Information Processing Method

Abstract

To provide an information processing method for efficiently finding candidates for co-producers whose style suits one's own work. [Solution] The information processing method is realized by a computer and accepts uploads of multiple first works consisting of a specified section from multiple first terminals used by multiple first creators, accepts uploads of second works consisting of the same section and of a different type from the first works from a second terminal used by a second creator, searches for first works that match the second works from among the multiple first works, and sends information about the searched first works to the second terminal.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing method. [Background technology]

[0002] Matching services provided to people involved in the music industry have been known for some time. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology that enables matching of created music works with record companies, producers, etc. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-222287 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] While the above technology allows record companies, producers, and the like to efficiently find musical works they want to use from among the many musical works that have been created, it does not allow for matching between music creators. For example, an amateur lyricist or composer who does not have a wide network of musical contacts has difficulty in itself finding a composer or lyricist to collaborate with, and it is even more difficult to efficiently find a collaborator whose style suits the artist's own work.

[0005] In view of the above circumstances, the present invention provides an information processing method for efficiently finding potential co-creators whose style matches one's own. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] An information processing method according to one embodiment of the present invention is realized by a server computer, and accepts uploads of multiple first works consisting of specified sections from multiple first terminals used by multiple first creators, accepts uploads of second works consisting of the same sections and of a different type from the first works from a second terminal used by a second creator, searches for the first works that match the second works from among the multiple first works, and sends information about the searched first works to the second terminal. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an information processing system. [Figure 2] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process performed by a server. [Figure 3] 10 is a flowchart illustrating another example of the processing of the server. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0009] The information processing system 1 includes a plurality of user terminals 10 and a server 20. The components included in the information processing system 1 are connected to each other so that they can communicate with each other via a network 30. The user terminals 10 are computers used by users, such as smartphones, tablets, and PCs. The server 20 is a computer that provides predetermined services, applications, and the like to the user terminals 10.

[0010] The user terminal 10 includes a control unit 11, a memory unit 12, a communication unit 13, a display unit 14, and an operation unit 15. The control unit 11 includes, for example, a CPU, and executes various processes and controls according to programs. The memory unit 12 includes, for example, a storage device, ROM, RAM, etc., and stores various programs and data. The communication unit 13 includes a communication interface, and communicates with other devices such as the server 20 via the network 30. The display unit 14 includes, for example, a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display, and displays a screen containing various information, images, etc. The operation unit 15 includes, for example, physical keys, a touch panel integrated with the display unit 14, etc., and is operated by the user.

[0011] The server 20 includes a control unit 21, a storage unit 22, and a communication unit 23. The components of the server 20 are the same as those of the user terminal 10, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0012] In this embodiment, for convenience, the user terminal 10 used by the composer will be referred to as the "composer terminal 10a," and the user terminal 10 used by the lyricist will be referred to as the "lyricist terminal 10b." The composer terminal 10a and the lyricist terminal 10b are assumed to be able to access the matching platform provided by the server 20 through a predetermined application or a predetermined website that has been pre-installed. The control unit 21 of the server 20 executes the processes shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 in accordance with the program stored in the storage unit 22. Various processes performed by the server 20 will be described below.

[0013] (1) When an offer comes from a lyricist FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an example of processing by the server 20. First, the control unit 21 accepts in advance an upload of a song created (composed) by a composer from the composer terminal 10a (step S101). Songs that can be accepted in step S101 are songs consisting of, for example, an eight-bar chorus section, hereinafter referred to as "chorus songs." A chorus song only needs to include at least a melody (vocal) section to be sung, and may or may not include an accompaniment section. The control unit 21 then stores the chorus song accepted in step S101 in the storage unit 22 (step S102). The control unit 21 repeats the processes of steps S101 and S102 every time a chorus song is uploaded from each of the multiple composer terminals 10a used by each of the multiple composers, and the storage unit 22 stores the multiple chorus songs.

[0014] Next, the control unit 21 accepts an upload of lyrics created (written) by a lyricist from the lyricist terminal 10b used by the lyricist who wants to find a composer that suits his or her style (step S103). Lyrics that can be accepted in step S103 are, for example, lyrics consisting of a chorus section of eight bars, and are hereinafter referred to as "chorus lyrics." In other words, chorus lyrics are created for a chorus section that is common to chorus songs, but can be said to be a different type of creation from chorus songs.

[0015] The control unit 21 searches for one or more chorus songs that match the chorus lyrics received in step S103 from the plurality of chorus songs stored in the storage unit 22 (step S104).Then, the control unit 21 transmits information about the chorus songs searched for in step S104 to the lyricist terminal 10b (step S105).

[0016] Various methods can be used to search for a chorus song that matches the chorus lyrics in step S104. For example, in steps S101 and S103, the control unit 21 receives, from the composer terminal 10a and the lyricist terminal 10b, information on one or more tags that indicate the style (atmosphere or worldview) of the chorus song and the chorus lyrics, along with the chorus song and the chorus lyrics. Then, in step S104, the control unit 21 searches for a chorus song to which a tag that highly matches the tag attached to the chorus lyrics is attached. Examples of tags include, but are not limited to, tags that indicate an atmosphere such as bright or dark, tags that indicate a genre such as rock or ballad, tags that indicate instruments or parts such as guitar, piano, band, or orchestra, and tags that indicate uses such as festivals, anime, or dramas. The control unit 21 may transmit information on candidate tags previously stored in the storage unit 22 to the composer terminal 10a and the lyricist terminal 10b, and receive information on tags selected by the composer terminal 10a and the lyricist terminal 10b. Alternatively, the control unit 21 may accept information on any text expressing the chorus tune and chorus lyrics freely inputted at the composer terminal 10a and the lyricist terminal 10b, and extract tag information from the text using, for example, a large-scale language model.

[0017] As another example, the control unit 21 may search for chorus songs using a machine learning model that performs machine learning based on training data of combinations in which chorus lyrics are input and chorus songs that match the chorus lyrics are output. In this case, machine learning may be continued using combinations of chorus lyrics and chorus songs created by lyricists and composers that have been matched in step S109, which will be described later, as new training data, and the accuracy of the machine learning model may be continuously improved. As yet another example, the control unit 21 may search for chorus songs that match the chorus lyrics using any technology that evaluates the characteristics of chorus lyrics and chorus songs.

[0018] Various methods can be used to transmit the information about the chorus songs in step S105. For example, the control unit 21 may transmit information including a link to listen to the chorus songs. When transmitting information about multiple chorus songs, the control unit 21 may transmit information on a single screen that lists the multiple chorus songs in descending order of their degree of match with the chorus lyrics, or may transmit information on multiple screens that display multiple chorus songs one by one on a single screen. An upper limit may be set on the number of chorus songs that can be transmitted to the lyricist terminal 10b at one time; for example, the upper limit may be set in advance in the lyricist terminal 10b. In step S105, the control unit 21 may or may not transmit information about the composers of the chorus songs together with the information about the chorus songs.

[0019] Next, the control unit 21 determines whether or not it has received, from the lyricist terminal 10b that received the information about the chorus song transmitted in step S105, a notification that it wishes to make an offer to the composer who created the chorus song for collaboration (step S106). If the control unit 21 has transmitted information about a plurality of chorus songs in step S105, it may receive from the lyricist terminal 10b a notification that it wishes to make an offer to each of the plurality of composers who created each of the plurality of chorus songs. Also, as described above, in step S105, the control unit 21 may have transmitted to the lyricist terminal 10b information on a single screen that lists a plurality of chorus songs in descending order of their degree of match with the chorus lyrics. In this case, the lyricist terminal 10b may accept, all at once, an operation on the screen that lists the plurality of chorus songs as to whether or not it wishes to make an offer to each of the plurality of composers who created each of the plurality of chorus songs. Alternatively, as described above, in step S105, if the control unit 21 has transmitted information on multiple screens for displaying multiple chorus songs one by one on each screen, the lyricist terminal 10b may accept an operation for each screen indicating whether or not an offer is desired. In this case, the lyricist terminal 10b may accept a swipe operation on the screen as an operation indicating not wanting an offer, and may accept an operation such as pressing a "Like" button on the screen as an operation indicating wanting an offer.

[0020] In step S106, if the control unit 21 does not receive a notification that an offer is desired (step S106: NO), for example, if it receives a notification that an offer is not desired or if it does not receive any notification for a predetermined period of time, it terminates the processing.

[0021] On the other hand, if the control unit 21 receives a notification that an offer is desired (step S106: YES), it transmits an offer to the composer terminal 10a used by the composer who has requested the offer (step S107). The control unit 21 may transmit an offer including information about the lyrics of the chorus. Note that in step S107, the control unit 21 may transmit the offer immediately, or may transmit the offer at a predetermined timing (e.g., a predetermined day of the week or time) that is preset in the composer terminal 10a. In the latter case, the control unit 21 may transmit multiple offers to the composer terminal 10a at once. Also, an upper limit may be set on the number of offers that can be transmitted to the composer terminal 10a at one time; for example, the upper limit may be set in advance in the composer terminal 10a.

[0022] Next, the control unit 21 determines whether or not it has received a notification that the offer will be accepted from the composer terminal 10a that received the offer transmitted in step S107 (step S108). If the control unit 21 has not received a notification that the offer will be accepted (step S108: NO), for example, if it has received a notification that the offer will not be accepted or if it has not received any notification for a predetermined period of time, it terminates the process. Note that if the control unit 21 receives a notification that the offer will not be accepted in step S108, it may forward the notification to the lyricist terminal 10b before terminating the process. On the other hand, if the control unit 21 has received a notification that the offer will be accepted (step S108: YES), it proceeds to the process of step S109. The control unit 21 then determines that a match has been established between the lyricist using the lyricist terminal 10b who sent the notification that he / she wishes to receive an offer and the composer using the composer terminal 10a who sent the notification that he / she will accept the offer, and sends a notification that a match has been established to these terminals (step S109).The control unit 21 then further provides the composer terminal 10a and the lyricist terminal 10b that sent the notification that a match has been established with a chat function that can be used only from these terminals (step S110), and ends the process.The lyricist and composer who have been matched can proceed with discussions about joint production through the provided chat function.

[0023] (2) When an offer comes from a composer FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing another example of the processing of the server 20. The process shown in Fig. 3 is the same as the process shown in Fig. 2, except that the "composer terminal" and "lyricist terminal" and the "chorus music" and "chorus lyrics" are interchanged, and detailed explanations of the process of each step will be omitted. Note that there are various methods for transmitting the chorus lyrics information in step S205, and the control unit 21 may transmit text information including all or part of the chorus lyrics.

[0024] Furthermore, the control unit 21 may also process the chorus lyrics uploaded in step S103 of Fig. 2 as the chorus lyrics uploaded in step S201 of Fig. 3. Similarly, the control unit 21 may also process the chorus music uploaded in step S203 of Fig. 3 as the chorus music uploaded in step S101 of Fig. 2. In other words, chorus lyrics uploaded by a lyricist who wants to find a composer will also be searched for as chorus lyrics that match the chorus music uploaded by a composer who wants to find a lyricist, thereby increasing the possibility of matching.

[0025] As described above, in this embodiment, a first production that matches a second production (chorus lyrics or chorus tune) is searched for from among multiple first productions (chorus tunes or chorus lyrics) uploaded in advance. Information about the first production is then notified to the second producer (lyricist or composer) who created the second production. Therefore, a lyricist or composer can efficiently find potential co-producers who match his or her own style simply by uploading the chorus lyrics or chorus tunes he or she created and reviewing the chorus tunes or chorus lyrics determined by server 20 to match them. Furthermore, a lyricist or composer can easily and casually find potential co-producers by simply creating lyrics or a tune consisting of a single phrase section (e.g., a chorus) as a trial, without the time and effort required to create a full version of the lyrics or tune. Furthermore, a lyricist or composer can focus on reviewing only the chorus tunes or chorus lyrics determined by server 20 to be suitable, without having to review a huge number of chorus tunes or chorus lyrics one by one.

[0026] The matching service realized by this embodiment may be realized as a monthly subscription service. In this case, the server 20 may set an upper limit on the number of chorus pieces or chorus lyrics that can be uploaded from the composer terminal 10a or the lyricist terminal 10b, or may set a limit on the offers that can be received by these terminals, depending on the subscription service plan.

[0027] In the above embodiment, the server 20 establishes a match through an offer from one of the lyricist and the composer to the other. However, a match may also be established without an offer. For example, in step S105 of FIG. 2, the server 20 not only transmits information about the retrieved chorus song to the lyricist terminal 10b, but also transmits information about the chorus lyrics of the search source to the composer terminal 10a used by the composer who created the retrieved chorus song. Then, instead of executing the processes of steps S106 to S108, the server 20 determines whether it has received notifications from both the composer terminal 10a and the lyricist terminal 10b indicating a desire for matching. The server 20 proceeds to the process of step S109 only if it has received notifications from both the composer terminal 10a and the lyricist terminal 10b indicating a desire for matching. The same applies to steps S205 to S208 of FIG. 3. A lyricist or composer can find a collaborator more efficiently, even reducing the effort of exchanging offers.

[0028] In the above embodiment, the server 20 has been described as establishing a match through an offer from one of the lyricist and the composer to the other. However, the match may also be established through an offer from a third party (e.g., a music professional or a client) who is neither a composer nor a lyricist. For example, instead of executing the processes of steps S105 to S110 of FIG. 2, the server 20 transmits both information about the retrieved chorus song and information about the chorus lyrics from the search source to a user terminal 10 (third-party terminal) used by a third party. The server 20 determines whether or not it has received a notification from the third-party terminal indicating a desire for an offer (scouting) to both the composer who created the chorus song and the lyricist who created the chorus lyrics. If the server 20 receives a notification indicating a desire for an offer, it transmits the offer to both the composer terminal 10a used by the composer and the lyricist terminal 10b used by the lyricist. The server 20 determines whether it has received a notification from both the composer terminal 10a and the lyricist terminal 10b that the offer is accepted, and if it has received a notification from both, it determines that a match has been made. The server 20 then sends a notification to the composer terminal 10a, the lyricist terminal 10b, and the third-party terminal that a match has been made, and provides a chat function that can be used only from these three terminals. The same applies to steps S205 to S210 in FIG. 3. Lyricists and composers can refer to the opinions of third parties to find collaborators more efficiently, and third parties can efficiently scout promising combinations of lyricists and composers. Third parties can also scout multiple promising combinations of lyricists and composers and hold a music competition.

[0029] In the above embodiment, the server 20 transmits information about the chorus tune to the lyricist terminal 10b in step S105 of FIG. 2 and information about the chorus lyrics to the composer terminal 10a in step S205 of FIG. 3. However, more advanced information may be transmitted. For example, instead of step S105, the server 20 automatically combines the chorus lyrics of the search source with the retrieved chorus tune. The server 20 then uses singing synthesis technology (e.g., VOCALOID (registered trademark)) to create a simple piece of music in which an arbitrary singing voice sings the melody portion of the chorus tune with the chorus lyrics, and transmits information including a link to listen to the piece to the lyricist terminal 10b. The server 20 may also combine the chorus lyrics and the chorus tune using a machine learning model or the like to create a piece of music. Alternatively, the server 20 may provide the lyricist terminal 10b with an editor for applying the chorus lyrics to the melody of the chorus tune, along with information about the chorus lyrics and the chorus tune, whether simply combined or not. The lyricist terminal 10b may then accept user operations such as matching each word of the chorus lyrics to each note of the chorus melody or adjusting the content of the chorus lyrics to match the melody of the chorus song. Alternatively, instead of step S107, the server 20 may send the composer terminal 10a an offer including information about a song that combines the chorus song and chorus lyrics, or may provide an editor for matching the chorus melody to the chorus lyrics. The same applies to steps S205 and S207 in FIG. 3. The lyricist or composer can check, based on the actual song, whether the chorus song or chorus lyrics searched by the server 20 match the chorus lyrics or chorus song they created, and can more accurately find potential co-producers who match their style.

[0030] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the server 20 has been described as accepting a song or lyrics consisting of, for example, an eight-bar chorus section, but the production target is not necessarily limited to an eight-bar chorus section. That is, the server 20 may accept lyrics and a song consisting of any section other than an eight-bar chorus section. Furthermore, the length of the any section does not necessarily have to be based on the number of bars (e.g., 8 bars or 16 bars), but may be set based on a different factor, such as the length of time (e.g., 15 seconds or 30 seconds).

[0031] In the above embodiment, the server 20 matches lyricists and composers based on works such as chorus lyrics and chorus music. However, works are not limited to lyrics and music, and matching targets are not limited to lyricists and composers. That is, the server 20 may match any music producers based on multiple works of any different types. For example, the server 20 may match singers with lyricists or composers based on vocal data and lyrics or music. In this case, vocal data can be considered a different type of work from lyrics or music, and any section common to the lyrics or music may be used as the target for production. The music need not include a melody portion to be sung. Alternatively, the server 20 may match guitarists with providers of the accompaniment (e.g., the composer or performer of the accompaniment) based on a guitar solo piece and its accompaniment. In this case, a guitar solo piece can be considered a different type of work from an accompaniment piece, and any section common to the accompaniment piece may be used as the target for production, and it need not include at least a melody portion to be played on guitar. [Explanation of symbols]

[0032] 1: Information processing system 10: User terminal 10a: Composer terminal 10b: Lyricist terminal 11, 21: Control unit 12, 22: Storage section 13, 23: Communications Department 14: Display section 15:Operation unit 20: Server 30: Network

Claims

[Claim 1] An information processing method implemented by a server computer, comprising: accepting uploads of a plurality of first works each consisting of a predetermined section from a plurality of first terminals used by a plurality of first creators; accepting an upload of a second work from a second terminal used by a second creator, the second work comprising the section and being of a different type from the first work; Searching for the first work that matches the second work from among the plurality of first works; transmitting the retrieved information of the first production to the second terminal; Information processing methods.

Images