r-MUSIC, a collaborative music DJ for ad hoc networks

Abstract

We present r-MUSIC, client-server architecture for sharing music through a persistent resource in which the music data is not shared among users, but is streamed from personal digital music players to a stationary high fidelity speaker system. The client side of this system is installed on the personal digital music players. Users' music selections are transmitted through a wireless interface to the r-MUSIC server, which mediates a song title queue. Users call referenda on songs in the queue, and then vote on the popularity of songs, to mediate if and when they will be played. Our architecture includes a vote balancing mechanism that prevents users and their songs from becoming either too dominant or isolated. The power of this system is that an ad hoc group can share music without the need for a formal mediator. Mediation occurs entirely through collaboration.