Gracenote Unveils Data-Driven Tech to Boost Sound Quality in Cars

In its deep desire and dedication to help drivers and passengers get the most out of their music listening experience on every road trip, Gracenote has recently premiered a new technology for carmakers that automatically adjusts the equalizer settings in car audio systems for the song being played.

The revolutionary Gracenote Dynamic EQ™ will employ the company’s industry standard music recognition technology and musical datasets to recognize a song and automatically fine-tune the audio system for the best possible playback for every unique track. It is the first in a series of improved audio technologies from Gracenote that is designed to boost the sound quality in the car.

Drivers of today are able to listen to every song recorded across every era and genre, but most of them normally leave their car audio systems in the same settings as they bounce from genre to genre and artist to artist. This results in a music experience that often lacks the impact and depth of the original studio recordings.

In a statement, Brian Hamilton, General Manager of Gracenote Automotive, said that tuning an EQ could be incredibly intricate for the average music fan and impossible for drivers who must keep both eyes focused on the road. He noted that the launch of Gracenote Dynamic EQ marks the first time that Gracenote or any other company, has employed track level descriptive metadata to drive the musical experience’s quality. “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 works like a personal audiophile that tweaks the car’s audio system for every song played. If the driver is listening to a Biggie or Tupac song, the technology recognizes the track and certain Hip Hop attributes for the song and adjusts the EQ settings by pumping up the bass and pulling back the treble. Meanwhile, a country song just like Taylor Swift’s will automatically activate a different suite 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 sparkle and clarity.

Moreover, Gracenote has developed Dynamic EQ profiles with the best equalizer settings for millions of songs. This technology employs the company’s classification algorithm to analyze recordings and extract acoustic profiles—the levels of treble, bass, and midrange as well as dips in the frequency range. In combination with descriptive data such as Era, Mood and Genre that Gracenote already has for millions of songs, the company will identify and match each track to its DynamicEQ profile and automatically adjust the audio settings in the car’s head unit.

The Dynamic EQ perfectly complements its music recognition technologies which are utilized in recognizing songs in real-time across AM/FM radio, satellite radio, CDs and streaming music services to deliver pertinent metadata such as Cover Art and artist and album information to the automotive display. All combined, the innovative Gracenote solution will finely tune the listener’s favorite jams, at the track level, to the best settings for the finest quality playback.

Gracenote has collaborated with carmakers and suppliers to pioneer in-car entertainment, beginning with its first generation audio systems which were able to determine CDs and to deliver Cover Art and metadata, one-touch playlisting, and hands-free voice recognition that is now standard in millions of cars worldwide. Gracenote technology and data powers over 65 million cars from every leading OEM such as Tesla, BMW, GM and Ford.