Distributed music collaboration

Abstract

A system for enabling collaboration between musicians includes a server configured to be connected to remote clients via a wide area network. The server is configured to receive session tracks associated with a session, each of the session tracks containing data representative of music created by a music source during the session, and to store those session tracks in a session database that includes a plurality of session data units. Each of the session data units includes session tracks for a session and session metadata associated with the session tracks. The server is further configured to receive instructions from a user to modify the session metadata, and to also provide data representative of the session tracks as modified by the session metadata.

Having described the invention and a preferred embodiment thereof, what I claim as new and secured by Letters Patent is:  
     
         1 . A system for enabling collaboration between musicians, said system comprising a server configured to be connected to remote clients via a wide area network, said server being configured to receive session tracks associated with a session, each of said session tracks containing data representative of music created by a music source during said session, to store said session tracks in a session database, said session database including a plurality of session data units, each of said session data units including session tracks for a session and session metadata associated with said session tracks, wherein said server is further configured to receive instructions from a user to modify said session metadata, and wherein said server is configured to provide data representative of said session tracks as modified by said session metadata. 
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said session metadata comprises a session transform. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said session metadata comprises annotation data. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said server is further configured to enable a first user to provide access to selected session tracks and said session metadata to a second user. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said server is further configured to enable a first user to permit a second user to annotate session tracks. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said server is further configured to enable a first user to permit a second user to listen to selected session tracks as modified by a selected session transform. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said server is outside United States territory and is controlled by a user within United States territory for the benefit of said user. 
     
     
         8 . An apparatus for enabling a user to mix tracks representative of music, said apparatus comprising a data processing system configured to receive session tracks associated with a session, each of said session tracks containing data representative of music created by a music source during said session, to store said session tracks in a session database, said session database including a plurality of session data units, each of said session data units including session tracks for a session and session metadata associated with said session tracks, wherein said server is further configured to receive instructions from a user to modify said session metadata, and wherein said server is configured to provide data representative of said session tracks as modified by said session metadata. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein said session metadata comprises a session transform. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein said session metadata comprises annotation data. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein said data processing system comprises a personal computer.