Method and system for supplying contents via communication network

An apparatus for making sample contents from music contents including at least a file of digital performance information for automatically performing a music piece and a file of sound information contained in the music piece, said apparatus comprising:

• a memory storing music contents;
• and
• a processor coupled with said memory, said processor being adapted to:
• read out, from said memory, the digital performance information and sound information included in desired music contents;
• analyze the digital performance information for a performance pattern present therein and divide the digital performance information into a plurality of segments in accordance with the performance pattern;
• detect an envelope in the sound information and divide the sound information into a plurality of segments on the basis of a tendency of rising/falling variations in the detected envelope;
• compare the segments of the digital performance information and the segments of the sound information, to thereby determine a given range of the music piece which is to be extracted as characterizing the music piece;
• and
• extract specific parts of the digital performance information and sound information which correspond to the given range of the music piece and supply the extracted specific parts as sample contents.

A machine-readable storage medium containing a group of instructions to cause a processor to implement a method of making sample contents from music contents including at least a file of digital performance information for automatically performing a music piece and a file of sound information contained in the music piece, said method comprising the steps of:

• a first step of analyzing the digital performance information for a performance pattern present therein and dividing the digital performance information into a plurality of segments in accordance with the performance pattern;
• a second step of detecting an envelope in the sound information and dividing the sound information into a plurality of segments on the basis of a tendency of rising/falling variations in the detected envelope;
• a third step of comparing the segments of the digital performance information and the segments of the sound information, to thereby determine a given range of the music piece which is to be extracted as characterizing the music piece;
• and
• a fourth step of extracting specific parts of the digital performance information and sound information which correspond to the given range of the music piece determined by said third step and supplying the extracted specific parts as sample contents.