This entry was posted on February 20, 2011, 1:06 pm and is filed under code, fun, Music, The Echo Nest. You can follow any responses to this entry through RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
This is a great idea. If only there was some way to detect how good the musical composition of the transitions is as well. This would be tough though. Maybe integrating realtime feeds from the rankings on Amazon or iTunes into the algorithm?
And then there are those moments that happen in a song that aren’t part of the transitions. These can be just as powerful. Hmmm. How about an algorithm that tells how good a song is! I bet the record companies would like that. Wait, are there still record companies out there?
Very interesting. I was wondering if you could run two songs by request? When you said “dramatic” I thought of two that maybe won’t be detected this simply: Stairway to Heaven and November Rain.
If you had asked me to describe dramatic musically, I would have said loudness is important (although that’s so manipulated with newer music) but also a switch from a half-time feel to a double-time feel. Is BPM detectable as a rolling average?
You should try either The Pixies or Nirvana who both prided themselves on their quiet-LOUD-quiet dynamic.
Hi Zac – Nirvana does have lots of good quiet/loud moments. Highest of the 110 songs I checked was: Gallons Of Rubbing Alcohol Flow Through The Strip with a score of 856. The magic moment occurs at 6:19 seconds into the song.