Patent ID: 8117038

Claim:
A method for storing audio information comprising: storing, as part of a single audio file conforming to a particular file format, audio data for a plurality of channels, wherein the plurality of channels are stored within the single audio file in a particular sequence, wherein each channel of the plurality of channels has a position within the particular sequence of channels; storing, as part of the single audio file, a plurality of channel descriptors, one channel descriptor for each channel of the plurality of channels, wherein the plurality of channel descriptors are stored within the single audio file in a particular sequence, wherein each descriptor of the plurality of descriptors has a position within the particular sequence of descriptors; wherein the particular file format requires that the plurality of channel descriptors precede the audio data within the single audio file in order for the single audio file to conform to the particular file format; wherein storing the plurality of channel descriptors and the audio data as part of the single audio file comprises storing the plurality of channel descriptors and the audio data within the single audio file so that the plurality of channel descriptors precedes the audio data within the single audio file in conformance with the particular file format; wherein the particular file format dictates that, for each descriptor of the plurality of channel descriptors, the position of the descriptor within the particular sequence of descriptors indicates the channel of the plurality of channels to which the descriptor applies; wherein the method is performed by a computing device.