http://www.macnn.com/articles/01/04/20/napster.to/
Napster to screen files using acoustics
updated 11:40 am EDT, Fri April 20, 2001
",
0, 0);
Napster has signed a licensing deal for Relatable's new commercial release of its advanced acoustic fingerprinting technology, TRM, which analyzes the acoustical properties of a recording's waveform to identify it precisely, regardless of its audio format, bit rate or minor signal distortion. The technology is currently being refined by engineers at both Relatable and Napster and will be incorporated into the company's current file screening system and into Napster's new membership service.
Joined:
Spiffy...
This is a very cool concept, though I wonder how close the audio has to be. Would the intro of a "Weird Al" Yankovic parody potentially be close enough to match the intro from the original song? I suspect audio ripped from CDs would always have the same tempo so they could use that kind of information as well. Fun times ahead.