Abstract: This disclosure concerns the providing of media, and more particularly to the streaming of media. In accordance with an example embodiment: a portion of a day is determined; a first data message is sent to a computer server system. The first data message comprises instructions to the computer server system to return media content associated with the determined portion of the day. A second data message is received from the computer server system, the second data message comprising media content associated with the determined portion of the day. In response thereto is playback performed of the media content at the user interface of the electronic device in dependence of the determined portion of the day. While performing playback is a visual appearance parameter of the user interface adjusted according the determined portion of the day.

Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment, described herein is a system and method for enabling use of a media content bot in a social messaging environment that supports group chat. A conversational agent, generally referred to as a “bot”, can leverage a user's interaction with the bot, to access a media server, which in turn can determine one or more items of media content appropriate for the user and/or their interaction. During a group chat, the bot can recognize music commands within the context of a particular discussion, and/or utilize music recommendation services provided by a digital media content environment, to determine items of media content appropriate for the group of users and/or their interaction. The system enables the use of media playback controls within the group chat, enabling the group of users to determine how and which media content is to be played.

Abstract: Systems, devices, apparatuses, components, methods, and techniques for media content playback during travel are provided. An example method a method of generating a playlist trailer for a media playback device, the method comprising: identifying a plurality of media content items from a playlist for inclusion in a playlist trailer identifying snippets from the identified plurality of media content items; and combining the identified snippets to generate a playlist trailer.

Abstract: A system for device-to-device media capturing is described herein. An example system includes a media delivery system of a media service and at least a first and second device associated with respective first and second user accounts of the media service. The first device is also associated with an active media content item provided by the media delivery system that is automatically captured by the second device. For example, as the second device is moved proximate to the first device, one or more wireless communications are transmitted between the devices that trigger device-to-device media capturing. Resultantly, an identifier for the active media content item is stored to a library of the second user account of the media service. The identifier is stored in response to detecting the proximity of the devices and determining that the second device is moving towards the first device.

Abstract: Systems, devices, apparatuses, components, methods, and techniques for saving media content to a context for later playback are provided. An example media-playback device for identifying and playing media content for a user traveling in a vehicle includes a context detecting device, a context-driven playback engine, and a media playback engine. Contexts are established by parameters that can be detected by a media-playback device. Contexts are situations that are defined by one or more locations, times, events, activities, people, and devices. Media content is saved to the contexts for later playback. The contexts are detected by the context detecting device, the associated media content is identified by the context-driven playback engine, and the media content is automatically played through the media playback engine, without additional input required by the user.

Abstract: A source device being associated with an account uses playback of a media content item to cause a target device to become associated with the account. The target device enters an association mode and records a portion of the playing content. The target device provides the recording to a server that identifies the song (e.g., using a music fingerprint service) and uses the identification of the song to find the account that caused playback of the identified song. With the account identified, the server provides credentials of the account to target system. The target device accesses content or services using the account. As confirmation of receiving the credentials, the server causes playback of the content to transition to from the source device to the target device.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer programs for generating a playlist of media content items that are popular with the friends of the first user. A first user taste profile is determined and a user taste profile is determined for each of a plurality of social connections. A similarity score is calculated between the first user taste profile and the user taste profile of each social connection. Media content items consumed by social connections with the highest similarity score are selected and placed in a playlist for the first user.

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: An electronic device generates a respective user queue for each user of a plurality of users participating in a shared listening session. While providing a first media content item for playback, the device receives a second request, from a first user, to add a second media content item to the shared playback queue and updates the respective user queue for the first user. After receiving the second request, the electronic device receives a third request, from a second user, to add a third media content item to the shared playback queue and updates the respective user queue for the second user. The electronic device updates the shared playback queue using the respective user queues of the first user and the second user, including positioning the third media content item in an order of the shared playback queue to be played back before the second media content item.

Abstract: This disclosure concerns the provision of media, and more particularly streaming of media. In particular, one aspect herein relates to a method performed by a server system of streaming an audio content item to an electronic device. In response to receiving a request message from the electronic device, a selected audio content item is retrieved from a first storage. Descriptive metadata including an origin-ID associated with the retrieved audio content item is determined. A second storage is browsed utilizing said metadata including the origin-ID to locate non-static media content item(s) associated with the origin-ID. In response to finding a non-static media content item associated with the origin ID, the selected audio content item is sent along with the located non-static media content item to the electronic device for simultaneous presentation of the audio content item and the located non-static media content item.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and related products for voice-enabled computer systems are described. A machine-learning model is trained to produce pronunciation output based on text input. The trained machine-learning model is used to produce pronunciation data for text input even where the text input includes numbers, punctuation, emoji, or other non-letter characters. The machine-learning model is further trained based on real-world data from users to improve pronunciation output.

Abstract: A system for supporting a user's repetitive motion activity operates to manage cadence-based playlists identifying one or more media content items having a tempo corresponding to a user's cadence. The cadence-based playlists can be categorized by different tempi or tempo ranges that cover all likely cadences during the user's activities. A media-playback device is provided to acquire a user's cadence and retrieve a cadence-based playlist associated with a tempo or a tempo range corresponding to the cadence.

Abstract: A system is provided for streaming media content in a vehicle. The system includes a personal media streaming appliance system configured to connect to a media delivery system and receive media content from the media delivery system at least via a cellular network. The personal media streaming appliance system includes one or more preset buttons for playing media content associated with the preset buttons. The media contents associated with the preset buttons are automatically determined to be personalized to the user of the system.

Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment, described herein is a system and method for providing media content to a media playback device that includes a media server. In response to the initiation by a user of the media playback device to provide media content in shuffle mode, the media server determines a set of media content items based on a context of the initiation. The media server then determines whether a preference profile exists for the user that includes one or more media content items from the set of media content items. If the preference profile exists, the media server orders the one or more media content items from the set of media content items for insertion into a queue according to the preference profile. Thereafter, a remainder of the set of media content items is ordered for insertion into the queue according to rules.

Abstract: A system and method for controlling access to an on-device machine learning model without the use of encryption is described herein. For example, a request is received from an application executing on a device of a user. The request is to download a machine learning model to the device that enables a feature of the application, and the request includes information associated with the user and/or the device. The information is used to create an obfuscation key, and a derivative model can be generated using a reference copy of the machine learning model and the obfuscation key. The derivative model and the obfuscation key are then sent to the application. When the obfuscation key is provided to the derivative model at runtime, values derived from the obfuscation key are provided as additional inputs that enable the derivative model to function properly.

Abstract: A system is provided for streaming media content in a vehicle. The system includes a personal media streaming appliance system configured to connect to a media delivery system and receive media content from the media delivery system at least via a cellular network. The media delivery system is configured to link a user media streaming account with a particular personal media streaming appliance to provide personalized media content to the appliance. Media contexts are assigned to multiple preset settings automatically so that the personal media streaming appliance system is configured to output personalized media content upon first use.

Abstract: A computing device comprising a display screen, the computing device being configured to decompose a media recording into a plurality of media recording salient events, apply each of the media recording salient events to a reinforcement model, display on the display screen (i) a mapping of the plurality of media recording salient events and (ii) for at least one of the plurality of media recording salient events, at least one selectable next best action, the computing device further configured to replace at least one of the plurality of media recording salient events with at least one selectable next best action to create a derivative media recording including at least one replacement media recording action.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer programs for generating a queue of media content items to be played in a party setting are described. A first seed track is identified and is used to create a plurality of related media content items that are presented to a plurality of voters. The media content item receiving the most votes is placed in the queue and subsequently played.

Abstract: An electronic device receives audio data for a media item. The electronic device generates, from the audio data, a plurality of samples, each sample having a predefined maximum length. The electronic device, using a neural network trained to predict textal unit probabilities, generates a probability matrix of textual units for a first portion of a first sample of the plurality of samples. The probability matrix includes information about textual units, timing information, and respective probabilities of respective textual units at respective times. The electronic device identifies, for the first portion of the first sample, a first sequence of textual units based on the generated probability matrix.

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.