Systems and methods are presented for efficient cross-fading of compressed domain information streams on a user/client device. Exemplary systems may provide cross-fade between AAC/Enhanced AAC Plus information streams, between MP3 information streams, or between information streams of unmatched formats. These systems are distinguished in that cross-fade is directly applied to compressed bitstreams so a single decode operation is performed on the resulting bitstream. Thus, a set of frames from each input stream associated with the time interval in which a cross fade is decoded, and combined and recoded with a cross fade or other effect now in the compressed bitstream. Once sent through the client device's decoder, the user hears the transitional effect. The only input data that is decoded and processed is that associated with the portion of each stream used the crossfade, blend or other interstitial, and thus the vast majority of input streams are left compressed.

A system of playing media content items determines transitions between pairs of media content items by determining desirable locations in which transitions across the pairs of media content items occur. The system uses a plurality of track features of media content items and determines such track features of each media content item associated with each of transition point candidates, such as beat positions, of that media content item. The system determines similarity in the plurality of track features between the transition point candidates of a first media content item and the transition point candidates for a second media content item being played subsequent to the first media content item. The transition points or portions of the first and second media content items are selected from the transition point candidates for the first and second media content items based on the similarity results.

A system for playing media content items operates to provide smooth transitions between the media content items to continuously support a user's repetitive motion activity. The system can generate crossfade data containing information for transitions between media content items. The mix-in and mix-out points for the transitions are calculated to eliminate one or more portions of media content items that have lower musical energy than a majority portion of the items, and to maintain substantially consistent and/or stable musical energy (e.g., audio power or sound power) throughout the media content items including transitions therebetween.

A system for playing media content items operates to provide smooth transitions between the media content items to continuously support a user's repetitive motion activity. The system can generate crossfade data containing information for transitions between media content items. The mix-in and mix-out points for the transitions are calculated to eliminate one or more portions of media content items that have lower musical energy than a majority portion of the items, and to maintain substantially consistent and/or stable musical energy (e.g., audio power or sound power) throughout the media content items including transitions therebetween.

The present disclosure generally relates to techniques for presenting operations in a presentation. A technique is provided for allowing a user to insert media items on consecutive slides. During a presentation mode, the media items are determined to be two instances of a same media item, and matched such that the media item plays continuously across multiple slides. Another technique is provided to allow a user to utilize a user input to override a linearly-defined set of actions within a presentation. Another technique is utilized to temporarily select a visually obstructed object in a graphic editing interface such that the visually obstructed object may be manipulated during the temporary selection mode.

A method and apparatus are described for aligning cross-faded audio signals using beats. In an embodiment, a controller includes a cross-fade module having at least first and second audio inputs and an audio output port to provide an audio output signal to an external audio reproduction system. A control signal determines whether to provide the first or the second audio signal to the audio output, and the cross-fade module cross-fades the audio output signal from one audio signal to the other audio signal. A beat alignment module determines a delay between a first beat of the first audio signal and a second beat of the second audio signal, and a delay module delays either the first or the second audio signal to compensate for the delay into the cross-fade module.

A method and apparatus are described for aligning cross-faded audio signals using beats. In an embodiment, a controller includes a cross-fade module having at least first and second audio inputs and an audio output port to provide an audio output signal to an external audio reproduction system. A control signal determines whether to provide the first or the second audio signal to the audio output, and the cross-fade module cross-fades the audio output signal from one audio signal to the other audio signal. A beat alignment module determines a delay between a first beat of the first audio signal and a second beat of the second audio signal, and a delay module delays either the first or the second audio signal to compensate for the delay into the cross-fade module.

Disclosed herein are media, systems, and methods of creating and publishing a first play station, wherein a media creator is allowed to select a plurality of audio media and sequence the selected audio media to create an ordered combination and request a first play station. Each audio media in the ordered combination is validated to create a first play station, and the media creator is allowed to play the first play station. After the first paly station is published, a call from a third party player application prompts the published first play station, At least one alteration to the ordered combination of validated audio media can be generated, wherein the at least one alteration is selected from the group consisting of: an alternate validated audio media, an alternate sequence of the ordered combination of validated audio media, or a combination thereof.

A method is described that processes an audio signal. A discontinuity between a filtered past frame and a filtered current frame of the audio signal is removed using linear predictive filtering.

A system for multi-track playback of media content includes: a media device; a user interface, provided at the media device, which displays a visual array of media options, a playback logic, provided within the media device, which is configured so that, while a selected point or region is determined by the user interface as being moved in response to user input, within the visual array of media options, the system determines media options that are proximate to the selected point or region, and adjusts playback parameters for corresponding media content items, by crossfading or otherwise combining playback to reflect the media options relative distances from the selected point or region; and a tempo logic, provided within the media device, which is configured to provide or receive a selected tempo and provide the one or more media content items associated with the selected tempo.