Abstract: A user of a network-based system may correspond to a user profile that describes the user. The user profile may describe the user using one or more descriptors of items that correspond to the user (e.g., items owned by the user, items liked by the user, or items rated by the user). In some situations, such a user profile may be characterized as a “taste profile” that describes an array or distribution of one or more tastes, preferences, or habits of the user. Accordingly, the user profile machine within the network-based system may generate the user profile by accessing descriptors of items that correspond to the user, clustering one or more of the descriptors, and generating the user profile based on one or more clusters of the descriptors.

Abstract: A machine may form all or part of a network-based system configured to provide media service to one or more user devices. The machine may be configured to define a station library within a larger collection of media files. In particular, the machine may access metadata that describes a seed that forms the basis on which the station library is to be defined. The machine may determine a genre composition for the station library based on the metadata. The machine may generate a list of media files from the metadata based on a relevance of each media file to the station library. The machine may determine the relevance of each media file based on a similarity of the media file to the genre composition of the station library as well as a comparison of metadata describing the media file to the accessed metadata that describes the seed.

Abstract: Techniques of content unification are disclosed. In sonic example embodiments, a computer-implemented method comprises: determining clusters based a comparison of a plurality of audio content using a first matching criteria, each cluster of the plurality of clusters comprising at least two audio content from the plurality of audio content; for each cluster of the plurality of clusters, determining a representative audio content for the cluster from the at least two audio content of the cluster; loading the corresponding representative audio content of each cluster into an index; matching the query audio content to one of the representative audio contents using a first matching criteria; determining the corresponding cluster of the matched representative audio content; and identifying a match between the query audio content and at least one of the audio content of the cluster of the matched representative audio content based on a comparison using a second matching criteria.

Abstract: A machine is configured to identify a media file that, when played to a user, is likely to modify an emotional or physical state of the user to or towards a target emotional or physical state. The machine accesses play counts that quantify playbacks of media files for the user. The playbacks may be locally performed or detected by the machine from ambient sound. The machine accesses arousal scores of the media files and determines a distribution of the play counts over the arousal scores. The machine uses one or more relative maxima in the distribution in selecting a target arousal score for the user based on contextual data that describes an activity of the user. The machine selects one or more media files based on the target arousal score. The machine may then cause the selected media file to be played to the user.

Abstract: Examples described herein may perform various operations based on mood congruency. An example implementation accesses (i) a first mood vector that describes first media data and specifies a first mood-value pair, the first mood-value pair assigning a first value to a first mood and (ii) a second mood vector that describes a second media data and specifies a second mood-value pair, the second mood-value pair assigning a second value to a second mood. The implementation retrieves a first score that quantifies congruency between the first and second moods and generates a second score that quantifies congruency between the first and second mood vectors, the generating the second score being based on the accessed first and second values and the retrieved first score. Based on at least the generated second score, the implementation provides an indicator to an application.

Abstract: A user interface generator is configured to access a media file that stores acoustic data representative of sounds. The user interface generator determines a mood category of the media file, based on a mood vector calculated from the acoustic data. The mood category characterizes the media file as being evocative of a mood described by the mood category. The user interface generator generates a user interface that depicts a grid or map (e.g., a “mood grid” or a “mood map”) of multiple zones. One of the zones may occupy a position in the grid or map that corresponds to the mood category. The user interface may then be presented by the user interface generator (e.g., to a user). In the presented user interface, the zone that corresponds to the mood category may be operable (e.g., by the user) to perform one or more actions pertinent to the mood category.

Abstract: A machine is configured to identify a media file that, when played to a user, is likely to modify an emotional or physical state of the user to or towards a target emotional or physical state. The machine accesses play counts that quantify playbacks of media files for the user. The playbacks may be locally performed or detected by the machine from ambient sound. The machine accesses arousal scores of the media files and determines a distribution of the play counts over the arousal scores. The machine uses one or more relative maxima in the distribution in selecting a target arousal score for the user based on contextual data that describes an activity of the user. The machine selects one or more media files based on the target arousal score. The machine may then cause the selected media file to be played to the user.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a method is provided for determining a mood profile of media data. In this method, mood is determined across multiple elements of mood for the media data to create a mood profile associated with the media data. In some embodiments, the mood profile is then used to determine congruencies between one or more pieces of media data.

Abstract: A machine is configured to identify a media file that, when played to a user, is likely to modify an emotional or physical state of the user to or towards a target emotional or physical state. The machine accesses play counts that quantify playbacks of media files for the user. The playbacks may be locally performed or detected by the machine from ambient sound. The machine accesses arousal scores of the media files and determines a distribution of the play counts over the arousal scores. The machine uses one or more relative maxima in the distribution in selecting a target arousal score for the user based on contextual data that describes an activity of the user. The machine selects one or more media files based on the target arousal score. The machine may then cause the selected media file to be played to the user.

Abstract: A clustering machine can cluster descriptive vectors in a balanced manner. The clustering machine calculates distances between pairs of descriptive vectors and generates clusters of vectors arranged in a hierarchy. The clustering machine determines centroid vectors of the clusters, such that each cluster is represented by its corresponding centroid vector. The clustering machine calculates a sum of inter-cluster vector distances between pairs of centroid vectors, as well as a sum of intra-cluster vector distances between pairs of vectors in the clusters. The clustering machine calculates multiple scores of the hierarchy by varying a scalar and calculating a separate score for each scalar. The calculation of each score is based on the two sums previously calculated for the hierarchy. The clustering machine may select or otherwise identify a balanced subset of the hierarchy by finding an extremum in the calculated scores.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a method and apparatus for generating a presentation is provided. The method considers characteristics of audio works and visual works when constructing the presentation. In some embodiments, the presentation may be automatically constructed.

Abstract: A machine is configured to identify a media file that, when played to a user, is likely to modify an emotional or physical state of the user to or towards a target emotional or physical state. The machine accesses play counts that quantify playbacks of media files for the user. The playbacks may be locally performed or detected by the machine from ambient sound. The machine accesses arousal scores of the media files and determines a distribution of the play counts over the arousal scores. The machine uses one or more relative maxima in the distribution in selecting a target arousal score for the user based on contextual data that describes an activity of the user. The machine selects one or more media files based on the target arousal score. The machine may then cause the selected media file to be played to the user.

Abstract: A machine may form all or part of a network-based system configured to provide media service to one or more user devices. The machine may be configured to define a station library within a larger collection of media files. In particular, the machine may access metadata that describes a seed that forms the basis on which the station library is to be defined. The machine may determine a genre composition for the station library based on the metadata. The machine may generate a list of media files from the metadata based on a relevance of each media file to the station library. The machine may determine the relevance of each media file based on a similarity of the media file to the genre composition of the station library as well as a comparison of metadata describing the media file to the accessed metadata that describes the seed.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a method and apparatus for generating a presentation is provided. The method considers characteristics of audio works and visual works when constructing the presentation. In some embodiments, the presentation may be automatically constructed.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a method and apparatus for generating a presentation is provided. The method considers characteristics of audio works and visual works when constructing the presentation. In some embodiments, the presentation may be automatically constructed.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a method and apparatus for generating a presentation is provided. The method considers characteristics of audio works and visual works when constructing the presentation. In some embodiments, the presentation may be automatically constructed.

Abstract: A machine may form all or part of a network-based system configured to provide media service to one or more user devices. The machine may be configured to define a station library within a larger collection of media files. In particular, the machine may access metadata that describes the media files included in the collection and access a seed that forms the basis on which the station library is to be defined. The machine may generate a list of media files from the metadata and based on the seed and enable a human editor to modify the machine-generated station set according to a human-contributed input to the station list. The machine may then modify the station set based on the submitted input and configure a media service to provide one or more user devices with a datastream that includes media files selected from the modified station list.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a method and apparatus for generating a presentation is provided. The method considers characteristics of audio works and visual works when constructing the presentation. In some embodiments, the presentation may be automatically constructed.

Abstract: A user interface generator is configured to access a media file that stores acoustic data representative of sounds. The user interface generator determines a mood category of the media file, based on a mood vector calculated from the acoustic data. The mood category characterizes the media file as being evocative of a mood described by the mood category. The user interface generator generates a user interface that depicts a grid or map (e.g., a “mood grid” or a “mood map”) of multiple zones. One of the zones may occupy a position in the grid or map that corresponds to the mood category. The user interface may then be presented by the user interface generator (e.g., to a user). In the presented user interface, the zone that corresponds to the mood category may be operable (e.g., by the user) to perform one or more actions pertinent to the mood category.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a method is provided for determining a mood profile of media data. In this method, mood is determined across multiple elements of mood for the media data to create a mood profile associated with the media data. In some embodiments, the mood profile is then used to determine congruencies between one or more pieces of media data.