A cloud-based application is implemented on a processing system in communication with a media automation system via a communications network. The cloud-based application includes instructions to obtain user information associated with a user of the cloud-based application, to transmit the user information through the communications network to the media automation system, and to transmit a request for available media items through the communications network to the media automation system, which selects available media items in accordance with the user information. In response to its request for available media items, the cloud-based application receives from the media automation system a message identifying at least one media item to be delivered to the user. The cloud-based application transmits the at least one media item to the user of the cloud-based application via the communications network.

Disclosed herein is a music service that enables consumers listen to a broadcast radio station without commercials. The service operates by shifting the source channel of a radio from the broadcast radio to a streaming audio service for the duration of the commercial. In some embodiments, the service utilizes any of: a radio including native firmware/software, a mobile device such as a smart phone executing an application, cooperative integration of a radio and a mobile device, or master/slave relationship between a mobile device and a radio. The mobile device listens to the radio broadcast and determines when to shift between the radio broadcast and the streaming audio via any of audio fingerprint analysis, radio station behavioral analysis, radio station metadata, and/or radio station voice recognition analysis.

A media presentation and distribution system includes a verification server that handles dynamic verification of playback of media assets on a client device. The client device receives an asset stream of media assets that comprises one or more tags embedded in the media assets. The client device detects an asset identifier associated with each of the media assets during playback of each media asset on the client device, based on identification of a tag of the one or more tags. The verification server verifies the playback of the media assets on the client device based on received support information from the client device. The playback of the media assets are verified to satisfy defined asset delivery criteria and to identify and debug a deviation or one or more errors with the playback of the media assets.

A media presentation and distribution system communicatively coupled to a client device, which handles presentation of overlay-graphic items at the client device. The client device receives a media stream from the media presentation and distribution system via a network. The received media stream includes media content and one or more tags. The client device further identifies in the received media content, the one or more tags, which corresponds to the overlay-graphic items. The client device further identifies candidate time-periods in the media content based on the identified one or more tags in the media content. At least one presentation attribute for the overlay-graphic items is identified based on the identified one or more tags in the media content. The client device further presents the overlay-graphic items at the candidate time-periods on the media content based on the identified at least presentation attribute.

Example systems, apparatus, and methods receive audio information including a plurality of frames from a source device, wherein each frame of the plurality of frames includes one or more audio samples and a time stamp indicating when to play the one or more audio samples of the respective frame. In an example, the time stamp is updated for each of the plurality of frames using a time differential value determined between clock information received from the source device and clock information associated with the device. The updated time stamp is stored for each of the plurality of frames, and the audio information is output based on the plurality of frames and associated updated time stamps. A number of samples per frame to be output is adjusted based on a comparison between the updated time stamp for the frame and a predicted time value for play back of the frame.

Example systems, apparatus, and methods receive audio information including a plurality of frames from a source device, wherein each frame of the plurality of frames includes one or more audio samples and a time stamp indicating when to play the one or more audio samples of the respective frame. In an example, the time stamp is updated for each of the plurality of frames using a time differential value determined between clock information received from the source device and clock information associated with the device. The updated time stamp is stored for each of the plurality of frames, and the audio information is output based on the plurality of frames and associated updated time stamps. A number of samples per frame to be output is adjusted based on a comparison between the updated time stamp for the frame and a predicted time value for play back of the frame.

A method and system for planning and running video-on-demand (VOD) advertising includes a planner for planning advertising campaigns and an ad selector for running selected advertisements from selected ones of the campaigns. The campaigns are associated with household demographic classifications, video content category categories, household geographic locations, and/or video viewing times. In response to a viewer requesting a video, the selector selects the campaigns corresponding to the demographic classification associated with the viewer, the content category of the requested video, the geographic location associated with the viewer, and/or the viewing time at which the requested video is viewed. The demographic classification is determined by using an identifier of the viewer's set-top-box. The selector may select the campaigns corresponding to the content categories of the requested video. The content categories are determined by using an identifier associated with the requested video.

Systems and methods for push-based dynamic bandwidth allocation deliver addressable, advertising content in a digital network. Bandwidth is allocated on a push basis in response to receiving a trigger from a content distribution stream. The trigger contains data indicating an addressable break. A portion of bandwidth is then allocated to an addressable content stream based on the data of the trigger. The addressable content stream is then streamed to a receiver during the addressable break and the receiver is tuned from the broadcast stream to the addressable content stream for the duration of the addressable break. The additional bandwidth is de-allocated at the end of the addressable break.

Audio splicing is rendered more effective by the use of one or more truncation unit packets inserted into the audio data stream so as to indicate to an audio decoder, for a predetermined access unit, an end portion of an audio frame with which the predetermined access unit is associated, as to be discarded in playout.

A method modifies how content is broadcast based on the tone and format of the content. One or more processors retrieve a set of rules that describe a tone and format for proposed content that is to be broadcast to an intended target, and determine whether the proposed content conforms to the set of rules. In response to determining that the proposed content does not conform to the set of rules, the processor(s) modify how the proposed content is broadcast to the intended target. The processor(s) generate an enriched content of the modified content by applying, to the modified content, content metatags that describe a content of the modified content, and then analyze the enriched content to calculate a trustworthiness index (TI) for the enriched content. The processors further modify how content is broadcast to the intended target based on the TI of the enriched content.