may be provided with a chat function for users to have conversations with each other. The chat function may be, for example, a text chat or a voice chat. For example, in the mixing phase, user G can use the chat function to have conversations with users A, C, D, and F who posted the tracks. For example, user G can have exchanges regarding the mixing work with users A, C, D, and F, and users A, C, D, and F can replace or additionally post tracks for the completion of the music piece. Finally, when user G posts the mixed track TR7, the music piece is completed. Track TR7 is the master track that aggregates tracks TR1, TR3, TR4, and TR6. In the figure, the master track TR7 is shown shaded.

[0068] In FIG. 5, the line M shown by the dashed line indicates the line of the completed music piece. The plurality of users A, C, D, F, and G who posted the tracks TR1, TR3, TR4, TR6, and TR7 in the derivation relationship are related users.

[0069] During the process of music production, the related users include those who have submitted tracks from the user who submitted the first track to the user who submitted the track corresponding to the node at the end of the lineage. The end node is the node located at the lowest level in the lineage. The end node changes according to the derivation status of the track. When a new node is derived from the end node, the new node becomes the end node.

[0070] In the example of lineage M shown in FIG. 5, at the timing when track TR3 was submitted for the first track TR1, track TR3 corresponds to the end node in lineage M. At this timing, the related users are users A and C. Also, at the timing when track TR4 was submitted for track TR3, track TR4 corresponds to the end node in lineage M. At this timing, the related users are users A, C, and D. Then, at the timing when track TR6 was submitted for track TR4, track TR6 corresponds to the end node in lineage M. At this timing, the related users are users A, C, D, and F. Thus, as new tracks are connected in one lineage, the number of related users increases.

[0071] In a basic tree diagram such as tree diagram T1, by setting a shorter upper limit time for the submitted tracks, the number of track submissions can be increased. Therefore, for example, by setting the upper limit time to 1 minute, many submissions can be expected. However, in this case, since the upper limit time of the master track TR7, which is the completed music, is also limited to 1 minute, user G cannot produce a long (full-length) music.

[0072] In such a case, it might be possible to simply remove the one-minute limit only for the master track TR7 in the mix phase. However, it is unclear whether all of users A, C, D, and F intend to create long tracks. Also, for example, assume that users confirm with each other whether they agree to create long tracks. In this case, since users often don't know each other, it is conceivable that calling out to users or rejecting the transition to long tracks could deteriorate the human relationships within the service.

[0073] If even one of users A, C, D, and F does not intend to create a long track, the music will not be completed. The information processing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment solves such a problem by performing the processes described below.

[0074] (Processing of Information Processing Apparatus 1) With reference to FIG. 6, the processes performed by the information processing apparatus 1 will be described. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the processes performed by the information processing apparatus 1. It is assumed that the information processing apparatus 1 constantly performs the tree diagram generation process shown in FIG. 4. Here, the processes other than the basic processes shown in FIG. 4 will be specifically described.

[0075] First, the upper limit setting unit 11 sets the upper limit time of the submitted track to one minute (S11). The one-minute upper limit time corresponds to the first upper limit time described above. Next, the track reception unit 12 receives the submission of a track (S12). The track is created to be within one minute in length. The track reception unit 12 determines whether a derived track derived from the submitted track has been submitted (S13). If it is determined that the derived track has not been submitted (NO in S13), the process returns to step S13 and the process is repeated.

[0076] When it is determined that a derivative track has been posted (YES in S13), the track reception unit 12 accepts the posting of the derivative track (S14). Further, the track reception unit 12 notifies the relevant users that a derivative track has been posted (S15). For example, when there is a posting by user B derived from the posting by user A, the track reception unit 12 may notify the terminal device 2 of user A with a message such as "User B's track has been added to your track." The music production unit 13 connects the plurality of posted tracks based on the derivative relationship between the tracks.

[0077] Subsequently, the consent confirmation unit 14 changes the set upper limit time and requests the relevant users to confirm their consent to produce a music piece longer than before the change of the upper limit time and within 5 minutes (S16). The 5-minute upper limit time corresponds to the second upper limit time described above. The consent confirmation unit 14 may perform the consent confirmation by displaying on the display unit 22 provided in the terminal device 2 or notifying the terminal device 2. Here, it is assumed that the information processing device 1 notifies the terminal device 2. For example, the consent confirmation unit 14 causes a message for confirming whether to consent to produce a music piece longer than the first upper limit time, such as "Do you consent to produce a 5-minute music piece?" to be displayed on the terminal devices 2 of all the relevant users. Note that the consent confirmation unit 14 may perform the consent confirmation for all the relevant users only when there is a request from one or more of the plurality of relevant users to change the music piece to a longer length.

[0078] Subsequently, the upper limit setting unit 11 determines whether all the relevant users have consented (S17). When it is determined that all have consented (YES in S17), the upper limit setting unit 11 changes the upper limit time of the track to 5 minutes (S18). The information processing device 1 returns to the process of step S13 and repeats the subsequent processes. When it is determined that one or more of the relevant users have not consented (NO in S17), the information processing device 1 returns to the process of step S13 and repeats the subsequent processes. In this case, the upper limit time of the track remains 1 minute.

[0079] (Processing of the terminal device 2) Next, with reference to FIG. 7, the processing performed by the terminal device 2 will be described. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the processing performed by the terminal device 2. The user creates a track via the terminal device 2 and posts the track.

[0080] First, the user determines whether to perform a mixing operation on the posted track (S21). The user may operate the terminal device 2 to input information indicating whether to perform a mixing operation to the information processing device 1. If the mixing operation is not performed (NO in S21), the terminal device 2 downloads the posted track (S22). The posted track to be downloaded here is the target track that the user intends to link tracks and the source track of the target track. The source track of the target track includes all tracks higher than the target track.

[0081] The input unit 21 creates a track according to the upper limit time using a DAW application or the like (S23). The input unit 21 posts the track created by the user to a predetermined website via the communication unit 27 (S24). The communication unit 27 receives a notification of consent confirmation from the information processing device 1 as to whether to agree to create a long music piece (S25). The input unit 21 accepts the user's operation and responds to the consent confirmation via the communication unit 27 (S26). For example, the input unit 21 answers that the user agrees in response to the "agree" button displayed on the display unit 22 being pressed.

[0082] If a mixing operation is to be performed on the posted track (YES in S21), the terminal device 2 determines whether the upper limit time has been changed to 5 minutes (S27). For example, the terminal device 2 may obtain information as to whether the upper limit time has been changed via the website. If it is determined that the upper limit time has not been changed to 5 minutes (NO in S27), the terminal device 2 downloads the posted track (S30). The posted track to be downloaded here is a plurality of tracks that are the targets of the mixing operation. These plurality of tracks are created with a length within 1 minute.

[0083] If it is determined that the upper limit time has been changed to 5 minutes (YES in S27), the terminal device 2 determines whether all the tracks that are created, additionally submitted, or replaced within 5 minutes are present, instead of the tracks within 1 minute that were submitted in advance (S28). Here, the track created within 5 minutes means a track that is longer than before the change of the upper limit time. If it is determined that the tracks are not all present (NO in S28), the terminal device 2 waits for track replacement or additional submission (S29). The terminal device 2 may request the related users to replace or additionally submit tracks using a chat function or the like.

[0084] If it is determined that all the tracks created within 5 minutes are present (YES in S28), the terminal device 2 downloads the submitted tracks (S30). Here, the submitted tracks to be downloaded are a plurality of tracks that are the targets of the mixing operation. These plurality of tracks are created to be within 5 minutes in length. The user who performs the mixing operation may download the submitted tracks even if not all the tracks within 5 minutes are present, at the stage when one or more tracks within 5 minutes are additionally submitted, and thereafter, may use the chat function to talk to the users who have not yet made additional submissions, so as to have them additionally submit tracks for the completion of the long piece of music. In this case, the terminal device 2 may download the submitted tracks at the stage when one or more tracks within 5 minutes are additionally submitted, and may further download the tracks within 5 minutes that are submitted each time there is an additional submission. The same also applies to the case of replacing with tracks within 5 minutes.

[0085] Subsequently, the input unit 21 receives the user's operation to perform a mixing operation and creates a master track (S31). The input unit 21 submits the created master track (S32).

[0086] (Specific example) Next, with reference to FIG. 8, a specific example of the processing performed by the information processing apparatus 1 will be described. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a tree diagram T2 including a consent status table generated by the processing performed by the information processing apparatus 1. Also in the following, an example in which the first upper limit time is 1 minute and the second upper limit time is 5 minutes will be used for explanation. The tree diagram T2 has the same nodes as the tree diagram T1 described in FIG. 5, and the same lineage M is formed. Different from the tree diagram T1, the tree diagram T2 includes consent status tables 101 to 104. The consent status tables 101 to 104 are an example of the consent status display generated by the generation unit 15. For example, the display control unit 16 displays the generated consent status table in proximity to the corresponding node.

[0087] The consent status tables 101 to 104 are consent status tables corresponding to the nodes of users A, C, D, and F, respectively. In the figure, all of the consent status tables 101 to 104 are displayed, but the consent status tables 101 to 104 may be displayed according to the timing at which each node is generated. The circles in the consent status tables 101 to 104 indicate agreement, and the crosses indicate non - agreement. By displaying the consent status tables 101 to 104 in the tree diagram T2, the user can easily grasp the consent status.

[0088] Note that in the figure, the consent status tables 101 to 104 are displayed in proximity to the corresponding nodes, but it is not limited to this. For example, the display control unit 16 may be configured to display the consent status table corresponding to a node in the vicinity of the node when the node is clicked by the user. Also, the display control unit 16 may display the consent status tables 101 to 104 on a screen different from the tree diagram T2. For example, the display control unit 16 may be configured to display the table corresponding to a node on the detailed page of the node when the node is clicked.

[0089] At the start of music production, the upper limit setting unit 11 sets the upper limit time of the track to 1 minute. In the consent status table 101, there is only one track, track TR1, generated by user A. Therefore, the consent confirmation unit 14 does not perform consent confirmation here. In the consent status table 102, track TR3 of user C is added to track TR1 of user A, but neither user A nor user C has consented to producing a long music piece. If the mixing operation is shifted here, the user performing the mixing operation can only submit tracks with a 1-minute upper limit set at the start of music production.

[0090] In the consent status table 103, user D adds track TR4, and users A and D like the current music and have consented to producing a long music piece, but user C has not consented. Even if the mixing operation is shifted here, the user performing the mixing operation can only submit tracks with a 1-minute upper limit. In the consent status table 104, user F further adds track TR6, and all related users have consented to producing a long music piece. In this case, the upper limit setting unit 11 changes the upper limit time of music production from 1 minute to 5 minutes. As a result, the restriction on the upper limit time is relaxed.

[0091] If user G shifts to the mixing operation here, users A, C, D, and F can resubmit the long tracks produced according to the 5-minute upper limit time. The track reception unit 12 receives the submission of long tracks from users A, C, D, and F. Also, user G can submit a long master track TR7 that exceeds 1 minute. User G may have conversations with users A, C, D, and F regarding track replacement and additional submission using chat or the like. For example, user G sends a message such as "Please provide tracks within 5 minutes." to users A, C, D, and F. The music production unit 13 produces music using the tracks produced according to the 5-minute upper limit time instead of the tracks produced according to the 1-minute upper limit time.

[0092] Note that although consent was obtained from all relevant users to create a long piece of music up to a certain point in the music, no consent was obtained from that point onwards. In this case, the upper limit setting unit 11 may change the upper limit time only for the tracks in the line from the start of music production to the tracks for which consent was obtained.

[0093] As described above, in the music production system 100 according to this embodiment, in the information processing apparatus 1, the submission of tracks produced according to the upper limit time is received from each of a plurality of users, and a plurality of submitted tracks are connected to produce a piece of music. At the start of music production, the information processing apparatus 1 sets, as the upper limit time, a first upper limit time that is relatively short. As a result, users can submit tracks easily. Also, when consent is obtained from a plurality of relevant users to create a long piece of music, the information processing apparatus 1 changes the upper limit time to a second upper limit time that is longer than the first upper limit time. As a result, users can submit long tracks again. Also, the information processing apparatus 1 can produce a long completed piece of music.

[0094] By doing so, the music production system 100 can enable users to easily submit tracks and appropriately produce a long piece of music according to the wishes of the relevant users.

[0095] Note that in the above description, an example was described in which the upper limit time of the submitted tracks is changed when consent is obtained from all relevant users to create a long piece of music, but it is not limited to this. When consent is obtained from all relevant users to create a long piece of music, the information processing apparatus 1 may give each user the right to use a predetermined function.

[0096] For example, at the start of music production, the information processing device 1 sets the chat function to be unusable. When consent is obtained from all relevant users to produce a long music piece, the chat function is changed to be usable. By doing so, before consent is obtained, the information processing device 1 can provide users with simple functions, and when consent is obtained, it can provide users with functions useful for producing long music pieces.

[0097] In addition, the information processing device 1 may confirm whether to change other conditions related to music production, not limited to the upper limit time of the track, and change other conditions according to the confirmation result. For example, the consent confirmation unit 14 may confirm whether each of a plurality of relevant users agrees to change the upper limit of the number of tracks included in one music piece. For example, at the start of music production, the information processing device 1 sets the upper limit of the number of tracks to the first upper limit number of tracks (for example, 8), and when consent is obtained from all relevant users, it changes the upper limit of the number of tracks to the second upper limit number of tracks (for example, 16).

[0098] In addition, when the information processing device 1 has a distribution function for the completed music piece, the consent confirmation unit 14 may confirm whether to consent to distribute the completed music piece to a video site or the like. The information processing device 1 distributes the completed music piece when consent is obtained from all relevant users. Also, when revenue is generated according to the number of plays of the music piece or the like, the consent confirmation unit 14 may confirm whether to distribute the revenue to the relevant users. The information processing device 1 distributes the revenue to the relevant users when consent is obtained from all relevant users.

[0099] <Modification Example> A modification example of the above-described embodiment will be described. Each component of the music production system 100 is the same as that of the above-described embodiment. In the above-described embodiment, an example in which consent confirmation is performed each time a track is posted after the start of music production and before the master track is posted has been described. This modification example will describe an example in which the timing of consent confirmation is different from that of the embodiment.

[0100] In this modification example, the consent confirmation unit 14 of the information processing apparatus 1 performs consent confirmation when the derived destination track posted by deriving from the already posted track is the master track. Therefore, the consent confirmation unit 14 performs consent confirmation after the master track is posted. As a result, the user can consider whether to consent to producing a long music piece after listening to the completed master track.

[0101] FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the processing performed by the information processing apparatus 1 according to this modification example. Different from the flowchart shown in FIG. 6, the information processing apparatus 1 performs step S101 between steps S14 and S15.

[0102] After step S14, the track reception unit 12 determines whether the posted derived destination track is the master track (S101). If the information processing apparatus 1 determines that it is the master track (YES in S101), it proceeds to the processing of step S15. If it determines that it is not the master track (NO in S101), it returns to the processing of step S13 and repeats the subsequent processing.

[0103] Also, in step S17, when it is determined that all have consented (YES in S17), the upper limit setting unit 11 changes the upper limit time of the track to 5 minutes (S18). In this case, the music production unit 13 produces a music piece using the track produced according to the upper limit time of 5 minutes instead of the track produced according to the upper limit time of 1 minute in the same manner as in the above-described embodiment. Also, when it is determined that one or more of the related users have not consented (NO in S17), the information processing apparatus 1 ends the processing. In this case, the upper limit time of the track remains 1 minute.

[0104] The processing other than the above is the same as the processing shown in FIG. 6, so the description is omitted. Also, the processing performed by the terminal device 2 in this modification example is the same as that in FIG. 7, so the description is omitted.

[0105] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a tree diagram T3 including a consent status table, which is generated by the processing performed by the information processing apparatus 1 according to this modification. Different from the tree diagram T2 shown in FIG. 8, in the tree diagram T3, not only track TR7 but also track TR8 is derived from track TR6. Track TR8 is a master track created by user H.

[0106] In the consent status table 201, related users A, C, F, and G like the master track TR7 and agree to produce a long piece of music, but user D does not agree. Therefore, the master track TR7 is completed with the upper limit time restricted to 1 minute.

[0107] In the consent status table 202, all of the related users A, C, D, F, and H agree to produce a long piece of music. In this case, the upper limit setting unit 11 changes the upper limit time from 1 minute to 5 minutes. As a result, the restriction on the upper limit time is relaxed. Similar to the above-described embodiment, users A, C, D, and F resubmit the long track produced according to the upper limit time of 5 minutes. The track reception unit 12 receives the submission of the long track from users A, C, D, and F. The music production unit 13 produces music using the track produced according to the upper limit time of 5 minutes instead of the track produced according to the upper limit time of 1 minute. Thereby, user H can submit a long master track TR9 that exceeds 1 minute.

[0108] As described above, in the music production system 100 according to this modification, since consent confirmation is performed after the master track is produced, related users can consider whether to agree to produce a long piece of music after listening to the completed master track.

[0109] Each functional component of the above-described information processing apparatus 1 and terminal device 2 may be implemented by hardware (e.g., a hard-wired electronic circuit, etc.) that implements each functional component, or may be implemented by a combination of hardware and software (e.g., a combination of an electronic circuit and a program that controls it). For example, in the present disclosure, any process can also be realized by causing a CPU to execute a computer program.

[0110] When the program is loaded into a computer, it includes a set of instructions (or software code) for causing the computer to perform one or more functions described in the embodiments. The program may be stored in various types of non-transitory computer readable media or tangible storage media. By way of example and not limitation, non-transitory computer readable media or tangible storage media include RAM (Random-Access Memory), ROM (Read-Only Memory), flash memory, SSD (Solid-State Drive) or other memory technologies, CD-ROM, DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), Blu-ray (registered trademark) disc or other optical disc storage, magnetic cassette, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices. Also, the program may be transmitted on various types of transitory computer readable media or communication media. By way of example and not limitation, transitory computer readable media or communication media include electrical, optical, acoustic, or other forms of propagated signals.

[0111] Note that the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be appropriately modified without departing from the spirit. Also, the above-described embodiments can be executed in any combination. For example, the above-described embodiments and modification examples may be combined and executed.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0112] 1 Information processing apparatus 2 Terminal device 11 Upper limit setting unit 12 Track reception unit 13 Music production unit 14 Consent confirmation unit 15 Generation unit 16 Display control unit 17 Communication unit 19 Memory unit 21 Input unit 22 Display unit 23 Audio output unit 27 Communication unit 29 Memory unit 100 Music production system 101~104, 201, 202 Consent status table A~H Users M system N Network T1~T3 Tree diagrams TR1~TR9 Tracks

Claims

1. an upper limit setting unit that sets an upper limit time for a track to be submitted; a track reception unit that receives submissions of tracks produced in accordance with the upper limit time from each of a plurality of users; a music production unit that produces a piece of music by connecting a plurality of submitted tracks based on a derivative relationship between the tracks; a consent confirmation unit that confirms, for each of a plurality of related users who have submitted a plurality of tracks in a derivative relationship, whether to change the upper limit time and consent to produce a longer piece of music than before the change of the upper limit time; and the upper limit setting unit sets the upper limit time to a first upper limit time at the start of music production, and changes the upper limit time to a second upper limit time that is longer than the first upper limit time when consent to produce the longer piece of music is obtained from the plurality of related users an information processing apparatus.

2. when the upper limit time is changed to the second upper limit time, the track reception unit receives submissions of tracks produced in accordance with the second upper limit time from each of the plurality of related users The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

3. the music production unit produces the music using the tracks produced in accordance with the second upper limit time instead of the tracks produced in accordance with the first upper limit time The information processing apparatus according to claim 2.

4. the consent confirmation unit confirms whether to consent to produce the longer piece of music at a predetermined stage until a master track aggregating a plurality of tracks in the derivative relationship is submitted from the start of music production The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2.

5. The information processing apparatus executes an upper limit setting step of setting an upper limit time for a track to be submitted; a track reception step of receiving submissions of tracks produced in accordance with the upper limit time from each of a plurality of users; a music production step of producing a piece of music by connecting a plurality of submitted tracks based on a derivative relationship between the tracks; a consent confirmation step of confirming, for each of a plurality of related users who have submitted a plurality of tracks in a derivative relationship, whether to change the upper limit time and consent to produce a longer piece of music than before the change of the upper limit time; In the upper limit setting step, the upper limit time is set to a first upper limit time at the start of music production, and when consent to produce the long music is obtained from the plurality of related users, the upper limit time is changed to a second upper limit time longer than the first upper limit time. Information processing method.

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