Audio Track Modification for Stem Extraction Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
In the recording industry, music-minus-one recordings can be used to recreate original audio tracks, posing a risk of copyright infringement, especially in rhythm-action games where perfect and imperfect performances can be mixed and subtracted to extract individual stems.
Innovation Solution
A method is implemented in a game platform to mix two audio tracks and apply random audio modifiers before playback, ensuring that subtracting one track from the modified mix produces a third track with audible deviations, preventing the extraction of original audio tracks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If music-minus-one recordings are provided for rhythm-action games, then user training and practice capability is improved, but the risk of copyright infringement through stem extraction increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary anti-action by pre-modifying the mixed audio track with random modifiers before playback, so that when subtraction is attempted, the result contains audible deviations rather than clean stem tracks. This preventive measure is applied in advance to block the harmful extraction process before it can produce usable infringing content.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the audio parameters of the mixed track by applying random modifiers that alter pitch, timing, and other acoustic properties. These parameter changes ensure that the modified mixed track cannot be cleanly subtracted from the original to extract stems, thus protecting against copyright infringement while maintaining the music-minus-one functionality.
2Adaptability or versatility
If selective muting or attenuation is used to alter stems during gameplay, then immersive experience is improved, but vulnerability to subtraction attacks increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies random modifiers to the mixed audio track in advance, before any subtraction attack can occur. This preliminary protective action ensures that even if selective muting or attenuation is applied during gameplay to enhance immersion, the resulting modified track cannot be cleanly subtracted to extract original stems.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If random audio modifiers are applied to the mixed track, then stem extraction is prevented, but audio fidelity to original recording is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies random modifiers that change audio parameters such as pitch and timing. These parameter changes are designed to be sufficient to prevent clean stem extraction through subtraction, while the modifications are controlled to maintain acceptable audio fidelity for the music-minus-one playback experience.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are techniques for preventing extraction of original audio tracks from a song. The techniques are executed on a game platform and involve providing a first and second audio track representing parts of a musical composition, mixing the first audio track and the second audio track to provide a mixed audio track, generating an audio modification data comprising a series of substantially random audio modifiers, and then modifying, before playback, the mixed audio track based on the audio modification data to provide a modified mixed audio track, such that subtracting the second audio track from the modified mixed audio track produces a third audio track with an audibly detectable deviation from the first audio track.