Patent ID: 8473367

Claim:
A computer based media access system comprising: a cloud computing storage member configured to store uploaded artist songs on behalf of respective artist users and store uploaded listener songs on behalf of respective listeners users; and at least one central processor configured to: automatically derive characteristics of the artist and listener songs in response to upload of the artist songs and listener songs, respectively, to the cloud computing storage member, the automatically derived characteristics include at least one characteristic selected from the group comprising beat rate, vocal pitch, tempo, and rhythm; store indications of the automatically derived characteristics in the cloud computing storage member; enable listener users using respective client devices to access respective listener songs held by the cloud computing storage member, in response to a listener user request for a certain listener song, stream the certain listener song to the client device of the listener user and compare indications of the automatically derived characteristics of the certain listener song to indications of the automatically derived characteristics of artist songs held in the cloud computing storage member, and upon the comparison results in a match between the certain listener song and one or more artist songs, recommend to the listener user through the respective client device at least one of the one or more matching artist songs for streaming and playback.