Software:Microsoft Research Songsmith

From HandWiki
Short description: Music software
Microsoft Research Songsmith
Songsmith Logo
Songsmith Screenshot
Microsoft Research Songsmith
Original author(s)Microsoft Research
Developer(s)Microsoft Research
Stable release
1.03 / September 2012
Written inC# and C++
Operating systemMicrosoft Windows
Platform.NET Framework
Size100MB download
Available inEnglish
TypeMusic Software
LicenseProprietary
WebsiteSongsmith

Microsoft Research Songsmith is a musical accompaniment application for Microsoft Windows, launched in early 2009. Songsmith immediately generates a musical accompaniment after a voice is recorded. The user can adjust tempo, genre (such as pop, R&B, hip-hop, rock, jazz, or reggae), and overall mood (e.g. to make it happy, sad, jazzy, etc.).[1]

The software was developed by a team at Microsoft Research, led by researchers Dan Morris and Sumit Basu.[2][3][4] The product began as a research project called MySong, conducted at Microsoft Research in collaboration with a University of Washington student, Ian Simon, in the summer of 2007. Songsmith is the second commercial project from Microsoft's Microsoft Research, after AutoCollage.[5]

Morris and Basu starred in an infomercial[6] that became a viral video.[7][8][9][10][11][12] The video was featured on the Australian ABC TV program The Gruen Transfer as a competitor for the Worst Ad Ever.[13]

The release of the software spawned an internet meme where the vocal tracks of popular songs are fed into the program.[14]

References

  1. Microsoft Research Songsmith
  2. Josh Lowensohn (2009-01-08). "Microsoft releases Songsmith: Karaoke in reverse". Cnet. http://news.cnet.com/8301-17939_109-10135749-2.html. 
  3. Erica Sadun (2009-01-18). "A Look at Microsoft Songsmith". Ars Technica. https://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2009/01/microsoft-songsmith-review.ars. 
  4. Todd Bishop (2009-01-08). "Demo: Microsoft's new Songsmith gives singers an algorithmic band". Puget Sound Business Journal. http://www.techflash.com/seattle/2009/01/Demo_Microsofts_new_Songsmith37263989.html. 
  5. Long Zheng (2009-01-08). "Microsoft Research announces Songsmith, make-your-own-song-from-vocals software". istartedsomething.com. http://www.istartedsomething.com/20090108/microsoft-research-announces-songsmith/. 
  6. Joseph Tartakoff (2009-01-13). "Video: Microsoft sings about its Songsmith software". Seattle Post Intelligencer. http://blog.seattlepi.com/microsoft/archives/159392.asp. 
  7. "Microsoft Songsmith Commercial is Excruciatingly Hilarious". Escapist Magazine. 2009-01-14. http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/7.83806. 
  8. "Nothing can prepare you for the Microsoft Songsmith commercial". Videogum. 2009-01-12. http://videogum.com/44861/nothing_can_prepare_you_for_th/music-related-content/. 
  9. Aarti Nagraj (2009-01-15). "The beauty of bad ads". Kipp Report. 
  10. Andrew Winistorfer (2009-01-12). "Songsmith painful in too many ways to count". Prefix Magazine. http://www.prefixmag.com/news/songsmith-painful-in-too-many-ways-to-count/24788/. 
  11. Todd Bishop (2009-01-14). "Microsoft Songsmith video: Charming or painful? Or both?". Puget Sound Business Journal. http://www.techflash.com/Microsoft_Songsmith_video_Charming_or_painful_Or_both37568679.html. 
  12. Yardena Arar (2009-01-08). "At CES, Microsoft Introduces the Unexpected: Songwriting Software". PC World. http://www.pcworld.com/article/156667/at_ces_microsoft_introduces_the_unexpected_songwriting_software.html. 
  13. Microsoft Songsmith ABC TV - The Gruen Transfer - Worst Ads on TV
  14. "7 Ad Campaigns That Prove Microsoft Was Never Good at This". 2010-09-04. http://www.cracked.com/article_18749_7-ad-campaigns-that-prove-microsoft-was-never-good-at-this.html. "Once it was out in the wild, it was ripped to shreds by merciless YouTube video-makers showing exactly how badly the software worked with well-known songs, like Queen's 'We Will Rock You'." 

External links