Generating and Distributing Playlists with Music and Stories Having Related Moods

Abstract

An embodiment may involve a server device obtaining an audio file containing a story. The server device may determine a mood of the story. The server device may select an audio file containing music, where the audio file containing the music is associated with a music attribute that is indicative of the mood. The server device may generate a playlist for the client device, where the playlist includes (i) a reference to the audio file containing the music, and (ii) a reference to the audio file containing the story. The server device may transmit the playlist, over a wide area network, to the client device. Reception of the playlist at the client device may cause an audio player application to retrieve and play out each audio file therein.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 determining, by a server device, a theme for a playlist;   identifying, by the server device, an audio file containing music consistent with the theme and associated with a mood;   looking up, by the server device, the mood in a table, wherein the table identifies, for the mood, other moods from a plurality of moods including those that are opposed to the mood;   identifying, by the server device, an audio file containing a story consistent with the theme and associated with a second mood of the plurality of moods, wherein the second mood is not opposed to the mood associated with the music;   generating, by the server device, the playlist in accordance with the theme, wherein the playlist includes (i) a first reference to the audio file containing the music, and (ii) a second reference to the audio file containing the story; and   transmitting, by the server device, the playlist to a client device.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the mood being associated with the music is based on a music attribute of the audio file containing the music being indicative of the mood. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the music attribute being indicative of the mood comprises the music attribute indicating that a particular tempo, a particular beat pattern, or a particular chord progression is (i) associated with the mood, and (ii) present in the music. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the table has a first dimension representing one or more of the plurality of moods and a second dimension representing one or more of the plurality of moods, wherein each entry in the table is associated with a pair of moods as specified by positions of the entry along the first dimension and the second dimension, and wherein the entries in the table respectively specify whether their associated pair of moods match one another, oppose one another, or are neutral with respect to one another. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein generating the playlist to include (i) the first reference to the audio file containing the music and (ii) the second reference to the audio file containing the story is based on a time of day. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the mood is one of happiness, sadness, humor, tragedy, anger, frustration, anxiety, loneliness, confusion, excitement, hope, or relaxation. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second mood is neutral with respect to the mood of the music. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 looking up, by the server device, the second mood in the table; and   identifying, by the server device, a further audio file containing further music consistent with the theme and associated with a third mood of the plurality of moods, wherein the third mood is not opposed to the second mood, and wherein the playlist further includes a third reference to the further audio file.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the theme is based on one or more of a style of music, a musical artist, or a particular sport. 
     
     
         10 . A method comprising:
 determining, by a server device, a theme for a playlist;   identifying, by the server device, an audio file containing a story consistent with the theme and associated with a mood;   looking up, by the server device, the mood in a table, wherein the table identifies, for the mood, other moods from a plurality of moods including those that are opposed to the mood;   identifying, by the server device, an audio file containing music consistent with the theme and associated with a second mood of the plurality of moods, wherein the second mood is not opposed to the mood associated with the story;   generating, by the server device, the playlist in accordance with the theme, wherein the playlist includes (i) a first reference to the audio file containing the story, and (ii) a second reference to the audio file containing the music; and   transmitting, by the server device, the playlist to a client device.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the mood being associated with the story is based on an attribute of the audio file containing the story being indicative of the mood. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the table has a first dimension representing one or more of the plurality of moods and a second dimension representing one or more of the plurality of moods, wherein each entry in the table is associated with a pair of moods as specified by positions of the entry along the first dimension and the second dimension, and wherein the entries in the table respectively specify whether their associated pair of moods match one another, oppose one another, or are neutral with respect to one another. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein generating the playlist to include (i) the first reference to the audio file containing the story and (ii) the second reference to the audio file containing the music is based on a time of day. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the mood is one of happiness, sadness, humor, tragedy, anger, frustration, anxiety, loneliness, confusion, excitement, hope, or relaxation. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the second mood is neutral with respect to the mood of the music. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 looking up, by the server device, the second mood in the table; and   identifying, by the server device, a further audio file containing a further story consistent with the theme and associated with a third mood of the plurality of moods, wherein the third mood is not opposed to the second mood, and wherein the playlist further includes a third reference to the further audio file.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the theme is based on one or more of a style of music, a musical artist, or a particular sport. 
     
     
         18 . An article of manufacture including a non-transitory computer-readable medium, having stored thereon program instructions that, upon execution by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:
 determining a theme for a playlist;   identifying an audio file containing music consistent with the theme and associated with a mood;   looking up the mood in a table, wherein the table identifies, for the mood, other moods from a plurality of moods including those that are opposed to the mood;   identifying an audio file containing a story consistent with the theme and associated with a second mood of the plurality of moods, wherein the second mood is not opposed to the mood associated with the music;   generating the playlist in accordance with the theme, wherein the playlist includes (i) a first reference to the audio file containing the music, and (ii) a second reference to the audio file containing the story; and   transmitting the playlist to a client device.   
     
     
         19 . The article of manufacture of  claim 18 , wherein the table has a first dimension representing one or more of the plurality of moods and a second dimension representing one or more of the plurality of moods, wherein each entry in the table is associated with a pair of moods as specified by positions of the entry along the first dimension and the second dimension, and wherein the entries in the table respectively specify whether their associated pair of moods match one another, oppose one another, or are neutral with respect to one another. 
     
     
         20 . The article of manufacture of  claim 18 , wherein the theme is based on one or more of a style of music, a musical artist, or a particular sport.