Abstract: Stateless playback is performed by receiving a request from a media playback device, the request requesting a playback position associated with a collaborative media consumption session. Upon receiving the request, a playback position for the collaborative media consumption session is computed. The playback position is then communicated to the media playback device.

Abstract: Stateless playback is performed by receiving a playback control instruction request from a first media playback device, the playback control instruction request requesting a playback position associated with a collaborative media consumption session to move. Upon receiving the playback control instruction request, updating a playback context. Upon receiving a request for playback instructions, an updated playback position for the collaborative media consumption session is computed. The updated playback position is then communicated to the media playback device.

Abstract: Managing track deletion in a stateless playback architecture is performed by receiving a media content item deletion request requesting deletion of a targeted media content item from a list of media content items that are in queue to be played back by a plurality of participant devices in a collaborative media consumption session, creating a media content item placeholder corresponding to the targeted media content item; computing a playback position for the collaborative media consumption session based on the media content item placeholder until the media content item corresponding to the media content item placeholder has finished playing; and sending the playback position to a media playback device.

Abstract: A server has a pool data store that stores ambient sound recordings for matching. A match engine finds matches between ambient sound recordings from devices in the pool data store. The matching ambient sound recordings and their respective devices are then analyzed to determine which device is a source device that provides credentials and which device is a target device that receives credentials. The server then obtains or generates credentials associated with the source device and provides the credentials to the target device. The target device accesses content or services of an account using the credentials.

Abstract: Methods, systems and computer program products are provided for determining acoustic feature vectors of query and target items in a first vector space, and mapping the acoustic feature vectors to a second vector space having a lower dimension. The distribution of vectors in the second vector space can then be used to identify items from the same songs, and/or items that are complementary. A mapping function is trained using a machine learning algorithm, such that complementary audio items are closer in the second vector space than the first, according to a given distance metric.

Abstract: A method of providing voice feedback to a listener as part of a user interface of a media playback system may include: storing multiple different voice feedback recordings in at least one computer-readable storage device, where each of the multiple different voice feedback recordings is of a different voice artist; receiving a listener command corresponding to a musical selection; determining an identifying musical characteristic of the musical selection; selecting a first voice feedback recording from the multiple different voice feedback recordings, where the first voice feedback recording corresponds to the identifying musical characteristic; and playing the first voice feedback recording to the listener via the media playback system.

Abstract: A training audio track feature vector is generated for training audio tracks. The training audio track feature vector includes training track vector components based on one or more feature sets. Each of the training track vector components is grouped into at least one cluster. Audio filters are mapped to one or more of the clusters, thereby building a feature-filter mapping function. Mapping functions from filters to audio output devices and/or physical space acoustic features can also be built. A media playback device receives the mapping function(s) and is enabled to apply the mapping function(s) to a query audio track feature vector to identify at least one audio filter corresponding to the query audio track. The media playback device can then apply the at least one audio filter to the query audio track.

Abstract: A system for device discovery for social playback is disclosed. The system operates to connect a host media playback device to a media output device and broadcast a social playback session to guest media playback devices. Upon joining a social playback session, a guest media playback device may control the media playback at the host media playback device. Where the media output for the social playback session is provided by the media output device.

Abstract: A media content item recommendation system recommends media content items based on one or more attributes of a seed playlist. The recommended media content items can be determined from a plurality of existing playlists that have been created over a period of time. Such existing playlists can be selected based on similarity to the seed playlist.

Abstract: The various implementations described herein include methods and devices for identifying and presenting content to users. In one aspect, a method includes providing a domain specific language (DSL) tool to a user of the computing device and receiving a plurality of user inputs via the DSL tool. The plurality of user inputs includes: an input identifying a DSL object corresponding to a media pool; an input identifying a DSL object corresponding to a mutator to be applied to the media pool; and inputs identifying a plurality of DSL objects corresponding to respective objectives for a media set list. The method also includes generating the media set list from the media pool based on the mutator and the objectives and presenting information about the generated media set list to the user.

Abstract: Device control permissions are managed during collaborative media consumption sessions. A permissions coordinator authenticates a group of users who wish to participate in a collaborative media session. A specific set of control permissions for an initial user group. The permissions can be determined based on the number of users within that group. Permissions coordinator communicates these control permissions back to the user group.

Abstract: An adaptive multi-model item selection method, comprising: receiving, from one of a plurality of client devices, a request including a client-side feature vector representing a state of the client device; determining, by an advocate model, a probability distribution of a plurality of specialist cluster models from the client-side feature vector; choosing, by a use case selector, a cluster corresponding to a use case from the probability distribution; and obtaining, by the use case selector based on the cluster (i.e., the cluster that was sampled by the user case selector), a specialist cluster model from the plurality of specialist cluster models.

Abstract: A method and system for generating synthesized speech is disclosed. The method includes receiving a request to play a sequence of media items. The sequence of media items may include a media track and a narration media item that relates to the media track. The method further comprises generating a media item identifier for the narration media item. Based on compatibility information of a media playback device, the method includes providing the media item identifier to a shortening service. The shortening service may generate a shortened media item identifier that is provided to the media playback device. The shortened media item identifier may be used by the media playback device to retrieve a synthesized speech track for the narration media item.

Abstract: A method and system for resolving media content is disclosed. In some embodiments, the method includes requesting a manifest file for a media item identifier. The manifest file may be generated by a backend platform. The manifest file may include, among other things, a uniform resource locator (URL) that corresponds to a location of media content for the media item and a latency to generate the media content. The method further includes determining a time to request the media content from a content distribution network based at least in part on a time to play the media content and the latency time to generate the media content. The media playback device may request and play the media content.

Abstract: Disclosed examples include an automated online experimentation mechanism that can perform model selection from a large pool of models with a relatively small number of online experiments. The probability distribution of the metric of interest that contains the model uncertainty is derived from a Bayesian surrogate model trained using historical logs. Disclosed techniques can be applied to identify a superior model by sequentially selecting and deploying a list of models from the candidate set that balance exploration-exploitation.

Abstract: Systems and methods for skipping to playback positions in media content using seek guides are provided. Seek guides may be associated with a media content item. Each seek guide may have a position and a radius. When a user skips to a reference position, a seek guide selector may select a seek guide to use in setting a new playback position. The seek guide selector may use a probabilistic distribution positioned based on the reference position to select a seek guide. Probabilities may be calculated for each seek guide using a cumulative distribution function, and the seek guides may be ranked based on the calculated probabilities. A seek guide may be selected based on the ranking, and a new playback position may be set based on the position of the selected seek guide.

Abstract: A system, method and computer product for combining audio tracks. In one example embodiment herein, the method comprises determining at least one music track that is musically compatible with a base music track, aligning those tracks in time, and combining the tracks. In one example embodiment herein, the tracks may be music tracks of different songs, the base music track can be an instrumental accompaniment track, and the at least one music track can be a vocal track. Also in one example embodiment herein, the determining is based on musical characteristics associated with at least one of the tracks, such as an acoustic feature vector distance between tracks, a likelihood of at least one track including a vocal component, a tempo, or musical key. Also, determining of musical compatibility can include determining at least one of a vertical musical compatibility or a horizontal musical compatibility among tracks.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices for human-machine interfaces for utterance-based playlist selection are disclosed. In one method, a list of playlists is traversed and a portion of each is audibly output until a playlist command is received. Based on the playlist command, the traversing is stopped and a playlist is selected for playback. In examples, the list of playlists is modified based on a modification input.

Abstract: Systems, devices, apparatuses, components, methods, and techniques for automatically generating media previews are provided. An example media system for automatically generating media previews for a particular artist include a trailer generation application configured to receive input specifying an artist and duration of a trailer, automatically select clips from two or more media items by the artist, and automatically arrange and combine the clips into a media trailer for later playback.

Abstract: Systems, devices, apparatuses, components, methods, and techniques for generating and playing a selectable content depth media program are provided. Media content items are edited to produce selectable depth media segments which are assembled into selectable depth media programs. A media-playback device is configured to navigate and play the selectable depth media program through interaction by a listening user. The user selects the desired content depth for each media segment.