Music matching system

Abstract

We provide a music matching system that connects fans who want to support their favorite artists by purchasing their music files with users who want to listen to music. [Solution] A music matching system 10 is provided in which multiple users 4 and multiple artists 6 are connected via a network 2, and the system comprises a purchase processing unit 12 for a fan, who is one of the multiple users and supports a particular artist, to download and purchase a predetermined number of the artist's music files; a matching processing unit 14 that performs matching to transfer a number of music files equal to the number of music files purchased minus 1 downloaded by the purchase processing unit to other users who desire those music files; a point granting processing unit 16 that grants points to the fan according to the number of music files purchased; and a ranking processing unit 18 that ranks the fan among other fans based on the number of points.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a music matching system.

Background Art

[0002] As one of the conventional business models in the music industry, an artist obtained income by making the music they performed into a CD and selling it to fans. However, with the spread of digitalization of music, an environment has emerged where music can be easily enjoyed without purchasing a CD. As a result, the income obtained by the music industry has decreased significantly.

[0003] As a countermeasure against such a situation, for example, in the CD sales of an idol, by giving a privilege such as a handshake ticket, fans who are promoting the idol are made to purchase the same CD multiple times, and the number of CD sales is intentionally increased.

[0004] As a technology related to the present invention, for example, Patent Document 1 describes a system for transferring rights to a digital work readable by a plurality of devices in a system for exercising rights, wherein at least one of the plurality of devices has a storage means for storing the digital work, a rights assignment means for storing at least one usage right of the digital work stored in the storage means which defines to each device how a party can access the digital work, and a delegation right of the digital work stored in the storage means which defines to each device how a party can distribute the digital work to other users. The rights of use and delegation of the aforementioned parties are identified based on the user's identity, user's status, or user's position, and at least one of the plurality of devices has rights management means that define on each device the party's authority to transfer rights to a digital work to a third party by granting the party a delegation, and the rights management means is configured to receive a request generated on the device to transfer at least one of the rights of use and delegation, to determine whether the transfer is possible on the basis of the delegation, and if it is determined that the transfer is possible on the basis of the delegation, to transfer at least one of the rights of use and delegation to a third party.

[0005] Furthermore, Patent Document 2 discloses an information processing method that stores authentication information including the artist name, title, jacket image, matrix number, and image data of the matrix number of an analog record in a storage unit, generates an authentication certificate including the artist name, title, jacket image, matrix number, and image data of the matrix number of the analog record based on the authentication information stored in the storage unit, stores the generated authentication certificate associated with an authentication certificate ID, generates an authentication certificate NFT corresponding to the stored authentication certificate on a blockchain system, issues the generated authentication certificate NFT to a user who purchased the analog record, and outputs the authentication certificate in the authentication certificate NFT, information about the artist of the analog record corresponding to the authentication certificate in the authentication certificate NFT, or content related to the music contained in the analog record to the user's user terminal. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2010-186484 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-165019 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] When CDs are sold with bonus items like the handshake tickets mentioned above, even if the same person buys multiple copies, they will listen to the same music, so one CD is usually enough, and the remaining CDs often end up as dust.

[0008] The objective of this invention is to provide a system that matches fans who wish to support their favorite artists by purchasing their music files with users who wish to listen to music. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The music matching system according to the present invention is a music matching system that connects multiple users, and is characterized by comprising: a purchase processing unit for a fan who is one of the multiple users and supports a predetermined artist to download and purchase a predetermined number of the artist's music files; a matching processing unit that performs matching for transferring a number of music files purchased by the purchase processing unit minus 1 to other users who desire the music files; a point granting processing unit that grants points to the fan according to the number of music files purchased; and a ranking processing unit that ranks the fan among other fans based on the number of points.

[0010] Furthermore, it is preferable that the music matching system according to the present invention includes a return processing unit that provides rewards to the fans according to their ranking.

[0011] Furthermore, in the music matching system according to the present invention, it is preferable that the matching processing unit shares requests from other users who desire the music files with the fans, and that the purchase processing unit purchases a predetermined number of the music files determined by the fans in response to the requests from other users. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the present invention, it is possible to match fans who wish to support their favorite artists by purchasing their music files with users who wish to listen to music. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] This figure shows an artist support system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0014] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following, the same reference numerals will be used for similar elements in all drawings, and redundant explanations will be omitted. In addition, in the descriptions within the text, reference numerals previously mentioned will be used as necessary.

[0015] Figure 1 shows a music matching system 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The music matching system 10 is a system for supporting the artists 6 that each user 4 is supporting. The music matching system 10 is connected to multiple users 4 and multiple artists 6 via a network 2.

[0016] Each user 4 and each artist 6 are connected via network 2 using computers, smartphones, tablet devices, etc.

[0017] The music matching system 10 includes a purchase processing unit 12, a matching processing unit 14, a point awarding processing unit 16, a ranking processing unit 18, a return processing unit 20, and a storage unit 22.

[0018] The purchase processing unit 12 has the function of allowing one of the multiple users 4, who is a fan of a particular artist 6, to download and purchase a predetermined number of music files by artist 6. Music files refer to music data stored in digital format. Specifically, the purchase processing unit 12 purchases a predetermined number (for example, 50 songs) of music files determined by the fan (user 4) based on requests from other users 4.

[0019] Music files can be played on devices such as computers, smartphones, and tablets. There are several formats for music files, the most common being MP3, WAV, FLAC, and AAC.

[0020] MP3 is the most common music file format and is one of the audio compression methods used in the video data compression method MPEG-1. MP3 adopts an irreversible compression method that obtains a high compression rate by thinning out the data in parts that are difficult for humans to perceive, and can compress the data volume while maintaining the sound quality comparable to that of a music CD. MP3 is supported by many devices because of its high compression rate and small file size.

[0021] WAV is an uncompressed music file format. It has high sound quality but a large file size. Since it is not compressed, music can be enjoyed with almost the same sound quality as a music CD. The size of a 5-minute file is approximately 50MB. Although there are several recording accuracies, when recorded at 44.1kHz, 16 bits, and stereo, it is substantially the same as the quality of a normal music CD.

[0022] FLAC is a lossless compression format that can reduce the file size while maintaining the sound quality. The data size is about half of the original sound, and it is one of the high-resolution sound sources. It is a reversible compression file format with high sound quality that can be restored to its original state after conversion.

[0023] AAC has a data size that is about one-tenth of the original sound. Its data size is slightly smaller than that of MP3, but the sound quality is good. AAC is an irreversible compression file format that cannot be restored to its original state once compressed (converted).

[0024] In recent years, it has become mainstream to listen to music on smartphones and the like using the above music files, which is very different from the era when music was mainly enjoyed using music CDs. A music CD is an optical disc that sandwiches a thin film of metal or an organic dye material with a protective layer such as polycarbonate or glass, and is a recording medium that reads and writes data using a laser beam. The music CD was developed as a medium for recording music to replace conventional records, and subsequently, derivative standards for recording computer data were also established.

[0025] The matching processing unit 14 has the function of matching users to transfer, free of charge, a number of music files equal to the number of music files purchased minus 1 downloaded by the purchase processing unit 12 to other users 4 who desire those music files.

[0026] Specifically, there is a user 4 who likes music, although they are not a die-hard fan of artist 6, namely artist A. Furthermore, since purchasing music files costs money, user 4 would prefer to obtain them for free. Such user 4 uses their smartphone or tablet to register their desire to obtain music files for free using the matching processing unit 14's function.

[0027] For example, if there are 100 users 4 who want to obtain songs by artist 6, namely artist A, for free, each user 4 using the music matching system 10 can be aware of this situation and consider how many songs they should give to others based on that situation.

[0028] The point awarding processing unit 16 has the function of awarding points to fans according to the number of music files purchased. For example, purchasing one song for distribution as a gift will award 1 point.

[0029] The ranking processing unit 18 has the function of ranking fans (users 4) among other fans (users 4) based on the number of points purchased by the purchase processing unit 12, and making this ranking viewable by each user 4 and each artist 6.

[0030] For example, suppose a fan of artist A purchases one song for themselves and 15 more for distribution as gifts; another fan of the same artist, B, purchases one song for themselves and 45 more for distribution as gifts; and another fan of the same artist, C, purchases one song for themselves and 100 more for distribution as gifts. In this case, 155 songs can be provided as free gifts to 155 users 4.

[0031] In the example above, Person A has 15 songs for distribution as gifts, so they have 15 points; Person B has 40 songs for distribution as gifts, so they have 40 points; and Person C has 100 songs for distribution as gifts, so they have 100 points. Therefore, the ranking of the three persons A, B, and C is C in 1st place, B in 2nd place, and A in 3rd place.

[0032] The return processing unit 20 has the function of rewarding fans (users 4) according to the ranking determined by the ranking processing unit 18. As a reward for the first-place rank, it is possible to set a premium ticket that allows the user to view Artist 6's concert from the closest possible vantage point. Fans (users 4) of Artist 6 who are using the music matching system 10 to support their favorite Artist 6 are often what you would call passionate fans, and by effectively utilizing the ranking system, it is possible to effectively stimulate their competitive spirit.

[0033] If there are many fans participating in the ranking, the rewards for fans with lower rankings can be relatively inexpensive items such as signed T-shirts or fans, while the rewards for fans with higher rankings can be musical instruments such as signed guitars. It is also possible to issue rewards such as the right for fans to have a meal with artist 6.

[0034] The memory unit 22 can store information about each user 4 and each artist 6, as well as the point accounts owned by each user 4 and the credit information of each user 4.

[0035] In the music matching system 10, each function other than the memory unit 22 can be implemented by either a hardware configuration or a software configuration.

[0036] For example, when implemented through software, these functions can be realized by programs (application software) stored on recording media such as RAM, ROM, and hard disks, running on a server device that is actually configured with a CPU or MPU, RAM, ROM, etc.

[0037] Next, we will explain the operation of the music matching system 10 with the above configuration. In the Japanese music market, the 1990s saw the spread of playback devices, and supported by strong music demand, mainly from young people, due to tie-in strategies with popular TV dramas and commercials, as well as the karaoke boom, an unprecedented boom era arrived.

[0038] In 1997, annual single sales reached 167,827,000 copies, and the following year, 1998, saw a peak in annual CD album sales at 302,913,000 copies, with numerous million-selling albums. This boom was later recalled by the media as the "CD bubble." However, sales declined from 1999 onward, resembling a bubble collapse.

[0039] Annual CD sales have been steadily declining since peaking in 1998, falling to 242,212,000 copies in 2008 and 137,205,000 copies in 2018, less than half the original figure over 20 years.

[0040] For single CDs, the shift to digital downloads via music distribution progressed from 2006 onwards. The situation for album CDs is even more serious than that for single CDs, with sales steadily declining from 276,279,000 units in 1999, when statistics began, to 88,964,000 units in 2019, falling below 100 million and reaching one-third of its peak. Moreover, the shift to digital downloads has also slowed down since the 2010s, and the decline in overall demand has not been halted.

[0041] Since 2015, subscription-based music streaming has become widespread, replacing the generally declining trend of digital downloads. Since 2018, streaming sales have consistently surpassed digital download sales. This trend is also evident globally; according to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), streaming service revenue reached $4.3 billion in the first half of 2019, accounting for 80% of the entire market in the country. This can be seen as a shift in values, particularly among younger generations, where music has become something to be shared rather than something to be owned.

[0042] In Japan, not only is the CD market in decline, but subscription services, which are popular overseas, have not caught on. If this situation continues, there is a risk that the Japanese music industry will decline. As one measure to address this, for example, when selling idol music CDs, a bonus of handshake tickets is given, encouraging fans who are actively supporting their idols to buy large quantities of the same CD, thereby intentionally boosting the CD sales figures.

[0043] In this type of business model, even if a single fan buys a large number of the same CDs, they only need to listen to one, so the remaining CDs end up as dust. This creates a discrepancy between apparent sales figures and rankings and the actual situation. The music matching system 10 of the embodiment of the present invention demonstrates remarkable effectiveness in addressing this problem.

[0044] While some fans (User 4) are passionate supporters of artists, others (User 4) simply want to listen to music. Among these Users 4, some want to listen to music for free, so they can use the matching processing unit 14 of the music matching system 10 to register their desire to download music files for free.

[0045] For example, suppose α, a passionate fan of artist A 6, learns through the music matching system 10 that 1000 users 4 want to obtain artist A's music files for free, and in order to support artist A 6, α purchases and downloads 100 music files.

[0046] When another enthusiastic fan, β, downloads and purchases 120 music files for artist 6, the ranking processing unit 18 places β higher than α. Upon learning this, α can purchase an additional 30 music files to try and surpass β in ranking.

[0047] In this way, songs purchased by enthusiastic fans for free distribution will be provided to users 4 who wish to obtain them for free. By counting the number of music files actually provided for free in this manner, the number of music files and the number of people actually listening to them will match, and by using this to generate a hit chart ranking, a chart that reflects reality can be created.

[0048] Furthermore, according to the music matching system 10, there is no need to produce music CDs that end up as waste, and an infrastructure is in place to provide music free of charge to users 4 who simply want to listen to music for free, which has the remarkable effect of suppressing criminal activities such as illegal downloads.

[0049] Furthermore, the following functions can be added to the music matching system 10: User 4 can add gift points to the number of songs available for gift distribution to other users 4. For example, User 4 can pay 30 points for each song downloaded for gift distribution.

[0050] This means that user 4, who wants to acquire the song for free, can not only acquire the song for free but also earn 30 points. This will accelerate the download process for user 4, who wants to acquire the song for free, as they will also want the points. Points are not awarded simply for downloading; points are only awarded when user 4 listens to the song at least once from beginning to end at a consistent volume. This helps to eliminate downloads that are solely for the purpose of earning points. In addition, user 4, who is distributing the gift, can set the condition for earning points as following their favorite artist. This allows users to support artists by increasing their follower count.

[0051] As described above, user 4, who is gifting the song, can set the points to be awarded based on the number of downloads. Since the ranking is determined by these points, users 4, who are enthusiastic fans, will compete with each other to set points, which will increase the number of downloads and thus support the artist. Note that although this explanation assumes that points are awarded based on downloads, user 4 can freely decide whether or not to award points. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0052] 2 network, 4 users, 6 artists, 10 music matching system, 12 purchase processing unit, 14 matching processing unit, 16 point awarding processing unit, 18 ranking processing unit, 20 return processing unit, 22 memory unit.

Claims

1. It is a music matching system that connects multiple users. A purchase processing unit for a fan, who is one of the aforementioned users and supports a particular artist, to download and purchase a predetermined number of music files by that artist, A matching processing unit performs matching for transferring the number of music files purchased by the purchase processing unit minus 1 to other users who desire those music files. A point awarding processing unit that awards points to the fan according to the number of music files purchased, A ranking processing unit that ranks the aforementioned fan against other fans based on the number of points, A music matching system characterized by having the following features.

2. In the music matching system described in claim 1, An artist support system characterized by having a return processing unit that provides the aforementioned fans with benefits according to their ranking.

3. In the music matching system described in claim 1, The matching processing unit shares requests from other users who desire the music file with the fan. The purchase processing unit is characterized by purchasing a predetermined number of music files determined by the fan in response to a request from another user.

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