MusicDNA is a new audio file format which will give record companies and distributors and artists a massive 32GB of information to hold, for example album art work, song lyrics, and even current, up-to-the minute Twitter and blog postings and concert listings, added with the sound file.

If enough big names come on board, it’s just possible there could be a challenge to the mighty MP3, giving users a more album-like experience albeit in digital form, but more importantly, it will allow artists and record companies a license to increase their prices per download.

The MusicDNA format was launched by Bach Technology on Sunday at MIDEM a music-industry conference under way in Cannes, France. Unlike current alternatives to the MP3, for example Windows Media Audio (WMA) and Advanced Audio Coding (AAC), MusicDNA is not actually a new audio technology, and luckily doesn’t require new audio codecs, an important point. Rather, as Stefan Kohlmeyer, CEO of Batch, the man behind MusicDNA explained in an interview, MusicDNA is an add-on to existing audio formats.

So what is it that MusicDNA does? Well, it’s fascinating. It goes about analyzing the sound file itself for certain characteristics in 13 categories for example tempo and mood. This data is then encoded as XML and is stored with the file. Record labels can also include data, including lyrics and album art, to be included with the file.

What’s more, this data can also be updated when the user is connects to the internet–for example, concert listings could be updated as soon as they’re announced, complete with links to buy tickets. Bach is hoping to generate money by licensing the MusicDNA format out to software and hardware producers.

Now, one big advantage that Bach has is that because MusicDNA isn’t a new audio technology, it means that MusicDNA files should play on existing hardware and software. So MusicDNA could work on MP3 / MP4 players if adopted by the manufactures. The player will be able to read the audio file, and discount the information stored as XML. Because of this, MusicDNA could avoid the same fate of other formats such as Sony’s ATRAC or even Windows Media Audio. Watch this space!

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