Music distribution systems

Abstract

Music is blanket transmitted (for example, via satellite downlink transmission) to each customer's user station where selected music files are recorded. Customers preselect from a list of available music in advance using an interactive screen selector, and pay only for music that they choose to playback for their enjoyment. An antipiracy WID tag is woven into the recorded music so that any illegal copies therefrom may be traced to the purchase transaction. Music is transmitted on a fixed schedule or through an active scheduling process that monitors music requests from all or a subset of satellite receivers and adjusts scheduling according to demand for various CD's. Receivers store selections that are likely to be preferred by a specific customer. In those instances where weather conditions, motion of atmospheric layers or dish obstructions result in data loss, the system downloads the next transmission of the requested CD and uses both transmissions to produce a “good copy”. In conjunction with the blanket transmission of more popular music, an automated CD manufacturing facility may be provided to manufacture CD's that are not frequently requested and distribute them by ground transportation.

1 . A system for receiving distributed music at a user station, the system comprising:
 means for receiving, at the user station, information identifying at least one music selection that will be transmitted;   means for permitting preselection of the at least one music selection for storage at the user station;   means for receiving a transmission at the user station, the transmission comprising the at least one music selection in digital format;   means for recording the at least one music selection at the user station on a storage medium in the digital format;   means for creating, at the user station, a preview of the at least one music selection recorded on the storage medium, the preview comprising a copy of the at least one music selection having a degraded quality, the degraded quality accomplished by a process selected from the group consisting of: compressing the copy of the at least one music selection; adding distortion to the copy of the at least one music selection; overlaying voice over the copy of the at least one music selection; and deleting sections from the copy of the at least one music selection;   means for presenting the preview of the at least one music selection up to a predetermined number of times via an output device;   means for enabling playback of the at least one music selection at the user station; and   means for transmitting music playback information to a central controller system having a key unique to the music selections.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 means for embedding the ID tag in the music selection prior to the music selection being recorded in the storage medium.   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 means for determining what content is stored on the storage medium based on customer music preferences.   
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the means for receiving is configured to receive the plurality of music selections in an encrypted format, the system further comprising:
 means for receiving at least one decoding key;   means for decoding the plurality of music selections to a full quality format of the plurality of music selections; and   means for recording the plurality of music selections in the full quality format on the storage medium.   
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the preview is at less than full quality of the at least one music selection. 
     
     
         6 . A system for distributing music to a user station, the system comprising:
 means for assigning to the user station a customer profile according to music preference information of the user station;   means for receiving music preference information designated at the user station;   means for updating the customer profile based on the music preference information;   means for analyzing the customer profile and preferences of the general population to create an individual customer catalog for the user station that determines a plurality of music selections that is to be transmitted to the user station;   means for providing the user station with information identifying the plurality of music selections that is to be transmitted;   means for transmitting the plurality of music selections to the user station, the user station configured to:
 permit preselection, via a user interface, of at least one music selection from the plurality of music selections, 
 record the at least one music selection on a storage medium, and 
 enable playback of the recorded at least one music selection at the user station via an output device; and 
   means for receiving music playback information from the user station at a central controller system having a key unique to the music selections.   
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 means for transmitting to the user station the individual customer catalog for the user station.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the user station is further configured to delete a music selection from the storage medium prior to recording the preselected music selection, wherein the deleted music selection corresponds to customer preference information and information in the individual customer catalog for user station. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 means for transmitting advertisements to the user station.