The variPlay app; a multi-component output.
- Submitting institution
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The University of West London
- Unit of assessment
- 33 - Music, Drama, Dance, Performing Arts, Film and Screen Studies
- Output identifier
- 33043
- Type
- T - Other
- DOI
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- Location
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- Brief description of type
- Multi-component output consisting of seven apps accessible via supplied IPhone; journal article and patent application
- Open access status
- Out of scope for open access requirements
- Month
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- Year
- 2020
- URL
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- Supplementary information
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- Request cross-referral to
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- Output has been delayed by COVID-19
- No
- COVID-19 affected output statement
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- Forensic science
- No
- Criminology
- No
- Interdisciplinary
- No
- Number of additional authors
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- Research group(s)
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- Proposed double-weighted
- No
- Reserve for an output with double weighting
- No
- Additional information
- This is a multi-component output – the variPlay app. This unique format hosts user-interactivity functions to alter the sound of recorded music in real time, and a machine-driven mode that can autonomously remix, playing back either different versions of a song on every listen, or real-time switching to different unique versions upon user demand.
The research developed technology to answer the primary research question: What are the artistic capabilities and opportunities for dynamic and interactive music playback on contemporary digital music reproduction systems? A collaboration with Warner Music Group demonstrated the commercial potential, taking the technological 'shell' of the app and repopulating it with the music of several international Warner artists. The project was supported by AHRC awards AH/M002535/1 and AH/R004757/1.
Research was conducted by Paterson in collaboration with Toulson, originally of Anglia Ruskin University. Paterson led on the algorithmic functional operation and architecture, C++ coding of the audio engine, and development of novel music-production workflows. Both researchers contributed to testing and evaluation, and to outputs.
The submission includes three elements:
1. Seven examples of variPlay apps with incremental features issued on the Apple Store between 2015 and 2020 on the home screen of the supplied iPhone; details are supplied in a separate listing with this submission.
2. Autoethnography of the project: Paterson, J. L., Toulson, E. R. and Hepworth-Sawyer, R. (2019) ‘User-Influenced/Machine-Controlled Playback: The variPlay Music App Format for Interactive Recorded Music’, Arts, 8(3), p. 112. doi: 10.3390/arts8030112.
3. Patent application: Toulson, E. R., Paterson, J. L., (2017), Cross-fading Between Audio Files, Patent number: WO/2017/068032
Follow the laminated instructions to power-up the phone. Tap the information icon at the top-right of each app’s launch screen for instructions to launch the various features (the main icons must be dragged, not just tapped). Additional explanatory video available at: https://repository.uwl.ac.uk/id/eprint/7659/.
- Author contribution statement
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- Non-English
- No
- English abstract
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