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 system is described for maintaining synchrony of operations among a plurality of devices that have independent clocking arrangements. The system includes a task distribution device that distributes tasks to a synchrony group comprising a plurality of devices that are to perform the tasks distributed by the task distribution device in synchrony. The task distribution device distributes each task to the members of the synchrony group over a network. Each task is associated with a time stamp that indicates a time, relative to a clock maintained by the task distribution device, at which the members of the synchrony group are to execute the task. Each member of the synchrony group periodically obtains from the task distribution device an indication of the current time indicated by its clock, determines a time differential between the task distribution device's clock and its respective clock and determines therefrom a time at which, according to its respective clock, the time stamp indicates that it is to execute the task.

In various embodiments, an audio streaming service may provide a plurality of channels. On a particular channel, different types of content can be streamed to audio devices connected to that channel, including channel content, group content, and individual content. Channel content refers to same content that is streamed to all of the audio devices that are connected to the channel. Group channel refers to content that is selected for subgroups of the devices, and individual content refers to content that is selected for an individual device. Channel content may be transmitted to all the devices, then a period of group or individual content is provided, and then the devices are synced back into receiving the same channel content during a syncing window. Listeners can also interact with the content, such as skipping songs or adding songs to their personal collection.

An apparatus comprises a digital input port configured to receive digital audio packets of main program service (MPS) audio; a modem operatively coupled to the digital port; an analog input port configured to receive an audio engineer society format (AES) audio signal that is a digitized version of the analog signal component of the frequency modulation (FM) hybrid radio signal; and an alignment unit configured to time-align the AES audio signal with the digital audio packets at the modem; wherein the modem is configured to generate the FM hybrid radio signal using the digital audio packets and the time-aligned AES audio signal.

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.

Systems, methods, and processor readable media are disclosed for detection of signal quality problems and errors in digital radio broadcast signals. First monitoring equipment is located in an over-the-air coverage area of a first radio station. Second monitoring equipment is located in an over-the-air coverage area of a second radio station. The first and second monitoring equipment are configured to receive digital radio broadcast signals from the respective first and second radio stations. A computing system is configured to receive data from the first monitoring equipment and the second monitoring equipment, the data being indicative of one or more attributes of a digital radio broadcast signal received at respective monitoring equipment. The computing system analyzes received data to detect a signal quality problem or error in the digital radio broadcast signals received at the first and second monitoring equipment.

A method for processing audio signals in a radio transmitter, includes: receiving an analog audio sample stream and a digital audio sample stream; determining offsets in time between the analog audio stream and the digital audio stream using a normalized cross-correlation of audio envelopes of the analog audio sample stream and the digital audio sample stream; filtering the determined offsets in time to produce filtered offset values; determining an alignment slip adjustment value as a function of the filtered offset values; aligning the analog audio sample stream and the digital audio sample stream using the determined alignment slip adjustment value; and generating a hybrid radio signal for broadcast that includes time-aligned analog audio and digital audio.

A system is described for maintaining synchrony of operations among a plurality of devices that have independent clocking arrangements. The system includes a task distribution device that distributes tasks to a synchrony group comprising a plurality of devices that are to perform the tasks distributed by the task distribution device in synchrony. The task distribution device distributes each task to the members of the synchrony group over a network. Each task is associated with a time stamp that indicates a time, relative to a clock maintained by the task distribution device, at which the members of the synchrony group are to execute the task. Each member of the synchrony group periodically obtains from the task distribution device an indication of the current time indicated by its clock, determines a time differential between the task distribution device's clock and its respective clock and determines therefrom a time at which, according to its respective clock, the time stamp indicates that it is to execute the task.

In various embodiments, an audio streaming service may provide a plurality of channels. On a particular channel, different types of content can be streamed to audio devices connected to that channel, including channel content, group content, and individual content. Channel content refers to same content that is streamed to all of the audio devices that are connected to the channel. Group channel refers to content that is selected for subgroups of the devices, and individual content refers to content that is selected for an individual device. Channel content may be transmitted to all the devices, then a period of group or individual content is provided, and then the devices are synced back into receiving the same channel content during a syncing window. Listeners can also interact with the content, such as skipping songs or adding songs to their personal collection.

Embodiments presented herein are directed to content linking multicast streaming The embodiments connect a listener to over-the-air (OTA) broadcast radio content using an Internet Protocol (IP) multicast stream of the broadcast radio content when, for example, (i) a traditional broadcast radio receiver is not available, or (ii) an OTA broadcast radio signal that carries the content is not available. For example, when recovery of the OTA broadcast radio signal by a car radio is not possible because of poor reception or because the car radio is not configured with a suitable broadcast radio tuner, the embodiments generate a link to a multicast stream of the OTA broadcast radio content (also referred to as a multicast broadcast radio stream or simply a multicast stream), and provide the link to the car radio. The car radio can then access the multicast stream of the OTA broadcast radio content using the link.