INTERNET RADIO AND BROADCAST METHOD PERSONALIZED BY SOCIAL CURATION
Data streams are generally selected according to user preferences and transmitted to the user in general alignment with expressed preferences of the user. Such data streams may be music, including music videos. Users may indicate their general or specific preferences with regards to song, artists, or albums. Any other aspects or factors that might affect the user's preferences can be taken into account. A playlist is created that combines all of these factors. The playlist then serves as the basis for feeding the data streams to the user. Each user is able to express his or her own preferences and receive music corresponding to those preferences on an on-going basis.
1 . A method of providing an Internet radio service, comprising:
utilizing a first set of users to provide musical preferences and act as curators for a set of shared Internet radio stations hosted by an Internet radio service having a musical database and at least one server computer;
providing a user interface for an individual user in a second set of users to create a personalized Internet radio station, based on at least one musical preference of the individual user, wherein the personalized Internet radio station is hosted by the Internet radio service; and
providing a user interface for the individual user to subscribe to one or more of the set of shared Internet radio stations.
2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
providing a user interface for the individual user to share the personalized Internet radio station with a community of users.
3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the at least one musical preference of the individual user includes is selected from the group consisting of songs, artists, genres, albums, and albums.
4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising generating a listing of recommended shared Internet radio stations for the individual user.
5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing a user interface to provide information on an individual associated with curating a shared Internet radio station.
6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising generating a playlist for the individual user based on a combination of the at least one musical preference of the individual user and preferences associated with a set of shared featured Internet radio stations selected by the user.
7 . A method of providing a socially curated Internet radio service, comprising:
receiving a request of a user to subscribe to at least one Internet radio station hosted by an Internet radio service to form a set of subscribed Internet radio stations for the user, wherein each individual Internet radio station of the set of subscribed Internet radio stations has a playlist of songs based on at least one musical preference and musical ratings selected by a human user responsible for curating the respective Internet radio station;
receiving a request of the user to play an individual one of the set of subscribed Internet radio stations;
providing access to a client device of the user, via at least one server computer, to a song playlist of a selected individual subscribed radio station.
8 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising generating personalized musical selections for the user based on musical preferences of the set of subscribed Internet radio stations.
9 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising generating a personalized Internet radio station for the user based on a musical preference of the user and providing an option for the user to share the personalized Internet radio station with a community of users.
10 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the at least one musical preference includes an artist preference.
11 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the at least one musical preference includes a rating of at least one song.
12 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising generating a community rating of an individual song or artist and utilizing the community rating in generating personalized musical selections for the user.
13 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the at least one server computer includes at least one of a central server, a streaming server, a HTTP server, and a media server.
14 . A method of providing a socially curated Internet radio service, comprising:
hosting a multiplicity of shared Internet radio stations, via an Internet radio service including a musical database and at least one server computer, wherein each shared Internet radio station has a playlist reflecting musical preferences selected by a human user responsible for curating an individual shared Internet radio station;
providing a user interface for a user to search the multiplicity of shared Internet radio stations and receive station recommendations; and
providing a user interface for a user to select to one or more of the multiplicity of shared Internet radio stations.
15 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising discovering new musical selections for the user based on preferences associated with at least one subscribed shared Internet radio station.
16 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising providing a user interface for the user to generate a personalized Internet radio station and provide the user with an option to share the personal Internet radio station as one of the multiplicity of shared Internet radio stations.
17 . The method of claim 16 , further providing a user interface for the user to personalize the playlist of the personalized Internet radio station based on at least one genre.
18 . The method of claim 16 , further generating a user interface for the user to personalize the playlist of the personalized Internet radio station based on at least one mood.
19 . The method of claim 16 , further generating a user interface for the user to personalize the playlist of the personalized Internet radio station based on at least one song rating.
20 . The method of claim 16 , further generating a user interface for the user to personalize the playlist of the personalized Internet radio station based on at least one artist preference.
21 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising generating musical recommendations based on at least one musical preference of the user and musical preferences associated with at least one subscribed shared Internet radio station.
22 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the at least one server computer includes at least one of a central server, a streaming server, a HTTP server, and a media server.
23 . A system for providing a socially curated Internet radio service, comprising:
a musical database and at least one server to host Internet radio stations and receive user inputs via a set of user interfaces displayed on client devices, the set of user interfaces including:
a user interface to access a plurality of shared Internet radio stations where each individual shared Internet radio station has a playlist of songs based on at least one musical preference selected by a user responsible for curating a particular Internet radio station;
a user interface to search the plurality of shared Internet radio stations and receive station recommendations; and
a user interface to subscribe to one or more of the plurality of the shared Internet radio stations.
24 . The system of claim 23 , further comprising a user interface for a user to create a personalized Internet radio station having a song playlist based on at least one musical preference of the user.
25 . The system of claim 24 , further comprising a user interface for the user to share the personalized Internet radio station as one of the shared Internet radio stations.
26 . The system of claim 24 , further generating a user interface for the user to personalize the song playlist of the personalized Internet radio station based on at least one genre.
27 . The system of claim 24 , further generating a user interface for the user to personalize the song playlist of the personalized Internet radio station based on at least one mood.
28 . The system of claim 24 , further generating a user interface for the user to personalize the song playlist of the personalized Internet radio station based on at least one song rating.
29 . The system of claim 24 , further generating a user interface for the user to personalize the song playlist of the personalized Internet radio station based on at least one artist preference.
30 . The system of claim 24 , further comprising generating a song recommendation based on determining a rating from preferences associated with a set of shared Internet radio stations subscribed to by the user.