Ambient music experience in real and virtual worlds using audio similarity

Sound and, specifically, music is a medium that is used for a wide range of purposes in different situations in very different ways. Ways for music selection and consumption may range from completely passive, almost unnoticed perception of background sound environments to the very specific selection of a particular recording of a piece of music with a specific orchestra and conductor on a certain event. Different systems and interfaces exist for the broad range of needs in music consumption. Locating a particular recording is well supported by traditional search interfaces via metadata. Other interfaces support the creation of playlists via artist or album selection, up to more artistic installation of sound environments that users can navigate through. In this paper we will present a set of systems that support the creation of as well as the navigation in musical spaces, both in the real world as well as in virtual environments. We show some common principles and point out further directions for a more direct coupling of the various spaces and interaction methods.