4 ms·

I wish that my receiver could on-the-fly compile a second audio source that I grab from a URL, and play it simultaneously out the rear speakers, so that a commu

I wish that my receiver could on-the-fly compile a second audio source that I grab from a URL, and play it simultaneously out the rear speakers, so that a community commentary solution could pop up. People could vote for commentaries, and I could blissfully listen to drunk, stoned, or acute America opining on my tv show or movie, and I could feel just a tiny bit less alone. I'd love it.

epiccoleman 3y ago
I've had an idea kicking around for ages of setting up something like this for music commentary / radio - a "host" could set up a show and make commentary between tracks (or even during), and you'd source all the content via a user-provided subscription. So, for example, you might be a "70s prog" DJ / host, you'd set up a playlist and intersperse commentary or dialogue or whatever, and then the site handles authing and playing the licensed tracks between your pre-recorded (or hell, even live) banter. Never spent any real time on it, I'm not sure that the idea of "just use the user's Spotify account" to get around licensing would actually hold up, but it seems like it would be a cool service. That's a certified epiccoleman Free Idea for anyone with more gumption than me :)
- withinboredom 3y ago
  I had a friend who had this same idea and made it pretty far down the licensing hell-hole. They ultimately failed, at least for a US market. This was 2013-14 though, it might actually work this time (using something like Spotify).
  - epiccoleman 3y ago
    Yeah, that seems like the low key "clever" part of the idea - instead of licensing the content, you are essentially just automating "directing the listener to play a track". It at least makes some common sense that the service could just piggyback onto a user's existing personal license for music (ultimately, how is it different than the DJ saying "ok, now play Sound Chaser"?). Does that make legal sense in a world where record labels have fancy lawyers? Idk.
    - withinboredom 3y ago
      As long as they are getting paid, they probably don't care. If there is some legal way for them to get paid more, then they will care, a lot. They'd probably go after the service either way to get a settlement and/or set a precedent that they should get more money; unless you somehow got their 'blessing' before embarking on the adventure (likely some kind of investment to make sure they get their money and have control). </old man rant> IIRC, he had quite the adventure. He got flown on private jets by labels all over the world, often-times, not even getting his passport checked. He said the 'other half' lives in an entirely different world and he got a taste of it. Heh, it might be worth going on the adventure just for the sake of the adventure.
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]
xsmasher 3y ago
Didn't Rifftrax or one of the other MST-spinoffs do this for a while?
- akuchling 3y ago
  You're correct! Rifftrax will still occasionally do an MP3-only riff that you need to sync with the movie, usually for popular movies like Twilight or Dune that they could never license. They have an app that's supposed to automatically sync with the film; I assume it listens for the opening sounds of the studio logo.

epiccoleman 3y ago

I've had an idea kicking around for ages of setting up something like this for music commentary / radio - a "host" could set up a show and make commentary between tracks (or even during), and you'd source all the content via a user-provided subscription. So, for example, you might be a "70s prog" DJ / host, you'd set up a playlist and intersperse commentary or dialogue or whatever, and then the site handles authing and playing the licensed tracks between your pre-recorded (or hell, even live) banter. Never spent any real time on it, I'm not sure that the idea of "just use the user's Spotify account" to get around licensing would actually hold up, but it seems like it would be a cool service. That's a certified epiccoleman Free Idea for anyone with more gumption than me :)

withinboredom 3y ago
I had a friend who had this same idea and made it pretty far down the licensing hell-hole. They ultimately failed, at least for a US market. This was 2013-14 though, it might actually work this time (using something like Spotify).
- epiccoleman 3y ago
  Yeah, that seems like the low key "clever" part of the idea - instead of licensing the content, you are essentially just automating "directing the listener to play a track". It at least makes some common sense that the service could just piggyback onto a user's existing personal license for music (ultimately, how is it different than the DJ saying "ok, now play Sound Chaser"?). Does that make legal sense in a world where record labels have fancy lawyers? Idk.
  - withinboredom 3y ago
    As long as they are getting paid, they probably don't care. If there is some legal way for them to get paid more, then they will care, a lot. They'd probably go after the service either way to get a settlement and/or set a precedent that they should get more money; unless you somehow got their 'blessing' before embarking on the adventure (likely some kind of investment to make sure they get their money and have control). </old man rant> IIRC, he had quite the adventure. He got flown on private jets by labels all over the world, often-times, not even getting his passport checked. He said the 'other half' lives in an entirely different world and he got a taste of it. Heh, it might be worth going on the adventure just for the sake of the adventure.
deleted 3y ago
[deleted]

xsmasher 3y ago

Didn't Rifftrax or one of the other MST-spinoffs do this for a while?

akuchling 3y ago
You're correct! Rifftrax will still occasionally do an MP3-only riff that you need to sync with the movie, usually for popular movies like Twilight or Dune that they could never license. They have an app that's supposed to automatically sync with the film; I assume it listens for the opening sounds of the studio logo.