Apparatus, system, and method for digital audio services

1 . A method for proving digital audio services, comprising:

receiving, using a communications interface, an audio stream from a content provider;

determining a timestamp for a first audio stream segment;

determining a timestamp for a second audio stream segment;

updating playlist with a representation of the audio stream;

receiving query for content information;

sending offer information, in response to receiving the query for content information.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first and second audio stream segments are advertisements.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining a timestamp for the first audio stream segment comprises sampling audio stream at regular intervals.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the regular interval is more than 5 seconds.

5 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the regular interval is less than or equal to 30 seconds.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

sampling the audio stream at a first data rate;

querying a database for selectable sample segments; the selectable sample segments conforming to the first data rate and a second data rate.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the updating the playlist comprises:

creating a fingerprint of one of the first and second audio stream segments; and

updating the playlist with the fingerprint.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the updating the playlist with the fingerprint is in response to a determination that the fingerprint representing the same audio stream segment is not in the playlist

9 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the creating the fingerprint comprises:

creating spectrograph data from the audio stream;

filtering out, from the spectrograph data, data representing frequencies not within a predetermined minimum and predetermined maximum range; and

scaling the spectrograph data to a predetermined decibel range.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the sending offer information comprises:

generating a chit, the chit including information selected from the group consisting of vendor information, unique receipt information, and offer information.

11 . A computer-readable storage medium containing a plurality of program instructions executable by a processor for providing digital audio services, comprising:

an instruction segment for receiving, using a communications interface, an audio stream from a content provider;

an instruction segment for determining a timestamp for a first audio stream segment;

an instruction segment for determining a timestamp for a second audio stream segment;

an instruction segment for updating playlist with a representation of the audio stream;

an instruction segment for receiving query for content information;

an instruction segment for sending offer information, in response to receiving the query for content information.

12 . The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the first and second audio stream segments are advertisements.

13 . The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the instruction segment for determining a timestamp for the first audio stream segment comprises instructions for sampling audio stream at regular intervals.

14 . The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the regular interval is more than 5 seconds.

15 . The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the regular interval is less than or equal to 30 seconds.

16 . The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of program instructions executable by a processor further comprise:

an instruction segment for sampling the audio stream at a first data rate;

an instruction segment for querying a database for selectable sample segments; the selectable sample segments conforming to the first data rate and a second data rate.

17 . The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the instruction segment for updating the playlist comprises:

an instruction segment for creating a fingerprint of one of the first and second audio stream segments; and

an instruction segment for updating the playlist with the fingerprint.

18 . The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the instruction instructions for updating the playlist with the fingerprint is in response to a determination that the fingerprint representing the same audio stream segment is not in the playlist

19 . The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the instructions for creating the fingerprint comprises:

instructions for creating spectrograph data from the audio stream;

instructions for filtering out, from the spectrograph data, data representing frequencies not within a predetermined minimum and predetermined maximum range; and

instructions for scaling the spectrograph data to a predetermined decibel range.

20 . The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the instruction set for sending offer information comprises:

instructions for generating a chit, the chit including information selected from the group consisting of vendor information, unique receipt information, and offer information.