Gracenote Launches Data-Driven Tech to Improve the Quality of Sound for Drivers and Passengers

EMERYVILLE, Calif., Dec. 30, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Gracenote® wants drivers and passengers to get the most out of their favorite beats on the open road.  Gracenote today announced a new technology for automakers that will automatically adjust the equalizer (EQ) settings in car audio systems for the song being played.  Gracenote Dynamic EQ™ will leverage the company's industry standard music recognition technology and musical datasets to identify a song and automatically fine-tune the audio system for the best possible playback for each unique track.

Gracenote Dynamic EQ is the first in a series of enhanced audio technologies from Gracenote that aim to improve the quality of sound in the car.  Today's drivers have the ability to listen to practically every song ever recorded across every genre and era.  However, most drivers typically leave their car audio systems in the same settings as they bounce from artist to artist and genre to genre.  The result is a music experience that often lacks the depth and impact of the original studio recordings.

"Tuning an EQ can be incredibly complicated for the average music fan and virtually impossible for drivers who have to keep both eyes focused on the road," said Brian Hamilton, General Manager of Gracenote Automotive.  "The introduction of Gracenote Dynamic EQ marks the first time that Gracenote, or any other company, has used track level descriptive metadata to drive the quality of the musical experience. The benefit for automakers is far and wide, helping them maximize the sound experience for high-end systems in luxury vehicles, as well as making audio systems in sub-compacts shine."

Gracenote Dynamic EQ is like having your own personal audiophile tweaking your car's audio system for every song you play. If you are jamming to Tupac or Biggie, Gracenote Dynamic EQ will recognize the track and specific Hip Hop attributes for the song and adjust the EQ settings by pumping up the bass and pulling back the treble.  By contrast, a song by Taylor Swift will automatically trigger a very different set of EQ settings based on the Pop Vocal nature of the song boosting the midrange where the vocals are present and high-end to add clarity and sparkle.  

Gracenote has created Dynamic EQ profiles with optimal equalizer settings for tens of millions of songs.  The technology uses Gracenote's classification algorithm to analyze entire recordings and extract acoustic profiles – the levels of bass, treble and midrange as well as dips in the frequency range.  Combined with descriptive data such as Genre, Era and Mood that Gracenote already has for millions of songs, Gracenote will recognize and match each track to its unique Dynamic EQ profile and automatically adjust the audio settings in the car's head unit. 

Gracenote Dynamic EQ complements its music recognition technologies which are used to identify songs in real-time across AM/FM radio, CDs, satellite radio and streaming music services to deliver relevant metadata such as artist and album information and Cover Art to the automotive display.  Combined, the new Gracenote solution will finely tune your favorite jams, at the track level, to the optimal settings for the best quality playback.

Gracenote has worked with automakers and suppliers to pioneer in-car entertainment, starting with first generation audio systems which were able to identify CDs, to delivering metadata and Cover Art, one-touch playlisting and "hands-free" voice recognition that is now standard in millions of cars today. In fact, Gracenote data and tech powers more than 65 million cars from every major OEM, from Ford and GM to BMW and Tesla.

About Gracenote
Gracenote, Inc. provides music and video content and technologies to the world's hottest entertainment products and brands. Gracenote is the industry standard for music and video recognition and is supported by the largest source of music and video metadata, featuring descriptions of more than 200 million tracks and TV listings for 85+ countries. Gracenote is a subsidiary of Tribune Media Company (NYSE:TRCO) and has offices around the globe. For more information, visit our website www.gracenote.com or follow us at @GracenoteTweets and www.facebook.com/PoweredbyGracenote.

Gracenote is a registered trademark of Gracenote, Inc. All other names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

Media Contact:
Sunok Pak
Gracenote, Inc.
[email protected]
(415) 999-4646

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