Rules Based Playlist Generation

Abstract

A playlist can be generated based on a chart or list including ranked media items, e.g. songs, videos, etc., by automatically including the highest ranked media items to the playlist, but only adding some of the lower ranked media items to the playlist. A particular lower-ranked media item can be pseudo-randomly excluded from the playlist if that media item has a ranking in a current version of the chart that is lower than its ranking in a previous version. Once the desired number of media items has been added to an intermediate list, the intermediate list can be inverted, and station identifiers can be interspersed between the media items.

1 . A method for use in a server, the method comprising:
 obtaining a first version of a media list, the first version of the media list indicating a relative performance level of media items in the first version of the media list;   adding first media items from the first version of the media list to an intermediate list, each of the first media items having a relative performance level satisfying a threshold performance requirement;   selectively adding second media items from the first version of the media list to the intermediate list until a combined number of first and second media items added to the intermediate list reaches a target number, each of the second media items having a relative performance level inferior to the relative performance level of the first media items;   in response to the combined number of first and second media items reaching the target number:   adding identifiers associated with the first and second media items; and   generating a first playlist based on the intermediate list.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein generating the first playlist further comprises:
 interspersing station identifiers between first media items and second media items included in the first playlist, wherein each of the station identifiers includes an announcement media item indicating a relative ranking of a particular media item in the playlist.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein generating the first playlist further comprises:
 inverting the first playlist to generate an inverted list, wherein each of the station identifiers includes an announcement media item indicating a relative ranking of a particular media item in the inverted playlist.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein selectively adding comprises:
 pseudo-randomly excluding from the intermediate list at least one media item in the first version of the media list.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 determining whether a current ranking of the at least one media item is different from a previous ranking of the at least one media item; and   pseudo-randomly excluding the at least one media item in response to determining that the current ranking of the at least one media item has declined.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining whether a current ranking of the at least one media item is different from a previous ranking of the at least one media item;   determining whether the at least one media item has been included in a previous playlist within a set time period;   excluding the at least one media item in response to determining that the current ranking of the at least one media item has declined and that the at least one media item has been included in a previous playlist within a set time period; and   pseudo-randomly excluding the at least one media item in response to determining that the current ranking of the at least one media item has declined and that the at least one media item has not been included in a previous playlist within a set time period.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 calculating a first difference between a playout length of the first playlist and a target playout length;   generating a second playlist comprising:   third media items selected from a second version of the media list, the third media items having a relative performance level satisfying a threshold performance requirement; and   fourth media items pseudo-randomly added from the second version of the media list;   calculating a second difference between a playout length of the second playlist and the target playout length;   adding the first difference to the second difference to generate a combined playout length difference; and   determining if a third list is to be generated based on a comparison of the combined playout length difference to the target playout length.   
     
     
         8 . A system comprising:
 a processor;   memory operably coupled to the processor;   a program of instructions to be stored in the memory and executed by the processor, the program of instructions including:   at least one instruction to obtain a first version of a first media list, the first media list indicating a relative performance level of media items in the first media list;   at least one instruction to add first media items from the first version of the media list to an intermediate list, each of the first media items having a relative performance level satisfying a threshold performance requirement;   at least one instruction to selectively add second media items from the first version of the media list to the intermediate list until a combined number of first and second media items added to the intermediate list reaches a target number, each of the second media items having a relative performance level inferior to the relative performance level of the first media items;   at least one instruction to add identifiers associated with the first and second media items; and   at least one instruction to generate a first playlist based on the intermediate list.   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one instruction to generate the first playlist further comprises:
 at least one instruction to intersperse station identifiers between first media items and second media items included in the first playlist, wherein each of the station identifiers includes an announcement media item indicating a relative ranking of a particular media item in the playlist.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the at least one instruction to generate the first playlist further comprises:
 at least one instruction to invert the first playlist to generate an inverted list, wherein each of the station identifiers includes an announcement media item indicating a relative ranking of a particular media item in the inverted playlist.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one instruction to selectively add comprises:
 at least one instruction to pseudo-randomly exclude from the intermediate list at least one media item in the first version of the media list.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the program of instructions further comprises:
 at least one instruction to determine whether a current ranking of the at least one media item is different from a previous ranking of the at least one media item; and   at least one instruction to pseudo-randomly exclude the at least one media item in response to determining that the current ranking of the at least one media item has declined.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one instruction to selectively add comprises:
 at least one instruction to determine whether a current ranking of the at least one media item is different from a previous ranking of the at least one media item;   at least one instruction to determine whether the at least one media item has been included in a previous playlist within a set time period;   at least one instruction to exclude the at least one media item in response to determining that the current ranking of the at least one media item has declined and that the at least one media item has been included in a previous playlist within a set time period; and   at least one instruction to pseudo-randomly exclude the at least one media item in response to determining that the current ranking of the at least one media item has declined and that the at least one media item has not been included in a previous playlist within a set time period.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the program of instructions further comprises:
 at least one instruction to calculate a first difference between a playout length of the first playlist and a target playout length;   at least one instruction to generate a second playlist comprising:   third media items selected from a second version of the media list, the third media items having a relative performance level satisfying a threshold performance requirement; and   fourth media items pseudo-randomly added from the second version of the media list;   at least one instruction to calculate a second difference between a playout length of the second playlist and the target playout length;   at least one instruction to add the first difference to the second difference to generate a combined playout length difference; and   at least one instruction to determine if a third list is to be generated based on a comparison of the combined playout length difference to the target playout length.   
     
     
         15 . A method comprising
 generating a first playlist including:   first media items selected from a first version of a media ratings chart, the first media items including available media items rated highest in the first version of the media ratings chart;   second media items selected from the first version of the media ratings chart, the second media items including available media items rated below a lowest ranked first media item, wherein the second media items are selected by pseudo-randomly excluding at least one media item that would have otherwise been selected as a second media item;   determining a first difference between a playout length of the first playlist and a target playout length;   generating a second playlist including:   third media items selected from a second version of the media ratings chart, the third media items including available media items rated highest in the second version of the media ratings chart;   fourth media items selected from the second version of the media ratings chart, the fourth media items including available media items rated below a lowest ranked third media item, wherein the fourth media items are selected by pseudo-randomly excluding at least one media item that would have otherwise been selected as a fourth media item;   determining a second difference between a playout length of the second playlist and the target playout length;   adding the first difference to the second difference to generate a combined playout length difference; and   determining if a third list is to be generated based on a comparison of the combined playout length difference to the target playout length.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein generating the first playlist and the second playlist further comprise:
 interspersing station identifiers between media items, wherein the station identifiers comprise announcement media items indicating relative rankings within the inverted list.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein:
 generating the first playlist and the second playlist further comprise:   generating an inverted list, wherein the station identifiers comprise announcement media items indicating relative rankings within the inverted list.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 determining that a potential fourth media item included in the second version of the media ratings chart was a media item included in the first version of the media ratings chart;   determining whether a ranking of the potential fourth media item has declined from a ranking of the potential fourth media item in the first version of the media ratings chart; and   pseudo-randomly excluding the potential fourth media item from the second playlist in response to determining that the ranking of the potential fourth media item has declined.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 including the potential fourth media item in the second playlist in response to determining that the ranking of the potential fourth media item has not declined.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 determining that a potential fourth media item included in the second version of the media ratings chart was a media item included in the first version of the media ratings chart;   determining whether a ranking of the potential fourth media item has declined from a ranking of the potential fourth media item in the first version of the media ratings chart;   determining whether the potential fourth media item has been included in a previous playlist within a set time period;   excluding the potential fourth media item from the second playlist in response to determining that the current ranking of the potential fourth media item has declined and that the potential fourth media item has been included in a previous playlist within a set time period; and   pseudo-randomly excluding the potential fourth media item from the second playlist in response to determining that the current ranking of the potential fourth media item has declined and that the potential fourth media item has not been included in a previous playlist within a set time period.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the first version of the media ratings chart and the second version of the media ratings chart include at least a top 20 ranked media items, the method further comprising:
 selecting all available top 10 ranked media items as first media items; and
 selecting second media items from media items rated top 11 and lower. 
   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the second version of the media ratings chart is an updated version of the first version of the media ratings chart that reflects changes in the popularity of media items. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 sending the first playlist to a playout system to be played during a first programming period;   sending the second playlist to a playout system to be played during a programming period immediately subsequent to the first programming period.