A mix instructions file for controlling the playback of at least one music track file, the mix instructions file comprising one or more instructions including an indication of the at least one music track file at the point in time when the at least one music track file is to be accessed, and at least one effect for manipulating the playback of the at least one music track file. The indication of the at least one music track file and the at least one function comprise the state of the music mix at the point in time. The mix instructions file comprising at least a first and a second packet, that may be transmitted independently of each other, the second packet holding information about the playback state of the mix at the corresponding end of the first packet.

Audio mix information is received from a plurality of users. Mix rules are determined from the audio mix information from the plurality of users, wherein the mix rules include a first mix rule associated with a first audio item. The first mix rule relates to an overlap of the first audio item with another audio item. The first mix rule is made available to one or more clients. After making the first mix rule available, an indication, from a respective client device, that the first audio item is to be mixed with a second audio item at the respective client device in accordance with the first mix rule is received. In response to the indication, a specification of the first mix rule is transmitted to the respective client device to be applied by the respective client device to generate a transition between the first audio item and the second item.

A handheld musical instrument for playing a variety of audio program, the handheld musical instrument includes a main body portion with one or more sensors, a handle portion engaged with said main body portion, wherein said handle portion includes one or more control buttons to select a type of program to be played by said handheld musical instrument and a gesture detection module for detecting gestures associated with said handheld musical instrument and controlling a tempo associated with said program played by said handheld musical instrument based on said detected gestures.

An acoustic device includes a rotary operator and a base supporting the rotary operator so that the rotary operator is rotatable. The rotary operator includes a rotary body provided on the base, a pressed portion provided on the rotary body and on which a pressing operation is performed, a press detecting unit provided on the rotary body along an outer circumference of the rotary operator and configured to detect the pressing operation performed on the pressed portion, and elastic members interposed between the pressed portion and the press detecting unit.

A method comprises obtaining a playlist that comprises a plurality of audio items, and dividing the playlist into a plurality of coherent groups, wherein each coherent group comprises a respective sequence of audio items of the plurality of audio items with a common attribute. For a respective coherent group of the plurality of coherent groups, the method comprises determining a parameter value of a first audio item of the respective sequence and adjusting a parameter value of a second audio item of the respective sequence based on the determined parameter value of the first audio item, to form a transition between the first and second audio items. The first and second audio items are adjacent in the respective sequence. The transition is provided to a second electronic device for playback.

An apparatus to detect, analyze, record, and display audio data, including an input unit to allow a user to input musical notes corresponding to the audio data, a processor to analyze the musical notes and to save the musical notes into a file, and a display unit to display notes corresponding to the musical notes on a virtual instrument.

A musical performance device is provided by which, even by a novice user's operation, an attack sound, which is musically important, can be emitted as intended. In the device, sequence data representing each note of a musical piece for musical performance is provided for each track. When the sequence data of a certain segment of at least one track among these tracks is being replayed, if a target track to be replayed is specified from among the tracks not being replayed, the sequence data of the certain segment of the target track is replayed at a speed higher than a normal speed in accordance with a calculated playback rate, and then the target track and the other track are replayed at the normal speed.

Systems and methods for mixing music are disclosed. Audio mix information is received from a plurality of users. Mix rules are determined from the audio mix information from the plurality of users, wherein the mix rules include a first mix rule associated with a first audio item. The first mix rule relates to an overlap of the first audio item with another audio item. The first mix rule is made available to one or more clients. In some implementations, making the first mix rule available to the one or more clients includes transmitting, to the first client, information enabling the first client to playback a transition between the first audio item and the second audio item in accordance with the first mix rule.

The teachings described herein are generally directed to a system, method, and apparatus for separating and mixing tracks within music. The system can have a video that is synchronized with the variations in the musical tempo through a variable timing reference track designed and provided for a user of the preselected piece of music that was prerecorded, wherein the designing of the variable timing reference track includes creating a tempo map having variable tempos, rhythms, and beats using notes from the preselected piece of music.

The invention generally pertains to a hand-held computing device. More particularly, the invention pertains to a computing device that is capable of controlling the speed of the music so as to affect the mood and behavior of the user during an activity such as exercise. By way of example, the speed of the music can be controlled to match the pace of the activity (synching the speed of the music to the activity of the user) or alternatively it can be controlled to drive the pace of the activity (increasing or decreasing the speed of the music to encourage a greater or lower pace). One aspect of the invention relates to adjusting the tempo (or some other attribute) of the music being outputted from the computing device. By way of example, a songs tempo may be increased or decreased before or during playing.