New music discovery has never been easier, thanks to advances in algorithms, connectivity, and the proliferation of devices. There are a few different ways we discover new tracks on digital music platforms: active personal curation (we search for and find music ourselves), social recommendations (we listen to what our friends are listening to), professional curation (a music expert employed by the platform suggests tracks we may like) and automated discovery (algorithms suggest new tracks based on our listening history).
Back in the 2000s, applications like Songza, Pandora, The Echo Nest, and Last.fm kicked off the online music discovery scene. Song recognition apps like Shazam and SoundHound form another thread in the music discovery landscape. With time, these music recognition companies also incorporated search and discovery features into their platforms.
Music technology firm Spotify, first used automated discovery in 2015 in its now popular feature, Discover Weekly. The feature showcases a Facebook News Feed-style personalized and frequently updated playlist. Spotify uses a mix of different strategies to create its own music discovery engine.
This IP landscape report provides insights into the patents addressing various technologies and applications related to music discovery.
