Abstract:
The present invention relates to a computer method and system for maintaining and delivering data, text, and graphics relating to musical and voice recordings over the Internet to end users operating personal computers and portable electronic devices in an inter-connected manner. The Database of Music related information (Song for Song) improves on what currently exists by providing factual information, not only by Album, but for each individual song.

Description:
FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH  
       [0001]    Not Applicable 
       SEQUENCE LISTING OR PROGRAM  
       [0002]    Not Applicable 
       CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0003]    This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/974,772, entitled “Database of Music related information (Song for Song)”, filed on 24 Sep. 2007. The benefit under 35 USC §119(e) of the U.S. provisional application is hereby claimed, and the aforementioned application is hereby incorporated herein by reference. 
       TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    The present invention relates generally to a method for searching a database for musical information. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method for searching a database for song credits and other related information. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    A fan of a musical group could use the present invention to learn information heretofore unknown to the fan. Upon reviewing the material provided by the Invention, the fan learns that one particular Beach Boy song featured the bass guitar as played by session artist Carol Kaye. By clicking on the name “Carol Kaye” the fan would learn that Carol Kaye also provided session work on a wide variety of other sound recordings The importance and validity of the present invention is heightened by the expectation that hard copy sales of CDs may be discontinued by the labels in the near future. The present invention allows a user to create custom albums with custom art, by way of “adding” songs to a “basket” through the interconnectedness of the invention using the above example, the invention allows consumers to create a Carol Kaye custom album compilation. The present invention allows users to highlight and “dissect” what effects/tools musicians have used to create certain sounds in a song. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    The present invention relates to a computer method and system for maintaining and delivering data, text, and graphics relating to musical and voice recordings over the Internet to end users operating personal computers and portable electronic devices in an inter-connected manner. The Database of Music related information (Song for Song) improves on what currently exists by providing factual information, not only by Album but for each song. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]    The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and form a part of the specification, illustrate the present invention and, together with the description, further serve to explain the principles of the invention and to enable a person skilled in the pertinent art to make and use the invention. 
           [0008]      FIG. 1 . shows a typical multi-user network known in the prior art; 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  shows a simplified high-level logic diagram of a system constructed in accordance with the present invention; 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  shows diagram of one embodiment of a system constructed in accordance with the present invention; 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  shows an embodiment of a web page display consisting of album level information stored in the database according to the present invention; and 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  shows an embodiment of a web page display consisting of song level information stored in the database according to the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0013]    In the following detailed description of the invention of exemplary embodiments of the invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings (where like numbers represent like elements), which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific exemplary embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, but other embodiments may be utilized and logical, mechanical, electrical, and other changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is defined only by the appended claims. 
         [0014]    In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. However, it is understood that the invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, the system-known structures and techniques known to one of ordinary skill in the art have not been shown in detail in order not to obscure the invention. 
         [0015]    Now referring to  FIG. 1 , as known in the prior art, the Internet  100  comprises a vast number of computers  101  and computer networks  102  that are interconnected through communication links  103 ,  107 , and  108 . The interconnected computers  101  exchange information using various services, such as electronic mail, Gopher, and the World Wide Web (“WWW”) or Internet. The Internet service  100  allows a server computer system  104  (i.e., Web server or Web site) to send graphical Web pages of information to a remote client computer systems  105 . The remote client computer systems  105  and  106  that can then display the Web pages. The Internet service  100  can also facilitate the distribution of electronic files that are designed for use by portable devices such as cell phones and portable MP3 music players, which may use MP3 formatted files or other compressed music and video files of various and sundry nature. 
         [0016]    Now referring to  FIG. 2 , the present invention relates to a database  200  of music related information comprising the following components: a means for collecting information  201  which extracts information from Album Booklets and other information provided/collected  202 ; a means for entering data  203  that provides detailed information to be stored into a database  200 , the data  204  that has been inputted into the database  200  is sorted and stored in and by the database  200  in a way where everything relevant is linked to each other on the fly, and can be searched through each other; and a means for publishing  205  that provides published data on a end user application  206  such as a web page or other portable electronic device with a display, allowing for an inter-connected environment throughout the database  200 . In alternative embodiments, an end user application can be more than just a Web Page displayed on a computer or other portable electronic devices. The present invention can be used on any sattelite/internet receiving device such as TV&#39;s and Radio as well. So just to make that clearer. Some data  204  may only be accessed by subscription. Some content (i.e. Music Downloads, Custom Art, Contact details for people in the database  200 , copyright/publishing right holder information) may only be accessed by subscription. 
         [0017]    Now referring to  FIG. 3 , an example is as follows: A user  301  who is a fan of the Beach Boys musical group could use the present invention to learn information heretofore unknown to the fan. Upon reviewing the material provided by an output query of the present invention  302 , the fan learns that one particular Beach Boy song featured the bass guitar as played by session artist Carol Kaye, identified as a unique output  303 . By clicking or selecting the name “Carol Kaye”  304  identified as a unique output  303  the user  301  would learn more information  305  about Carol Kaye. For example, the fan may learn that Carol Kaye also provided session work on a wide variety of other sound recordings: The Beach Boys: “Wouldn&#39;t It Be Nice,” “Help Me Rhonda,” “Good Vibrations,” “Caroline No,” “Sloop John B,” “Heroes and Villains,” “California Girls,” and most of Pet Sounds LP. Electric guitar on an earlier hit, “Surfin&#39; USA.” Plus work for Joe Cocker (“Feelin&#39; Alright”) Barbra Streisand (“The Way We Were”), the Marketts (“Batman Theme”), Simon &amp; Garfunkel (“Homeward Bound”), the Righteous Brothers (“Soul &amp; Inspiration”), Ike and Tina Turner (“River Deep Mountain High”), Ray Charles (“America The Beautiful” &amp; “Don&#39;t Change On Me” &amp; “I Don&#39;t Need No Doctor” &amp; “I Chose To Sing The Blues” &amp; “Understanding” &amp; “Feel So Bad”) Brenda Holloway (“You Made Me So Very Happy”), Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass (“Whipped Cream”), Andy Williams (“Love Story”) Lou Rawls—“Natural Man,” “Unforgettable” &amp; “Tobacco Road” Glen Campbell—“Wichita Lineman” and others Motherlode—“When I Die” Frank and Nancy Sinatra—“Something Stupid” Nancy Sinatra—“These Boots Are Made For Walkin&#39;,” “Sugar Town” Additional songs by the Monkees, Gary Lewis &amp; the Playboys, the Buckinghams, Paul Revere &amp; the Raiders, Gary Usher, Gary Puckett and Union Gap, Bill Cosby—“Hikky Burr” &amp; “Chump Change” with Quincy Jones, Guitar hits: (“La Bamba”) Ritchie Valens; (“Zippity Doo Dah”) Bob B. Soxx &amp; Blue Jeans; (“Unchained Melody” &amp; “You&#39;ve Lost That Lovin&#39; Feelin&#39;”) Righteous Bros.; (“The Beat Goes On,” “He&#39;s A Rebel,” “I Got You Babe,” “Baby Don&#39;t Go,” “All I Really want To Do” &amp; “Bang Bang”) Sonny &amp; Cher; (“Danke Shoen”) Wayne Newton; (“Mexican Shuffle”) Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass; (“Mothers Of Invention &amp; Freak Out” LPs) Frank Zappa. 
         [0018]    Via the method of the present invention with this example, the user could then be converted to a collector of Carol Kaye  306 . This example shows that a single search on any music professional could open up a new realm of possible music purchases for the user that until now may have been completely unknown. The invention model of searching from song credits encourages music purchases/subscriptions. 
         [0019]    Additionally, the present invention allows for the prompting of additional sales  307  as identified by the provision of additional recording data, graphics and text previously unknown to the potential purchaser. The invention increases the likelihood of the sales of digital downloads and hard copy recordings by the provision of information not readily available to any person who does not already own a copy of the original album (LP, or that is, vinyl album and/or “45”) or CD copy of the recording. Purchases of digital downloads may access otherwise unavailable graphics, text and data and such data is interrelated so that a person interested in learning more about a particular recording studio, performer, label, artist, sideman, engineer, cover artist/photographer and other professionals involved with a particular recorded song or collection of songs will be provided information regarding other recordings that a particular professional was involved with, thus enhancing sales via the production of this information. 
         [0020]    The importance and validity of the present invention is heightened by the expectation that hard copy sales of CDs may be discontinued by the labels in the near future. The present invention allows a user to create custom albums with custom art, by way of “adding” songs to a “basket” through the interconnectedness of the invention. Using the above example, the invention allows consumers to create a Carol Kaye custom album compilation. The present invention allows users to highlight and “dissect” what effects/tools musicians have used to create certain sounds in a song. 
         [0021]    Now referring to  FIG. 6 , the present invention aggregates the published and unpublished data, text and graphics relating to all recordings issued by a recording label and interconnects them so that all “liner notes,” photographs, session information, and professionals contributing and/or credited to all albums and single recordings released by a label can be accessed in a hyper-linked environment. The invention is specific to, but does not limit to, publishing on a web-page  500  as illustrated in  FIG. 5 . 
         [0022]    Now referring to  FIGS. 4-5 , the present invention aggregates information found in Album booklets and other resources  400  as illustrated in  FIG. 4 , graphics and text for educational, artistic and preservation purposes designed to enhance the sale of musical recordings and packages it for distribution to personal computers and portable electronic devices. Data and additional material  500  collected and used by the Invention comprises song title, album title, record label imprint, recording artist, publisher, date of recording, date of release, charting history, recording studio, producer, engineer, guest performers, hired performers (sidemen), liner notes, album artwork and photography, interior artwork and photography, unused and previously unpublished session photography and other information, data, text and graphics as illustrated in  FIG. 5 . 
         [0023]    In an alternative embodiment, the present invention provides third parties with the ability to display the published date on or in combination with the third parties own published date. In a web page embodiment this would be enabled by allowing a third party to access the API (application programming interface) of the present invention&#39;s servers to load portions of information for the present inventions data from the database onto the third party products. 
         [0024]    Some information may be accessible only by subscription, if needed. Information extracted from booklets may be used to launch supporting features of the invention such as discovering songs via “trackback” our feature that allows you to find any song that has been played at any time, on any media medium for example radio stations, where you can “trackback” all songs that have been played at any time, with interconnected links providing published information earlier extracted and direct purchasing links; for example, publishing companies can monitor how much times a song has come on, where, when and on what. Information extracted from booklets may be used to launch supporting features of the invention such as concert/pre recorded and live performance streaming via the invention publishing apparatus (website). 
         [0025]    Furthermore, other areas of art may benefit from this method and adjustments to the design are anticipated. Thus, the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents, rather than by the examples given.