Audio identification during performance

Abstract

During a live performance of an audio piece, an audience member may use a network-based system to identify the audio piece during its performance. A machine may be configured to receive, from the audience member's device, a live fingerprint of a segment of a live performance of the audio piece being performed differently from a reference version of the audio piece recorded by an artist. The machine may identify a performer that is performing the live version and access a set of reference fingerprints based on the identified performer of the live version. The reference fingerprints may be generated from segments of reference versions of audio pieces recorded by the artist. The machine may compare the live fingerprint to the set of reference fingerprints, determine a match, and provide the identifier to the audience member's device.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 receiving a live fingerprint of a segment of a live version of an audio piece being performed differently from a reference version of the audio piece recorded by an artist, the live fingerprint being received in a query for identification of the audio piece during performance of the live version;   identifying a performer that is performing the live version of the audio piece;   using a processor, accessing a set of reference fingerprints based on the identified performer of the live version, the reference fingerprints being generated from segments of reference versions of audio pieces recorded by the artist, the reference fingerprints including a reference fingerprint of the reference version of the audio piece, the reference fingerprint being accessed from a database that correlates the reference fingerprint with an identifier of the audio piece;   comparing the live fingerprint to the set of reference fingerprints accessed based on the identified performer; and   providing the identifier of the audio piece in a response to the query based on the live fingerprint matching the reference fingerprint correlated with the identifier.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the identifying of the performer includes detecting of a venue at which the live version is being performed, the detecting of the venue including accessing information from a device from which the live fingerprint is received, the information being selected from the group consisting of:
 a geolocation of the device, 
 an identifier of a network connected to the device and correlated with the venue, and 
 an image of a ticket portion that references the venue. 
   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the identifying of the performer includes detecting of a venue at which the live version is being performed, the detecting of the venue including accessing information from a device from which the live fingerprint is received, the information being selected from the group consisting of:
 a user preference that references the venue, 
 social network data that reference the venue, 
 a calendar event that references the venue, and 
 a purchase record that references the venue. 
   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the accessing of the set of reference fingerprints includes accessing a schedule that correlates a venue at which the live version is being performed with the artist that recorded the reference version of the audio piece; and   the accessing of the set of reference fingerprints is based on the artist being correlated with the venue by the schedule.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the accessing of the set of reference fingerprints includes accessing a schedule that correlates a venue at which the live version is being performed with a period of time during which the live fingerprint is received; and   the accessing of the set of reference fingerprints is based on the period of time during which the live fingerprint is received.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the accessed set of reference fingerprints includes a first subset of reference fingerprints generated from segments of studio recordings by the artist and a second subset of reference fingerprints generated from segments of live recordings by the artist.   
     
     
         7 . A method of identifying an audio piece being performed, the method comprising:
 obtaining an identifier of the audio piece at a first time during a performance of the audio piece;   receiving, from a first device, a first fingerprint of a first segment of the audio piece at a second time during the performance of the audio piece   using a processor, assigning the identifier to the first fingerprint based on the first and second times occurring during the performance of the audio piece;   receiving, from a second device, a second fingerprint of a second segment of the audio piece in a query for identification of the audio piece during the performance of the audio piece; and   providing the second device with the identifier assigned to the first fingerprint of the first segment in a response to the query that included the second fingerprint of the second segment.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein:
 the obtaining of the identifier includes receiving the identifier within a user submission received from a device.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein:
 the obtaining of the identifier includes receiving a descriptor of the audio piece from a device and querying a database that correlates the descriptor of the audio piece with the identifier of the audio piece.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7  further comprising:
 the obtaining of the identifier includes detecting a geolocation of the first device that generated the first fingerprint and from which the first fingerprint is received and querying a database that correlates the geolocation with the first time and with the identifier of the audio piece. 
 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein:
 the obtaining of the identifier includes tallying votes for the identifier submitted from multiple devices.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein:
 the obtaining of the identifier includes accessing the identifier from a third device configured to play the performance of the audio piece.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 7  further comprising:
 receiving additional information between the first and second times; and 
 determining that the first and second times occurred during the performance by determining that the received additional information fails to indicate an event selected from a group consisting of:
 silence that lasts longer than a first threshold duration, applause that lasts longer than a second threshold duration, and booing that lasts longer than a third threshold duration. 
 
 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein:
 the receiving of the first fingerprint is from the first device that generated the first fingerprint from the first segment according to a first fingerprinting technique; and   the receiving of the second fingerprint is from the second device that generated the second fingerprint from the second segment according to a second fingerprinting technique.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein:
 the receiving of the first fingerprint is from a third device connected to an audio mixer through which the first segment of the audio piece is played during the performance of the audio piece.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein:
 the audio piece includes multiple audio channels each processed separately by the audio mixer; and   the first and second fingerprints are generated from less than all of the multiple audio channels of the audio piece.   
     
     
         17 . A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:
 receiving a live fingerprint of a segment of a live version of an audio piece being performed differently from a reference version of the audio piece recorded by an artist, the live fingerprint being received in a query for identification of the audio piece during performance of the live version;   identifying a performer that is performing the live version of the audio piece;   accessing a set of reference fingerprints based on the identified performer of the live version, the reference fingerprints being generated from segments of reference versions of audio pieces recorded by the artist, the reference fingerprints including a reference fingerprint of the reference version of the audio piece, the reference fingerprint being accessed from a database that correlates the reference fingerprint with an identifier of the audio piece;   comparing the live fingerprint to the set of reference fingerprints accessed based on the identified performer; and   providing the identifier of the audio piece in a response to the query based on the live fingerprint matching the reference fingerprint correlated with the identifier.   
     
     
         18 . A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:
 obtaining an identifier of an audio piece at a first time during a performance of the audio piece;   receiving from a first device, a first fingerprint of a first segment of the audio piece at a second time during the performance of the audio piece;   assigning the identifier to the first fingerprint based on the first and second times occurring during the performance of the audio piece;   receiving, from a second device, a second fingerprint of a second segment of the audio piece in a query for identification of the audio piece during the performance of the audio piece; and   providing the second device with the identifier assigned to the first fingerprint of the first segment in a response to the query that included the second fingerprint of the second segment.   
     
     
         19 . A system comprising:
 a query module configured to receive a live fingerprint of a segment of a live version of an audio piece being performed differently from a reference version of the audio piece recorded by an artist, the live fingerprint being received in a query for identification of the audio piece during performance of the live version;   a performer module configured to identify a performer that is performing the live version of the audio piece;   a processor configured by a reference module to access a set of reference fingerprints based on the identified performer of the live version, the reference fingerprints being generated from segments of reference versions of audio pieces recorded by the artist, the reference fingerprints including a reference fingerprint of the reference version of the audio piece, the reference fingerprint being accessed from a database that correlates the reference fingerprint with an identifier of the audio piece;   a comparison module configured to compare the live fingerprint to the set of reference fingerprints accessed based on the identified performer; and   a result module configured to provide the identifier of the audio piece in a response to the query based on the live fingerprint matching the reference fingerprint correlated with the identifier.   
     
     
         20 . A system comprising:
 an identifier module configured to obtain an identifier of an audio piece at a first time during a performance of the audio piece;   a reception module configured to receive, from a first device, a first fingerprint of a first segment of the audio piece at a second time during the performance of the audio piece;   a processor configured by a correlation module to assign the identifier to the first fingerprint based on the first and second times occurring during the performance of the audio piece;   a query module configured to receive, from a second device, a second fingerprint of a second segment of the audio piece in a query for identification of the audio piece during the performance of the audio piece; and   a result module configured to provide the identifier to the second device, the provided identifier being assigned to the first fingerprint of the first segment in a response to the query that included the second fingerprint of the second segment.