Abstract: An automated system and method for classifying audio or audio/video signals as music or non-music is provided. A spectrum module receives at least one digitized audio signal from a source and generates representations of the power distribution of the audio signal with respect to frequency and time. A first moment module calculates, for each time instant, a first moment of the distribution representation with respect to frequency and in turn generates a representation of a time series of first moment values.A degree of variation module in turn calculates a measure of degree of variation with respect to time of the values of the time series and produces a representation of the first moment time series variation measuring values.