Apple granted patent for ‘Systems And Methods For Generating Playlists In A Music Service’

Apple has been granted a patent for “Systems And Methods For Generating Playlists In A Music Service.” It shows the company is working to make the generation of playlists in Apple Music more efficient.

About the patent

The patent generally relates to automatically generating playlists for a user. In particular, it involves platforms and techniques for automatically generating playlists within a music service.

In the patent, Apple notes that music services such as Apple Music are gaining in popularity as more consumers seek immediate access to comprehensive music libraries. For example, instead of purchasing individual copies of songs or albums (e.g., CDs), consumers can register with various music services to access music offered by the music services. 

Particularly, various music services and platforms enable users to download or stream specific songs, albums, or playlists to desktop applications or mobile devices. One benefit advertised by many music services is the ability to access music libraries where ever the user is located, so long as a network connection is available. 

However, Apple says there are deficiencies in existing music services and platforms. For example, if the network connection falters or halts altogether, any music playing through the music service stops, and the music service’s music libraries become inaccessible. This can be especially frustrating when the user will be without a network connection for an extended period of time, such as, for example, while travelling in a plane, working in a hospital or laboratory, or located at any other place with poor reception or a complete lack of connectivity.

While some music services allow users to download music to the user’s device and thereby, access the music independent of a network connection, this feature is useful only to the extent that the user remembers to download the music before the network connection is severed. Apple’s patent is intended to solve the above-noted business and technical problems by providing systems and methods for automatically generating playlists within a music service while a network connection is available and providing access to the automatic playlists when a network connection is not available. 

Summary of the patent

Here’s Apple’s abstract of the patent: “Systems and methods for generating a playlist on a device for a user of a music service are provided. In embodiments, a method includes initiating an online mode of the music service, where the device is connected to a music service server, and storing, in a cache memory of the device, at least one media object accessed by the user using the music service. 

“The method further includes identifying the at least one media object as satisfying a pro-designated condition, and in response, automatically adding the at least one media object to a playlist stored in the cache memory. The method also includes receiving an indication, via a user interface of the device, to initiate an offline mode of the music service, where the device is not connected to the music service server, and upon initialing the offline mode, enabling playback of the playlist from the cache memory.”

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