Patent ID: 8670852

Claim:
A method for performing distributed audio processing within an audio streaming system for use with a plurality of streamed audio playing satellite units, the method comprising: identifying an audio processing task to be performed on at least one audio file stored at an audio streaming base unit of the audio streaming system in response to a communication between the audio streaming base unit and at least one of the plurality of streamed audio playing satellite units; in response to the communication, determining if the audio processing task to be performed is appropriate by comparing the audio processing task to be performed to an attribute of the streamed audio playing satellite unit; in response to the comparing, selecting a streamed audio playing satellite unit of the audio streaming system to perform the audio processing task, the streamed audio playing satellite unit being configured to play audio files streamed from the audio streaming base unit; issuing the audio processing task to the streamed audio playing satellite unit; performing the audio processing task on at least one of the audio files streamed from the audio streaming base unit at the streamed audio playing satellite unit to determine musical or audio characteristics unique to the audio file; and transmitting a result of the audio processing task from the streamed audio playing satellite unit to the audio streaming base unit.