Virtual jukebox: reviving a classic

Recent advances in compression technology, combined with lower cost of storage and bandwidth, have made digital distribution of rich content including music not only technically feasible but also popular with a broad audience. However, limited progress has been made in the way this content is enjoyed by eyed users. We focus on the problem of playing music in a shared space, e.g, office, home, car - such that all listeners who are present share a positive music experience. Our scheme enables collaborative selection of content and pooling of content files. Users can express their preferences by contributing songs to be played and through a simple voting scheme. The system builds profiles and automatically selects content for playback, maximizing the match with the group´s taste. As users vote, the system learns more about their collective preferences and can adjust the playlist accordingly, thus providing an incentive mechanism.