Patent ID: 7179982

Claim:
A music playback method for playing back music audio data by using a music audio data playback apparatus for playing back the music audio data, comprising: a first step of preparing in advance a plurality of characteristic music structure section specifying data for specifying characteristic music structure sections in a piece of music in respect of the music audio data to be played back; a second step of providing an interface for selecting an arbitrary characteristic music structure section from the plurality of characteristic music structure sections; and a third step of changing a playback position of the music audio data to be played back by the music audio data playback apparatus to the arbitrary characteristic music structure section, based on the characteristic music structure section specifying data corresponding to the arbitrary characteristic music structure section that an operator has selected by using the interface after starting playback of the music audio data by using the music audio data playback apparatus, wherein at the first step, the plurality of characteristic music structure sections are identified based on statistical data on playback behaviors of a plurality of trial listeners who have played back the music audio data to be played back, and the plurality of characteristic music structure section specifying data for specifying the plurality of characteristic music structure sections which have been identified are created.