Abstract: A server and website for receiving uploads of music and other media for commercial distribution performs a copyright check for ensuring that an uploaded music track is not in potential conflict with known rights of other entities. A database of audio fingerprints allows comparison of audio data against copyrighted tracks, and a metadata comparison employs fuzzy text matching and metadata comparisons to identify data attributes suggesting a similarity to known copyrighted material. Industry standard metadata, such as ISRC (International Standard Recording Code) identifiers, ID3 tags, and other relevant data such as titles and authorship, considering alternate and similar spellings as well. A comprehensive copyright check and evaluation ensures that possibly infringing media is filtered out and a distribution entity incurs little risk in accepting media uploaded via the media upload website.

Abstract: A media player on a mobile device renders heterogeneous playlists having songs or other entries of different formats, and which correspond to different players. The unified heterogeneous media player identifies playlist entries and invokes a corresponding player through a graphical user interface (GUI). The GUI presents a single interface to the user, selects and invokes a player corresponding to the playlist entries, and remains under the control of the common GUI for providing a consistent user experience. A media server coupled to the mobile device transmits an identifier or title and a source of the media. The media server also stores and/or transmits related information for enhancing the user experience with news, lyrics and images based on the rendered entry. The unified media player invokes a messaging interface of the corresponding player for streaming the content based on the source, and also tenders the related information concurrently.

Abstract: A media content search and retrieval identifies a plurality of available sources for media content such as songs and music videos, and renders the media content in conjunction with supporting and/or related information that complements and enhances the user experience. The media search implements a cross-source search engine and approach which navigates multiple content sources based on the same search label or title, and identifies the most preferable or beneficial source based on an overhead burden imposed by each of the sources. Found content is rendered by both streaming the audio and/or video content from the found source, and integrating with supporting information aggregated on an appurtenant media server. A local device app receives both the content stream and the supporting information cached or stored on the media server for efficient rendering of the enhanced media content.

Abstract: A collaboration database and server correlates project originators with collaborative responders based on a predetermined criteria of skills and background coupled with a corresponding profile of the responder that indicates possible agreement with the predetermined criteria. Communicative messaging is limited during consideration of the criteria, and full communication is permitted only after both the originator and responder have indicated sufficient skills, performance history and motivation for moving forward.