Track listening and playing service for digital media files
Methods, system and apparatus for identifying, tracking and monitoring digital media files through the use of a track listening service is provided. The service may also include a digital media playing service suitable for playing audio, video, audiovideo, and other media format files. The system provides numerous methods of interfacing with a content outlet and providing track listening services in conjunction therewith. The methods further include comparing attributes of content to be downloaded with attributes of content in a media database. The methods also includes providing restrictions based on a result of the comparing. The methods further include monetizing the methods between both retailers and rights-holders using the system. Additionally, the method may include providing retail analysis, resolving disputes, and distributing royalty payments to rights-holders of content.
1 . A digital rights management system comprising:
an open copyright database storing track information for a plurality of media tracks, for each track said track information including a track title, hashing information identifying a source of said track, fingerprint information, and a track state;
a client access server coupled to the network, said client access server managing said open copyright database, wherein said client access server instantiates a self-registration process, a p2p client interface process, and a rightsholder track management process;
a web crawler operable to search a network and uncover media tracks; and
a track listening service operable to allow a rightsholder to listen to a selected media track.
2 . The digital rights management system of claim 1 wherein the p2p client interface process uncovers media tracks.
3 . The digital rights management system of claim 2 wherein the uncovered media tracks are likely owned by a rights-holder.
4 . The digital rights management system of claim 3 further comprising comparing the uncovered track information to track information stored in the open copyright database.
5 . The digital rights management system of claim 3 wherein after the rights-holder has listened to the track, rights are asserted to the track in the file management process.
6 . The digital rights management system of claim 1 wherein the digital data of the track is obtained from the p2p networks.
7 . The digital rights management system of claim 6 wherein the digital data of the track is cached locally.
8 . The digital rights management system of claim 7 wherein the digital data of the track is music.
9 . The digital rights management system of claim 7 wherein the most popular version of the track is cached locally.
10 . The digital rights management system of claim 6 wherein the hashing information identifying a source of said track is used to locate and cache the track.
11 . A method of managing media tracks within an online digital rights management system comprising:
maintaining a list of missing masters tracks including source identification;
receiving a request from a rightsholder to retrieve and play one or more missing master tracks;
requesting a missing master track from the source;
receiving and caching the requested missing masters;
displaying to the rights-holder a track listening service interface; and
playing the tracks to the rights-holder as requested.
12 . The method of managing media tracks within an online digital rights management system of claim 11 further comprising;
receiving instructions from the rights-holder as to ownership assertion of the selected track.
13 . The method of managing media tracks within an online digital rights management system of claim 12 further comprising;
updating the track with the ownership information.
14 . The method of managing media tracks within an online digital rights management system of claim 11 wherein the cache is purged upon completion of the track listening.
15 . The method of managing media tracks within an online digital rights management system of claim 11 wherein playing the track includes playing a most popular version of the track.
16 . The method of managing media tracks within an online digital rights management system of claim 11 wherein playing the track includes playing a best available copy of a track.
17 . The method of managing media tracks within an online digital rights management system of claim 11 further comprising displaying a list of available tracks and a list of unavailable tracks.
18 . The method of managing media tracks within an online digital rights management system of claim 17 further comprising searching for and downloading unavailable tracks.
19 . The method of managing media tracks within an online digital rights management system of claim 18 further comprising playing an alternate version of a track.
20 . The method of managing media tracks within an online digital rights management system of claim 15 wherein a track is moved from the unavailable list to the available list when it is downloaded.
21 . A method of managing media tracks within an online digital rights management system comprising:
displaying a first list of tracks immediately available and cached;
displaying a second list of tracks that are currently being downloaded;
receiving a request to play an available track; and
playing the requested track.
22 . The method of managing media tracks within an online digital rights management system of claim 21 further comprising moving a track from the second list to the first list once a track is downloaded.
23 . The method of managing media tracks within an online digital rights management system of claim 21 further comprising searching for the second list of tracks.
24 . The method of managing media tracks within an online digital rights management system of claim 23 wherein the searching is performed on a peer to peer network.
25 . The method of managing media tracks within an online digital rights management system of claim 23 wherein the searching is performed on a record label database.
26 . An apparatus for playing digital media tracks within an online digital rights management system comprising:
an open copyright database storing track information for a plurality of audio, video, or other media tracks,
an interface that displays a list of track titles that are immediately available and a list of tracks titles currently being downloaded, wherein the interface receives a selection to play one of the displayed tracks; and
a track listening service operable to play the selected track.
27 . The apparatus for playing digital media tracks of claim 26 further comprising a web crawler that searches for tracks to be downloaded.
28 . The apparatus for playing audio tracks of claim 27 wherein the downloaded media tracks are likely owned by a rights-holder.
29 . The apparatus for playing digital media tracks of claim 26 further comprising comparing the downloaded track information to track information stored in the open copyright database.
30 . The apparatus for playing digital media tracks of claim 26 wherein after a rights-holder has listened to the track, rights are asserted to the track.