File creation process, file format and file playback apparatus enabling advanced audio interaction and collaboration capabilities

A playback process for an audio file representing a musical rendition, including;

• receiving an audio file containing waveform data, timing data, encoding data, and markers;
• analysing the timing data, the encoding data and the markers;
• recognising at least some of the markers as the start and end of bars in the waveform data;
• and,
• utilising tempo changing software such that when a user, process or device calls one or more waveform bars from the rendition the waveform bars will conform to the same user, process or device defined tempo and will play for the same length of time as any other called bar in the rendition.

A playback process for an audio file representing one or more musical renditions, including;

• receiving an audio file containing waveform data, timing data, encoding data, and markers;
• analysing the timing data, the encoding data and the markers;
• and,
• utilising the timing data and encoding data of the renditions, or added musical timing data and encoding data, providing a by bar synthesized rendering of the renditions and added data such that when a user, process or device calls one or more of the rendered bars from one or more of the renditions, the bars will conform to the same user, process or device defined tempo as the waveform bars and will play for the same length of time as another called bar in the renditions.

A playback process for an audio file representing one or more musical renditions including;

• receiving one or more audio files containing waveform data, timing data, encoding data, and markers;
• analysing the timing data, the encoding data and the markers;
• utilising the timing data and encoding data of the original rendition, or added musical timing data and encoding data, providing a by bar synthesized rendering of the rendition and any added data;
• and,
• playing back one or more waveform bars from the rendition and/or one or more rendered bars as a mixed audio loop starting synchronously from the beginning of each of the bars and ending synchronously at the end of each of the bars;
• or,
• playing back one or more groups of waveform bars from one or more of the renditions and/or one or more rendered groups of bars as a mixed audio loop starting synchronously from the beginning of the first bar of each group of bars and ending synchronously at the end of the last bar of each group of bars whereby if one group of bars is x bars long and the other is 2x bars long then the first group of bars will play twice during the loop and so on;
• or,
• playing back one or more parts or verses of one or more of the renditions and/or one or more rendered parts or verses as a mixed audio loop starting synchronously from the beginning of each of the parts or verses and ending synchronously at the end of each of the parts or verses whereby if one part or verse is x bars long and the other is 2x bars long then the first part will play twice during the loop and so on.

A method of creating a timing file for audio processes including:

• receiving waveform data representing a musical rendition;
• analysing the waveform data to determine timing data for the rendition;
• analysing the waveform data to determine digital encoding data for the rendition;
• analysing the waveform to determine markers for the rendition;
• and,
• storing the timing data, the encoding data and the markers in a timing file separate from the waveform data.