Content-based audio comparisons

1. A method of performing a content-based comparison of a plurality of digital audio signals, the method comprising:

generating, using a processor, for a portion of a corresponding channel, a first set of spectral characteristics associated with a first audio signal and a second set of spectral characteristics associated with a second audio signal;

comparing, using a processor, one or more values in the first set of spectral characteristics with one or more corresponding values in the second set of spectral characteristics to identify a degree of difference;

receiving, from a user, one or more match criteria indicating a degree of accuracy; and

determining, using a processor, for the portion of the corresponding channel, that the first audio signal is substantially identical to the second audio signal when the identified degree of difference compares in a predetermined manner to the received match criteria,

wherein the portion of the corresponding channel comprises a window of samples.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the spectral characteristics represent amplitude values associated with one or more component frequencies.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the spectral characteristics represent average amplitude values associated with one or more component frequencies.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

generating, for a portion of a second corresponding channel, a third set of spectral characteristics associated with the first audio signal and a fourth set of spectral characteristics associated with the second audio signal;

comparing the third set of spectral characteristics with the corresponding fourth set of spectral characteristics to identify a second degree of difference; and

determining, for the portion of the second corresponding channel, whether the first audio signal is substantially identical to the second audio signal based on the identified second degree of difference.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining that the first audio signal includes a plurality of channels; and

mixing the plurality of channels associated with the first audio signal to generate a single channel prior to generating the first set of spectral characteristics associated with the first audio signal.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

scaling a volume of at least one of the plurality of channels associated with the first audio signal.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

generating a summary of the first set of spectral characteristics associated with the first audio signal.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

comparing the summary of the first set of spectral characteristics associated with the first audio signal with a summary of a third set of spectral characteristics associated with a third audio signal to identify a second degree of difference; and

determining whether the first audio signal is substantially identical to the third audio signal based on the identified second degree of difference.

9. An article of manufacture comprising machine-readable instructions for performing a content-based comparison of a plurality of digital audio signals, the machine-readable instructions being operable to perform operations comprising:

generating, for a portion of a corresponding channel, a first set of spectral characteristics associated with a first audio signal and a second set of spectral characteristics associated with a second audio signal;

comparing one or more values in the first set of spectral characteristics with one or more corresponding values in the second set of spectral characteristics to identify a degree of difference;

receiving, from a user, one or more match criteria indicating a degree of accuracy; and

determining, for the portion of the corresponding channel, that the first audio signal is substantially identical to the second audio signal when the identified degree of difference compares in a predetermined manner to the received match criteria,

wherein the portion of the corresponding channel comprises a window of samples.

10. The article of manufacture comprising machine-readable instructions of claim 9 , wherein the machine-readable instructions are further operable to perform operations comprising:

generating spectral characteristics representing amplitude values associated with one or more component frequencies.

11. The article of manufacture comprising machine-readable instructions of claim 10 , wherein the machine-readable instructions are further operable to perform operations comprising:

generating spectral characteristics representing average amplitude values associated with one or more component frequencies.

12. The article of manufacture comprising machine-readable instructions of claim 9 , wherein the machine-readable instructions are further operable to perform operations comprising:

generating, for a portion of a second corresponding channel, a third set of spectral characteristics associated with the first audio signal and a fourth set of spectral characteristics associated with the second audio signal;

comparing the third set of spectral characteristics with the corresponding fourth set of spectral characteristics to identify a second degree of difference; and

determining, for the portion of the second corresponding channel, whether the first audio signal is substantially identical to the second audio signal based on the identified second degree of difference.

13. The article of manufacture comprising machine-readable instructions of claim 9 , wherein the machine-readable instructions are further operable to perform operations comprising:

determining that the first audio signal includes a plurality of channels; and

mixing the plurality of channels associated with the first audio signal to generate a single channel prior to generating the first set of spectral characteristics associated with the first audio signal.

14. The article of manufacture comprising machine-readable instructions of claim 13 , wherein the machine-readable instructions are further operable to perform operations comprising:

scaling a volume of at least one of the plurality of channels associated with the first audio signal.

15. The article of manufacture comprising machine-readable instructions of claim 9 , wherein the machine-readable instructions are further operable to perform operations comprising:

generating a summary of the first set of spectral characteristics associated with the first audio signal.

16. The article of manufacture comprising machine-readable instructions of claim 15 , wherein the machine-readable instructions are further operable to perform operations comprising:

comparing the summary of the first set of spectral characteristics associated with the first audio signal with a summary of a third set of spectral characteristics associated with a third audio signal to identify a second degree of difference; and

determining whether the first audio signal is substantially identical to the third audio signal based on the identified second degree of difference.

17. A system for performing a content-based comparison of a plurality of digital audio signals, the system comprising processor electronics configured to:

generate, for a portion of a corresponding channel, a first set of spectral characteristics associated with a first audio signal and a second set of spectral characteristics associated with a second audio signal;

compare one or more values in the first set of spectral characteristics with one or more corresponding values in the second set of spectral characteristics to identify a degree of difference;

receive, from a user, one or more match criteria indicating a degree of accuracy; and

determine, for the portion of the corresponding channel, that the first audio signal is substantially identical to the second audio signal when the identified degree of difference compares in a predetermined manner to the received match criteria,

wherein the portion of the corresponding channel comprises a window of samples.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the processor electronics are further configured to:

generate, for a portion of a second corresponding channel, a third set of spectral characteristics associated with the first audio signal and a fourth set of spectral characteristics associated with the second audio signal;

compare the third set of spectral characteristics with the corresponding fourth set of spectral characteristics to identify a second degree of difference; and

determine, for the portion of the second corresponding channel, whether the first audio signal is substantially identical to the second audio signal based on the identified second degree of difference.

19. A system for performing a content-based comparison of a plurality of digital audio signals, the system comprising a processor means for:

generating, for a portion of a corresponding channel, a first set of spectral characteristics associated with a first audio signal and a second set of spectral characteristics associated with a second audio signal;

comparing one or more values in the first set of spectral characteristics with one or more corresponding values in the second set of spectral characteristics to identify a degree of difference;

receiving, from a user, one or more match criteria indicating a degree of accuracy; and

determining, for the portion of the corresponding channel, that the first audio signal is substantially identical to the second audio signal when the identified degree of difference compares in a predetermined manner to the received match criteria,

wherein the portion of the corresponding channel comprises a window of samples.

20. The system of claim 19 , further comprising processor means for:

generating, for a portion of a second corresponding channel, a third set of spectral characteristics associated with the first audio signal and a fourth set of spectral characteristics associated with the second audio signal;

comparing the third set of spectral characteristics with the corresponding fourth set of spectral characteristics to identify a second degree of difference; and

determining, for the portion of the second corresponding channel, whether the first audio signal is substantially identical to the second audio signal based on the identified second degree of difference.

21. A method of performing a content-based comparison of a plurality of digital audio signals, the method comprising:

generating, using a processor, for a portion of a corresponding channel, a first set of spectral characteristics associated with a first audio signal and a second set of spectral characteristics associated with a second audio signal;

comparing, using a processor, the first set of spectral characteristics with the second set of spectral characteristics to identify a degree of difference;

receiving, from a user, one or more match criteria indicating a degree of accuracy; and

determining, using a processor, for the portion of the corresponding channel, that the first audio signal is substantially identical to the second audio signal if the identified degree of difference compares in a predetermined manner to the received match criteria.

22. A system comprising:

a computer-readable medium storing a first file comprising a first audio signal and a second file comprising a second audio signal; and

a computing system including processor electronics configured to perform operations comprising:

generating, for a portion of a corresponding channel, a first set of spectral characteristics associated with the first audio signal and a second set of spectral characteristics associated with the second audio signal;

comparing the first set of spectral characteristics with the second set of spectral characteristics to identify a degree of difference;

receiving, from a user, one or more match criteria indicating a degree of accuracy; and

determining, for the portion of the corresponding channel, that the first audio signal is substantially identical to the second audio signal if the identified degree of difference compares in a predetermined manner to the received match criteria.

23. The system of claim 17 , wherein the spectral characteristics represent amplitude values associated with one or more component frequencies.

24. The system of claim 17 , wherein the processor electronics are further configured to:

determine that the first audio signal includes a plurality of channels; and

mix the plurality of channels associated with the first audio signal to generate a single channel prior to generating the first set of spectral characteristics associated with the first audio signal.

25. The system of claim 19 , further comprising processor means for:

generating a summary of the first set of spectral characteristics associated with the first audio signal.

26. The system of claim 25 , further comprising processor means for:

comparing the summary of the first set of spectral characteristics associated with the first audio signal with a summary of a third set of spectral characteristics associated with a third audio signal to identify a second degree of difference; and

determining whether the first audio signal is substantially identical to the third audio signal based on the identified second degree of difference.

27. The method of claim 21 , wherein the spectral characteristics represent amplitude values associated with one or more component frequencies.

28. The method of claim 21 , further comprising:

generating, for a portion of a second corresponding channel, a third set of spectral characteristics associated with the first audio signal and a fourth set of spectral characteristics associated with the second audio signal;

comparing the third set of spectral characteristics with the corresponding fourth set of spectral characteristics to identify a second degree of difference; and

determining, for the portion of the second corresponding channel, whether the first audio signal is substantially identical to the second audio signal based on the identified second degree of difference.

29. The method of claim 21 , further comprising:

determining that the first audio signal includes a plurality of channels; and

mixing the plurality of channels associated with the first audio signal to generate a single channel prior to generating the first set of spectral characteristics associated with the first audio signal.

30. The system of claim 22 , wherein the spectral characteristics represent amplitude values associated with one or more component frequencies.

31. The system of claim 22 , wherein the processor electronics are further configured to perform operations comprising:

generating, for a portion of a second corresponding channel, a third set of spectral characteristics associated with the first audio signal and a fourth set of spectral characteristics associated with the second audio signal;

comparing the third set of spectral characteristics with the corresponding fourth set of spectral characteristics to identify a second degree of difference; and

determining, for the portion of the second corresponding channel, whether the first audio signal is substantially identical to the second audio signal based on the identified second degree of difference.

32. The system of claim 22 , wherein the processor electronics are further configured to perform operations comprising:

determining that the first audio signal includes a plurality of channels; and

mixing the plurality of channels associated with the first audio signal to generate a single channel prior to generating the first set of spectral characteristics associated with the first audio signal.