WO2001001388A1

WO2001001388A1 - System and method for editing digital music files

Info

Publication number: WO2001001388A1
Application number: PCT/FR2000/001834
Authority: WO
Inventors: François DULIEGE
Original assignee: Net4Music
Priority date: 1999-06-29
Filing date: 2000-06-29
Publication date: 2001-01-04
Also published as: FR2795842B1; FR2795842A1

Abstract

The invention concerns a system for editing digital files corresponding to arranged musical compositions comprising a server (4) connected to a computer network, said server (4) comprises at least a storage for recording a plurality of files having MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) format transmitted by terminals (2) connected to the network, means for downloading through a terminal (2) connected to said network, for the arrangement of the downloaded MIDI formatted composition and for transferring a file corresponding to the arranged original composition and means for searching and downloading a file corresponding to the arranged composition from a client terminal connected to the computer network.

Description

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR EDITING DIGITAL MUSIC FILES.

The present invention relates to the field of digital communication, and more particularly to digital music publishing.

Editing digital files notably uses a standardized format known as MIDI allowing exchanges between different musical equipment. The exploitation of these signals for the composition of musical works is well known, as well as the use of MIDI files for musical arrangements, for example, the American patent US Pat. No. 5,792,971 describes a method for digital editing. audio information using MIDI files.

Also known is the European patent EP90105758 describing a data editing device for digitally editing information from sets of material information, in particular moving images, still images, audio signals or text information. , in a predetermined time report, comprising

- a) a plurality of information storage elements used to store a plurality of sets of hardware information as well as the edited destination information;

- b) an input element used to enter, by the operations of a user,

- construction information to determine specific sets and areas of material information; layout information representing the layout condition in the destination information of the sets and zones specific of the material information indicated by the construction information.

Another American patent US Pat. No. 5,886,274 discloses a composition system comprising a database of digitized sounds.

There are also known digital music file servers, for example according to the MP3 standard, for downloading files via a network, in particular the Internet, for example, the site http: //www.goodnoise may be cited. com offering a large number of arranged music titles available in MP3 format online.

There are also known various patents relating to the distribution of digital rights. PCT patent WO9810381 relates to an integrated modular network of administrative and assistance services relating to electronic commerce, electronic fees and transaction management. Said services provide secure foundations for conducting financial management, royalty management, agency contracts, clearing of rules, compensation for uses, secure directory services, and other services related to transactions processed by a vast electronic network such as the Internet and / or by intranets internal to organizations. These services can be adapted to the specific needs of electronic business value chains. E-commerce players can use these services to defend their interests, adapt them to the realities of competition, and reuse them. These services are provided by a distributed commercial entity with a secure, programmable and distributed structure. Distributed business entity maximizes resource efficiency in business management, and can easily adapt to meet the demands of growing business electronic. The distributed business entity may include a number of systems of business entities constituting a network of infrastructure support available and reusable by the entire electronic community and / or more or all of its participants. It is possible to group certain assistance functions in hierarchical order and / or network in order to adapt to different business models and / or other objectives. Modular support functions can be combined in different ways to form different systems of business entities corresponding to different structural designs and different designs. Said systems of commercial entities can be distributed between numerous electronic devices with varying levels of distribution.

Another PCT patent WO9809209 describes electronic commerce systems and methods including managing secure transactions and protecting electronic rights. Electronic devices such as computers used in accordance with the present invention help to ensure that access to and use of information is done only through authorized channels and they maintain integrity, availability and / or confidentiality informations. Secure subsystems used with these electronic devices constitute a distributed virtual distribution environment (VDE) which can use a secure processing and ordering chain, for example, to order and / or measure or even control the use of information. stored or disseminated electronically. This virtual distribution environment can be used to protect the rights of various participants in the electronic commerce and in other electronic transactions or in which electronics intervenes. Secure distributed system environments and architectures and other operating systems employ, for example, secure semiconductor processing arrangements that can establish secure protected environments at each node. These techniques can be used to support an end-to-end electronic information distribution capability that can be used, for example, on the "electronic highway".

These different solutions of the prior art are well suited to the solitary composition of musical works in one case, or for the consumption of digital music in the last case.

The object of the invention is to propose a system allowing cooperation between three distinct populations: music composers - music arrangers and music consumers and this interactively, via a common computer network, for example Internet.

To this end, the invention relates, in its most general sense, to a system for editing digital files corresponding to arranged musical works, characterized in that it comprises a server connected to a computer network, said server comprising at at least one memory for recording a plurality of files in MIDI format transmitted by terminals connected to said network, means for downloading by a terminal connected to the network, with a view to arranging the downloaded work in MIDI format and the transfer of a file corresponding to the original arranged work, and means for finding and downloading a file corresponding to the arranged work from a client terminal connected to the computer network.

Advantageously, the system includes means for controlling access to the stored MIDI files in order to condition the downloading by a terminal for the purpose of arranging for the verification of a criterion selected by the transmitter of the MIDI file considered.

According to an advantageous variant, the system includes means for memorizing the identifiers and profiles of the identifiers capable of connecting to the server with a view to downloading MIDI files.

According to another variant, it includes means for memorizing for each MIDI file additional information relating to the arrangement recommendation.

According to a particular mode of implementation, the system according to the invention comprises means for generating files of the arranged work comprising means for limiting the number of reproductions.

According to another variant, it further comprises means for digital payment of the author of the MIDI file and / or of the arranger, activated by downloading the digital file corresponding to the arranged musical work.

According to a particular mode of implementation, it further comprises means for storing and downloading files associated with the digital file corresponding to the arranged musical work, said associated files corresponding to texts, graphics or fixed or animated images correlated to the arranged musical work.

The invention also relates to a method for editing digital files corresponding to arranged musical works, characterized in that one records in the memory of a server digital MIDI files downloaded by composers via a terminal connected to the server by a computer network, in that said digital MIDI file is transmitted to an arranger by the through a terminal connected to the server by a computer network, in that the digital file corresponding to the arranged musical work is stored in a public memory, and in that information pages are created allowing 'Activate the downloading of said arranged digital file.

According to a variant, the profiles of the arrangers capable of accessing the MIDI files are also recorded in the memory of a server, and in that the selection pages of the arranger are created to allow the composer to select a arranger.

According to another variant, the downloading of digital files corresponding to digital works is subject to payment by a digital payment means. The invention will be better understood on reading the description which follows, referring to a non-limiting example of embodiment and to the appended figures where the single figure represents the block diagram of the system according to the invention. The system links three types of populations:

- composers with equipment

(1) for the creation of MIDI files, for example a synthesizer, connected to a microcomputer (2) connected to a network, for example the Internet, for the transmission of the created files; - arrangers, having equipment (2) for playing MIDI files and for performing a musical arrangement;

- music consumers having equipment (3) to connect to the server (4) via a computer network, in particular the Internet.

The server operator (4) offers composers on the Internet an arrangement or several levels of arrangement of the MIDI files of their original works transmitted online. The server also offers audio, MIDI or audio fixation, graphic scores of users' works.

The arrangement (s), the production (s) are performed by artists deemed to be at the expense of the service provider, on the instructions given by the composer with the transmission of the MIDI file or the score of his work. The composer then receives the arrangement or production of his work against payment for the service and publishing, production or distribution contract for the work arranged, edited or produced for the benefit of the service provider.

The arrangements are made to allow the user to listen to his work in various formats including MIDI, MP3, and by means of various players. The service provider thus offers a scale of personalized music publishing and production services from the home studio to the most sophisticated music production. In the dynamics of this production, the service provider offers editing and distribution of works.

The provider thus aims to offer online all the services of the music industry to network users also in order to discover new creators directly and ensure their editing.

The server offers the same service for the same purposes for the fixing in sheet form of works transmitted by users in non-readable sound or graphic forms, in particular the format

MIDDAY.

The system according to the invention makes it possible to respond to several problems: - if amateur and professional musicians have computer tools for producing and fixing their compositions, they seldom have all the musical competence and musical or computer equipment for record their composition as they conceive it or desire it.

Amateur and professional musicians often work in isolation while recording requires diverse technical and artistic skills. - Recording studios, sound engineers, arrangers and other entities which intervene in the chain of musical production acquire their own reputation, their “leg” or their “know-how”. A sound or recording may express the fingerprint of the engineer or other sound technicians. All compositions in any format (MIDI, MP3, MS AUDIO 4.0 ..) whatsoever can adopt more or less complex, refined, worked or even identified bindings by the personality of the sound engineer of the arranger or the studio. .

In addition to the arrangement which does not imply any modification of the composition as such, but its color or musical relief, many amateur and professional musicians want their composition to be the basis for an "adaptation" made either by other renowned musicians, or in the context of other types of works, for example adding texts to a musical composition to transform it into a song, for example adding an image to make a clip.

The standards and formats of musical recording in particular and computer in general are multiplying (Audio, MIDI, MP3, MS AUDIO 4.0 ..); the technical means of refining the registration according to each of these standards are also increasing. The necessary equipment is not easily accessible to individuals, professionals or amateurs. A first level of service includes the musical arrangement of MIDI files transmitted by the amateur or professional musician according to the latter's instructions. The instructions of the user musician may be free (for experienced) or may be guided according to an online "board arrangement" process. The arranged file remains in MIDI standard.

A second level of service includes fixing the printed score of the composition transmitted online, whatever the format. A third level of performance includes, in addition to the MIDI arrangement, audio recording in various formats (audio, mp3, etc.) always according to the instructions of the musician, guided or name within the production menu “arrangement advice” (which instruments , what sounds, dull, electric ..). Both MIDI and audio arrangements and productions can be ordered "à la carte", namely by direct and electronic exchange between an arranger from the IMC service provider and the user. A fourth level of service includes the identification and protection of the composition and its fixings.

A fifth level of service consists in offering a grant for exchanges in musical composition - clip - images - texts. Either in a playful or random way: the composer offers his musical composition to the public to solicit graphic illustrators or text editors. The composer can thus leave the author of his texts to chance. The author of texts will thus be able to seek inspiration at random from the musical compositions presented on the site. Either the music composer requests IMC to illustrate his work with texts, images, clip .. IMC offers the same differentiated level of services, standard or personalized

The compositions transmitted and arranged are published on the Web for presentation or representation. The IMC provider becomes a broadcaster or publisher. He is paid as such. In the case of an online edition, by remuneration proportional to the sales of the composition in its various formats and forms. The hosting of the published work for the sole purpose of its presentation may be remunerated by the composer as a service.

Such a work presentation service constitutes a permanent publishing market, frequented by publishers looking for works and composers, but also for producers of cinematographic or multimedia works looking for musical compositions. Forum-shopping market. An eighth level of service consists in proposing the management of the use of the compositions. Transfer center for operating requests, payment and dispatch center.

The server finds applications: - In the sphere of musical composition by offering all the palettes for its reproduction in all formats;

- In the sphere of publication and dissemination of the composition thus "polished" by proposing its, presentation, diffusion or its musical, digital or general edition;

It acts as a revealer of musical compositions and talents: first by helping to finish, polishing, varnishing raw musical compositions, then distributing or editing these works

Different adaptations of the invention are possible.

For example, it is possible to introduce an arrangement validation procedure.

The composer selects the arranger (s) according to their profiles recorded in an annex database (5). Only the selected arrangers can then access the composer's MIDI file. This MIDI file is downloaded by a selected arranger, who can condition the loading of the arranged file to the payment of a fee. The arranged file is loaded into a public database (6), accessible to third parties. This file is processed in order to limit the number of reproductions and / or performances.

The invention is described in the foregoing by way of nonlimiting example.

Claims

1 - System for editing digital files corresponding to arranged musical works, characterized in that it comprises a server connected to a computer network, said server comprising at least one memory for recording a plurality of files at MIDI format transmitted by terminals connected to said network, means for downloading by a terminal connected to the network, with a view to arranging the downloaded work in MIDI format and transferring a file corresponding to the original arranged work , and means for searching and downloading a file corresponding to the arranged work from a client terminal connected to the computer network.

2 - System for editing digital files corresponding to musical works arranged according to claim 1 characterized in that it comprises means for controlling access to the stored MIDI files to condition the download by a terminal for the purpose of arrangement when verifying a criterion selected by the transmitter of the MIDI file considered.

3 - System for editing digital files corresponding to musical works arranged according to claim 2 characterized in that it comprises means for storing identifiers and profiles of identifiers capable of connecting to the server for downloading files MIDDAY.

4 - System for editing digital files corresponding to musical works arranged according to claim 1 characterized in that it comprises means for storing for each MIDI file additional information relating to the recommendation for an arrangement.

5 - System for editing digital files corresponding to arranged musical works according to claim 1 characterized in that it comprises means for generating files of the arranged work comprising means for limiting the number of reproductions.

6 - System for editing digital files corresponding to musical works arranged according to claim 1 characterized in that it further comprises means for digital payment of the author of the MIDI file and / or the arranger, activated by downloading the digital file corresponding to the arranged musical work.

7 - System for editing digital files corresponding to arranged musical works according to claim 1 characterized in that it further comprises means for storing and downloading files associated with the digital file corresponding to the arranged musical work , said associated files corresponding to texts, graphics or still or animated images correlated to the arranged musical work.

8 - Method for editing digital files corresponding to arranged musical works, characterized in that digital files of MIDI type downloaded by composers are recorded in the memory of a server via a terminal connected to the server via a computer network, in that one transmits said digital MIDI file to an arranger via a terminal connected to the server by a computer network, in that the digital file corresponding to the arranged musical work is stored in a public memory, and in that information pages are created making it possible to activate the downloading of said arranged digital file.

9 - A method of editing digital files corresponding to musical works arranged according to claim 8 characterized in that one also saves in the memory of a server the profiles of the arrangers capable of accessing MIDI files, and which we create arranger selection pages to allow the composer to select an arranger.

10 - Method for editing digital files corresponding to arranged musical works, characterized in that the downloading of digital files corresponding to digital works is subject to payment by a digital payment means.