Granted Patent B2

US 9,552,607 · App. 13/802,585 · Granted Jan 24, 2017

Inventor: Matthew Thomas (Denver, CO)

Assignee: Beatport, LLC

G06Q30/0641G06Q30/0631

Abstract

Claims (33)

1. A method for selling a digital sound file to a user of a digital audio workstation (DAW) used to create and modify a sound track, comprising:

receiving, within a sound vendor computer server remote from the DAW, the digital sound file from a sound creator;

analyzing, within a disaggregation tool of the sound vendor computer server, the digital sound file to automatically determine a beats-per-minute value (BPM) and a musical key value;

storing the sound file in association with the BPM value and the musical key value within a database of the sound vendor computer server;

sending a sample of the sound file from the sound vendor computer server to the DAW, the sample being synchronized by a plug-in, installed onto the DAW, to match a beats-per-minute value and a musical key of a sound track within the DAW and then played with the sound track; and

during creation of the sound track within the DAW by the user:

receiving, at the sound vendor computer server and via the Internet, a search request from the plug-in defining match parameters identified by the plug-in from the sound file, the match parameters including one or more of a desired sound category, a desired BPM range, and a desired musical key, the search request based upon timing information of the sound track determined by the plug-in by interacting with the DAW;

retrieving, based on the search request, the sound file from the database of the sound vendor computer server; and

sending, via the Internet and the plug-in, the sound file to the DAW for playing with the sound track within the DAW.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

presenting, within the DAW via the plug-in, a plurality of matching sound files from the sound vendor computer server, including the sound file, to the user; and

interactively receiving a selection of the sound file from the user via the plug-in.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the beats-per-minute value and the musical key are automatically determined by the sound vendor computer server from one or both of a filename and a path name of the sound file.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the steps are implemented as instructions, stored on computer readable media, and executed by a computer.

5. A sound vendor coupled to the Internet for selling a sound file, comprising:

a web interface, executing within a server coupled with the Internet, for receiving at least one sound file from a sound creator;

an analyzer, executing within the server, configured to analyze the sound file and determine a beats-per-minute value of the sound file and a musical key value of the sound file; and

a database, implemented within the server, for storing the sound file in association with the beats-per-minute value and the musical key value;

the web interface adapted to interact with a plug-in loaded into a digital audio workstation adapted for creation of a sound track and located remotely from the web server, to search the database for the sound file based upon at least one of the beats-per-minute value and the musical key value, and transmit the sound file to the plug-in such that the plug-in plays the sound track with the sound file during creation of the sound track.

6. The sound vendor of claim 5 , further comprising a disaggregation tool, implemented within the server, for combining a plurality of sound files into a pack and for defining metadata associated with the pack, wherein the metadata defines a musical key value and a beats-per-minute value of each sound file within the pack.

7. A software product comprising instructions, stored on non-transitory computer-readable media, wherein the instructions, when executed by a digital processor, perform steps for selling a sound file, comprising:

instructions for receiving at least one sound file from a sound creator;

instructions for analyzing the sound file to automatically determine a beats-per-minute value and a musical key value;

instructions for storing, within a database, the sound file in association with the beats-per-minute value and the musical key value;

instructions for generating a web interface that allows searching of the database, based on a search request, and selecting the sound file based upon at least the beats-per-minute value and the musical key value;

instructions for sending a sample of the sound file to the DAW, the sample being synchronized by a plug-in downloaded on the DAW to match a beats-per-minute value and a musical key of a sound track within the DAW and then played with the sound track; and,

instructions for sending the sound file to a digital audio workstation (DAW) of the user, the DAW having a plug-in downloaded thereon and being adapted to create and modify a sound track using the sound file,

the search request defining match parameters identified by the plug-in from the sound file, the match parameters including one or more of a desired sound category, a desired BPM range, and a desired musical key, the search request based upon timing information determined by the plug-in interacting with the DAW.

8. The software product of claim 7 , further comprising:

instructions for presenting a plurality of matching sound files, including the sound file, to the user via the plug-in; and

instructions for interactively receiving a selection of the sound file from the user.

9. The software product of claim 7 , further comprising instructions for automatically determining the beats-per-minute value and the musical key from one or both of a filename and a path name of the sound file.

10. The software product of claim 7 , further comprising instructions for sending a plug-in from the sound vendor to the DAW, wherein the DAW communicates with the sound vender via the plug-in.

Assignments (10)

Continuity (2)