Readings in Multimedia Computing and Networking

Content-Based Classification, Search, and Retrieval of Audio

Erling Wold, Thom Blum, Douglas Keislar, James Wheaton and Muscle Fish

Many audio and multimedia applications would benefit from the ability to classify and search for audio based on its characteristics. The audio analysis, search, and classification engine described here reduces sounds to perceptual and acoustical features. This lets users search or retrieve sounds by any one feature or a combination of them, by specifying previously learned classes based on these features, or by selecting or entering reference sounds and asking the engine to retrieve similar or dissimilar sounds.

The rapid increase in speed and capacity of computers and networks has allowed the inclusion of ...