Abstract: An information playback apparatus is provided, which can provide a sound which sounds natural by controlling an abrupt change in a tempo in the case of random access playback. When a cue point is registered, audio data which makes seamless playback possible is stored into a cue point memory, and further, the beat density of a playback sound being played when the cue point is registered is measured and stored. When the cue point is specified to start random access playback later, a ratio of the beat density (?×DBPM) of a playback sound being played when the cue point is specified and the beat density (DBPMreg) stored in advance is found. Then, the random access playback is started after the beat density of a playback sound to be played after random access playback is started is corrected to be equal to the beat density when a start of the random access playback is specified.

Abstract: An information playback apparatus is provided, which provides a more convenient operation when a piece of music or the like is switched to another to be played continuously and to play a sound which sounds natural during the switching manipulation. When a loop-in button key is manipulated to be ON, the number of beats (beat density) BPMreal per unit time of music or the like being played is measured, and a time (60/BPMreal)×Kbpm in proportion to a ratio of the beat density BPMreal to a certain beat density Kbpm pre-set by the user or the like is computed. Then, audio data, such as music, corresponding to a range from a point at which the loop-in button key is manipulated to be ON to a point at which the computed time has passed, is stored into a loop data memory. Consequently, repetitive playback is performed based on audio data stored in the loop data memory at a tempo (the number of beats per unit time) adjusted to the certain beat density Kbpm until a loop-off button key is manipulated to be ON.

Abstract: An information playback apparatus is provided, which can provide a sound which sounds natural by controlling an abrupt change in a tempo in the case of random access playback. When a cue point is registered, audio data which makes seamless playback possible is stored into a cue point memory, and further, the beat density of a playback sound being played when the cue point is registered is measured and stored. When the cue point is specified to start random access playback later, a ratio of the beat density (&agr;×DBPM) of a playback sound being played when the cue point is specified and the beat density (DBPMreg) stored in advance is found. Then, the random access playback is started after the beat density of a playback sound to be played after random access playback is started is corrected to be equal to the beat density when a start of the random access playback is specified.