Digital Music Playback with Selective Explicit Interval Editing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing solutions for managing explicit content in digital music collections are inadequate, as they either require purchasing multiple versions of songs or prevent entire tracks from playing due to minor explicit content, leading to user dissatisfaction and business losses.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that involves a metadata service providing information on explicit intervals of tracks, allowing a music player to selectively apply edits based on a predetermined rating level, enabling playback of digital music conforming to a desired rating level.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If the entire song is prevented from playing due to explicit lyrics tagging, then explicit content is blocked, but the user loses access to the majority of the song that may be appropriate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the music track into segments based on explicit content intervals. The metadata service provides timing information that segments the track into explicit and non-explicit portions, allowing the music player to selectively play only appropriate segments based on parental control settings.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different quality characteristics to different parts of the music track. Explicit intervals are identified and marked with specific metadata attributes, allowing the player to apply different handling (blocking, fading, or clean version substitution) only to those local segments rather than the entire track.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If users purchase both original and clean versions of songs, then content control is achieved, but cost and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes a single music track serve multiple functions by embedding metadata that indicates explicit content intervals. The same track file can be played in its entirety, played with explicit sections blocked, or played with clean substitutions based on parental control settings, eliminating the need for separate clean and original versions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces metadata as an intermediary layer between the music track and the player. This metadata contains information about explicit content intervals and enables the player to dynamically adjust playback without requiring physical or digital copies of multiple versions of the same song.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If clean versions with bleeps or remixes are used, then explicit content is removed, but audio quality and user satisfaction decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic playback adjustment where the music player dynamically modifies playback based on parental control settings and the identified explicit content intervals. Instead of static clean versions, the system dynamically fades, blocks, or substitutes only the appropriate segments, preserving audio quality for non-explicit portions.
4Measurement precision
If manual screening of individual files is performed, then content accuracy is improved, but time consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary action by having the metadata service pre-identify and tag explicit content intervals in music tracks before they are played. This advance preparation eliminates the need for manual screening by parents, as the system has already analyzed and marked the appropriate segments.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention is directed to a method and system for applying ratings to digital music and for playing back digital music conforming to a rating level. A method for playing back digital music conforming to a rating level, includes: sending a request for metadata from a music player to a metadata service; receiving metadata sent back from the metadata service in response to the request, the metadata comprising information regarding at least one explicit interval of the track; playing the track on the music player; and selectively applying an edit to each explicit interval of the playing track identified in the metadata, based on a predetermined rating level.