METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR EMBEDDING ADVERTISEMENTS IN AUDIO FILES FOR INTERNET AND NETWORK DISTRIBUTION
A method for distribution of advertising that includes combining an audio data file that produces an advertising message when processed with a data file that produces a performance of a musical composition when processed. Alternatively the invention may be viewed as a method for distribution of music which includes providing a server connected to a computer network, permitting message data files to be provided for a fee paid by the party providing the message, purchasing rights to multimedia data files from owners of such rights and making available to end users data files comprising a message and a licensed multimedia file by a connection to the network server. Preferably the method provides a multimedia file that comprises a musical composition. An especially preferred embodiment provides a multimedia data file that is an MP3 file comprising a musical composition.
1 . A data file suitable for transmission over a computer network that comprises a first segment having data which results in the delivery of a commercial advertising message when the data file is processed and a second segment comprising data which results in the performance of a musical composition when the data file is executed.
2 . A data file according to claim 1 in a wav file format.
3 . A data file according to claim 1 in a compressed file format.
4 . A data file according to claim 3 in an MP3 format.
5 . A method for distribution of advertising that comprises combining a data file that produces an advertising message when processed with a data file that produces a performance of a musical composition when processed.
6 . A method according to claim 5 wherein the files are combined by use of a sound editor
7 . A method according to claim 5 wherein the files are combined by use of a hexadecimal editor.
8 . A method for distribution of music which comprises providing a server connected to a computer network, permitting message data files to be provided for a fee paid by the party providing the message, purchasing rights to multimedia data files from owners of such rights thereby obtaining licensed data files; combining the licensed data files with message data files to provide combined files and making combined message and licensed data files available to endusers by connection to the network server.
9 . A method according to claim 8 wherein the multimedia file comprises a musical composition.
10 . A method according to claim 8 wherein the multimedia data file is an MP3 file comprising a musical composition.