Abstract: Systems and methods for retrieving and playing back audio clips for streamed or remotely received media items are provided. An electronic device can provide audio clips identifying media items at any suitable time, including for example to identify media items that are currently played back or available for playback. When the media items played back are not locally stored, the electronic device may not have a corresponding audio clip locally stored. In such cases, the electronic device can identify a streamed media item, and retrieve an audio clip corresponding to text items associated with the media item. For example, the electronic device can retrieve audio clips corresponding to the artist, title and album of the received media item. The electronic device can retrieve audio clips from any suitable source, such as a dedicated audio clip server or other remote source, a remote text-to-speech engine, or a locally stored text-to-speech engine.

Abstract: Systems and methods for selecting one of several audio clips associated with a text item for playback are provided. The electronic device can determine which audio clip to play back at any point in time using different approaches, including for example receiving a user selection or randomly selecting audio clips. In some embodiments, the electronic device can intelligently select audio clips based on attributes of the media item, the electronic device operations, or the environment of the electronic device. The attributes can include, for example, metadata values of the media item, the type of ongoing operations of the electronic device, and environmental characteristics that can be measured or detected using sensors of or coupled to the electronic device. Different audio clips can be associated with particular attribute values, such that an audio clip corresponding to the detected or received attribute values are played back.