How to Play Any Media Playlist by Converting it to a Standard Format

This patent describes a system that takes media playlists in various formats, converts them into a single standard format, and then streams the referenced content, even allowing for dynamic changes during playback.

What it covers

This patent details a method for managing and streaming media content by first handling different playlist formats. A computing device accesses a "first playlist" that uses a "non-canonical data format" (Claim 1). It then uses one of several "translators" to convert this first playlist into a "canonical playlist format," creating a "second playlist" (Claim 1). Once in this standard format, the system can retrieve and stream the media content referenced by the second playlist (Claim 1, 2). For example, a server could receive a playlist from a user's old media player, convert it to a standard web format, and then stream those songs to their phone. The system can even dynamically interrupt a media item being streamed to insert another one or change the playlist order (Claim 13, 14, 15).

What it doesn't cover

• —Does not cover systems that only use a single, proprietary playlist format from creation to playback without any translation step.
• —Does not cover media players that simply play different media file formats without translating the underlying playlist structure.
• —Does not cover managing media content that is not referenced by a playlist, such as playing individual files directly.
• —Does not cover systems where playlist modifications cannot happen dynamically while content is actively streaming to a client.
• —Does not cover the conversion of the media content itself, only the playlist that references the content.

The clever bit

The innovation lies in using a 'canonical' (standard) playlist format as an intermediary. This allows a system to accept playlists from many different sources by translating them into one common language, making it much easier to manage, stream, and even dynamically change the content without needing to understand every unique original format.

Why it matters

This patent addresses a core challenge in early digital media: the proliferation of different file and playlist formats. By proposing a system to standardize playlists internally, it enabled media platforms to offer greater compatibility and flexibility to users. This approach was crucial for services aiming to aggregate content from various sources or allow users to bring their own diverse media collections.

Real-world examples

• 1.Early versions of Windows Media Player handling various playlist types
• 2.Media servers that consolidate playlists from different user devices
• 3.Music streaming services that import playlists from competing platforms
• 4.Podcast apps that manage episodes from diverse RSS feeds