Segmentation and transmission of audio streams

A method for transmission of digital audio data, the method comprising the steps of:

• a) selecting an audio stream, the audio stream analyzed to locate natural language gaps in the audio stream and segmented into a plurality of small digital audio files in dependence upon the located natural language gaps;
• b) determining a first small digital audio file in the plurality of small digital audio files to be transmitted using a descriptor, the descriptor including at least one of a start time, an end time, and a play time of each small digital audio file;
• c) transmitting the first small digital audio file from a server to a client;
• and
• d) using a media player and the descriptor, successively playing the plurality of small digital audio files beginning with the first small digital audio file to reproduce an experience of a contiguous audio stream without reconstruction of the audio stream,
• and comprising:
• determining numeric values representing current time offsets into the audio stream, while successfully playing the plurality of small digital audio files;
• creating a first bookmark using a first current time offset and information in the descriptor for identifying the audio stream;
• determining an amount of memory available;
• obtaining a list of small digital audio files currently resident within the client;
• and
• purging a plurality of small digital audio files in the list in dependence upon at least one of the first current time offset, a second other current time offset, and a bookmarked time offset.

A method for creating a bookmark for use in transmission of digital audio data, comprising the steps of:

• a) selecting an audio stream, the audio stream analyzed to locate natural language gaps in the audio stream and segmented into a plurality of small digital audio files in dependence upon the located natural language gaps, the plurality of small digital audio files stored on at least one network accessible server;
• b) using a descriptor of the audio stream and a media player, successively playing the plurality of small digital audio files to reproduce an experience of a contiguous audio stream without reconstruction of the audio stream, the descriptor including at least one of a start time, an end time, and a play time of the plurality of small digital audio files;
• c) determining a numeric value representing a first current time offset into the audio stream while playing a small digital audio file;
• d) creating a bookmark using the first current time offset and information in the descriptor for identifying the audio stream;
• wherein a client including the media player is for determining an amount of memory available, for obtaining a list of small digital audio files currently resident within the client, and for purging a plurality of small digital audio files in the list in dependence upon at least one of the first current time offset, a second other current time offset in the audio stream, and a bookmarked time offset.

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium including computer readable code, which when executed by a computer, causes said computer to:

• download at least part of a selected audio stream stored on a network accessible server, the selected audio stream stored as a plurality of small digital audio files, each small digital audio file corresponding to a segment of the selected audio stream bounded by natural language gaps in the selected audio stream;
• and
• begin playing the selected audio stream using a media player in less than about 5 seconds,
• wherein play of the selected audio stream includes successively playing the plurality of small digital audio files to reproduce an experience of a contiguous audio stream without reconstruction of the audio stream,
• wherein play is begun from a predetermined position within the selected audio stream, the predetermined position determined using a time offset in the selected audio stream, the time offset obtained from one of a bookmark, a catalog index, and an advertising structure and
• wherein a client including the media player is for determining numeric values representing current time offsets into the audio stream while successively playing the plurality of small digital audio files, for creating bookmarks using the current time offsets and information in the descriptor for identifying the audio stream, for determining an amount of memory available, for obtaining a list of small digital audio files currently resident within the client, and for purging a plurality of small digital audio files in the list in dependence upon at least one of a current time offset in the audio stream and a bookmarked time offset.