Abstract: Voice-based authentication can include methods, systems, devices, and computer program products for providing user-specific services or access based at least in part on an utterance. In one method, an audio clip having an utterance is obtained. The utterance has an activation trigger portion and a command portion. A first distance between a vector representation of the activation trigger portion and a registered activation trigger vector is determined; and a second distance between a vector representation of the command portion and a registered command vector is determined. Responsive to the first distance satisfying a first distance threshold, and the second distance satisfying a second distance threshold, access is provided to a service associated with a registered user.

Abstract: A method of remotely controlling an electronic device is disclosed. In some implementations, the method is performed on a server system. The server system receives, from a first electronic device, a first media control request, wherein the first electronic device provides a single user interface that allows a user to both select media content for presentation by the first electronic device and to generate media control requests for transmission to the server system; and the first electronic device also sends a second media control request to a second electronic device over a local area network to which both the first electronic device and the second electronic device are connected. The server system then sends the received first media control request to the second electronic device, distinct from the first electronic device, wherein the server system and the second electronic device are not on the same local area network.

Abstract: An electronic device accesses a listening history of a user of a media-providing service, and for each characteristic of a set of characteristics describing tracks provided by the media-providing service, determines a measure of divergence with respect to listening contexts for the listening history of the user. The electronic device identifies a characteristic that has a respective measure of divergence that satisfies a threshold indicative of a lack of uniformity in the listening history with respect to the listening contexts. The electronic device determines a representative value of the identified characteristic for a listening context corresponding to a current listening context of the user. The electronic device provides personalized content to a client device of the user based on the current listening context and representative value of the identified characteristic.

Abstract: A system, computer-readable storage medium storing at least one program, and a computer-implemented method for controlling a local utility are disclosed. A first request originating from an application and including a first token is received at a local utility. The application received a web page, including a plurality of links and the first token, from a first server. The plurality of links are received by the application from a second server. The first token is authenticated. Authentication includes sending the first token to a third server. In response to authenticating the first token, a second token is generated at the local utility. The second token is sent to the application for inclusion in subsequent requests from the application.

Abstract: A playlist preview is generated to provide a preview of media content items identified by a media playlist. The playlist preview can be created by selecting all or some of the media content items in the playlist, determining preview portions of the selected media content items, and arranging the preview portions with or without a transition effect. The playlist preview can be easily shared with other users through, for example, social media sites.

Abstract: An excerpt of a media object is extracted by computing, for each bar of an N-bar loop, one or more perceptual quality vectors. For each of the one or more perceptual quality vectors within a search zone (S), one or more distances between bar i and bar i+N is computed and sorted to generate a sorted list of bars.

Abstract: A media-playback device includes: a media-output device that plays media content items; a physiological measurement device programmed to measure at least one physiological measurement of a user of the media-output device; and a physiological control engine configured to: identify a current physiological measurement for the user; and cause the media-output device to modify playback of the media content items based upon the current physiological measurement.

Abstract: Systems, devices, apparatuses, components, methods, and techniques for cadence determination and media content selection are provided. An example media-playback device comprises a media-output device that plays media content items, a cadence-acquiring device, and a cadence-based media content selection engine. The cadence-acquiring device includes an accelerometer and a cadence-determination engine configured to determine a cadence based on acceleration data captured by the accelerometer. The cadence-based media content selection engine is configured to identify a media content item based on the cadence determined by the cadence-determining engine and cause the media-output device to playback the identified media content item.

Abstract: A system for multi-track playback of media content includes: a media device; a user interface, provided at the media device, which displays a visual array of media options, a playback logic, provided within the media device, which is configured so that, while a selected point or region is determined by the user interface as being moved in response to user input, within the visual array of media options, the system determines media options that are proximate to the selected point or region, and adjusts playback parameters for corresponding media content items, by crossfading or otherwise combining playback to reflect the media options relative distances from the selected point or region; and a tempo logic, provided within the media device, which is configured to provide or receive a selected tempo and provide the one or more media content items associated with the selected tempo.

Abstract: Systems, devices, apparatuses, components, methods, and techniques for building customized media programs for a specified duration are provided. An example media-playback device for generating customized media programs for a route to a specified duration includes a user preferences engine to determine a user's listening preferences, a duration engine to determine a duration of the route, and a duration-based media program engine for building a playlist of news and entertainment media content based on the duration of the route and the preferences of the user.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and/or devices for media context switching among electronic devices are described herein. In one aspect, a method is performed at a first electronic device. A first media item is played. While playing the first media item, a near-field-communication (NFC) channel is established with a second electronic device while the second electronic device is playing a second media item. First contextual data of the first electronic device is transferred via the NFC channel to the second electronic device, wherein the first contextual data corresponds to the first media item. A playback command for the second media item is received. In response to receiving the playback command for the second media item, the first electronic device plays the second media item.

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 system operates to manage accessibility of media content items based on a user's performance of a repetitive motion activity. The system can generate rule data based on a rule designed to permit access to certain media content items. The rule data can include information about various conditions to be satisfied to make the media content items accessible for playback. Such conditions can be associated with a user's performance or status of a repetitive motion activity.

Abstract: A server system divides respective groups of a plurality of groups of sessions for multiple users of the media-providing service into respective pluralities of clusters. The server system tracks user interaction with a client device during a user session and identifies the user session as belonging to a first cluster of the pluralities of clusters based at least in part on the user interaction. The server system personalizes content for the user session using one or more content criteria associated with the first cluster, in accordance with identifying that the user session belongs to the first cluster.

Abstract: Systems, devices, apparatuses, components, methods, and techniques for identifying and playing media content are provided. An example media-playback device for identifying and playing media content for a user traveling in a vehicle includes an audio identification engine and a media playback engine. Audio content is recorded and identified by comparison to media content databases. The audio content is identified and immediately played on the same device. Additional media content is selected for playback based on user listening preferences.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and/or devices for controlling media presentation at a shared media presentation system are described herein. In one aspect, a first electronic device detects user input requesting to indicate availability of a media presentation system for use by one or more other electronic devices. In response to detecting the user input, the first electronic device transmits an indication of availability of the media presentation system for use by the one or more other electronic devices. The first electronic device also receives, from a second electronic device of the one or more other electronic devices, a request for access to the media presentation system. In response to receiving the request, the first electronic device transmits, to the second electronic device, an authentication token that allows the second electronic device to access the media presentation system through submission of media control requests that include the authentication token.

Abstract: A method for providing access to media content from a media content provider is performed at an electronic device. The method comprises receiving, from a client device, a request for access to a media item. The method further comprises, in response to the request for access to the media item, initiating an analysis to determine whether the client device is authorized to access the requested media item based on detection of multiple different user identifiers using a same local-application universally unique identifier (UUID). A local-application UUID is assigned to each instance of an application provided by the media content provider. The method further comprises, in accordance with a determination that the client device is not authorized to access the requested media item based on detection of the multiple different user identifiers using the same local-application UUID, preventing access to the requested media item by the client device.

Abstract: A component for controlling playback of digital media objects using a single control input receives, from a server, a plurality of feature vectors, each feature vector representing one of a plurality of media objects, and receives one or more skip requests from the single control input. In response to a first skip request, the component selects a feature vector from among the plurality of feature vectors and instructs a media object playback device to playback a media object represented by the selected feature vector. In response to a second or successive skip request, the component selects another feature vector from among the plurality of feature vectors that is a distance away from the previously selected feature vector and instructs the media object playback device to playback another media object represented by the selected other feature vector.

Abstract: Technology for generating, reading, and using machine-readable codes is disclosed. There is a method, performed by an image capture device, for reading and using the codes. The method includes obtaining an image, identifying an area in the image having a machine-readable code. The method also includes, within the image area, finding a predefined start marker defining a start point and a predefined stop marker defining a stop point, an axis being defined there between. A plurality of axis points can be defined along the axis. For each axis point, a first distance within the image area to a mark is determined. The distance can be measured from the axis point in a first direction which is orthogonal to the axis. The first distances can be converted to a binary code using Gray code such that each first distance encodes at least one bit of data in the code.

Abstract: A system for playing media content items operates to provide smooth transitions between the media content items to continuously support a user's repetitive motion activity. The system can generate crossfade data containing information for transitions between media content items. The mix-in and mix-out points for the transitions are calculated to eliminate one or more portions of media content items that have lower musical energy than a majority portion of the items, and to maintain substantially consistent and/or stable musical energy (e.g., audio power or sound power) throughout the media content items including transitions therebetween.