System and method for providing an interactive, visual complement to an audio program

A method for providing a visual complement to an audio service, comprising:

• selecting a sound recording;
• transmitting the selected sound recording to a consumer device that is operable to reproduce the sound recording;
• after selecting the sound recording, transmitting a trigger message, wherein the trigger message comprises an identifier that is associated with the selected sound recording;
• after transmitting the trigger message, receiving the trigger message and generating a video image based, at least in part, on pre-defined configuration data and the identifier contained in the trigger message;
• and
• transmitting the video image to the consumer device so that the video image can be reproduced by the consumer device while the consumer device is reproducing at least some portion of the sound recording, wherein
• the step of generating the video image comprises generating, in response to receiving the trigger message, a video image specification based, at least in part, on the pre-defined configuration data and the identifier contained in the trigger message.

A method for providing a visual complement to an audio service, comprising:

• storing a playlist for an audio channel of the audio service;
• transmitting, from a first transmission system to a second transmission system, a sound recording specified in the playlist;
• and
• transmitting a data packet comprising a video image specification while the sound recording is being transmitted, wherein the video image specification specifies a visual complement for the channel by specifying one or more visual media asset identifiers, each of which identifies one or more visual media assets, one or more of said visual media asset identifiers identifying a visual media asset associated with the sound recording that is being transmitted, said data packet further comprising sound recording information associated with the sound recording, the sound recording information comprising the title of the sound recording and the name of the artist who recorded the sound recording, wherein
• the step of transmitting the data packet comprising the video image specification and sound recording information comprises transmitting the data packet to a system comprising a video image generator, wherein the video image generator is configured to generate a video image using the video image specification and the system is configured to provide the generated video image to an audio/video device that is operable to display the video image to a user of the device, and wherein the video image generator is configured to generate the video image by retrieving the visual media assets identified in the video image specification.