good design award japan awards lyric speaker that syncs songs with text

good design award japan 2016: ‘lyric speaker’, presented at tokyo design week 2016, is the next generation of speakers which displays lyrics synchronized with music. when you choose a song on your smartphone, lyrics appear on the translucent screen. music analysis technologies developed by national institute of advanced industrial science and technology (AIST) can autonomously analyze the song’s overall mood and structure, and the built-in expression engine can create motion graphics for each song played.

the smart speaker was developed by japan-based creative agency six. when a song is played from a mobile device, ‘lyric speaker’ automatically connects to a database and displays the lyrics in sync with the song. the speaker can analyze the mood and structure of the song to automatically generate motion graphics for display on the translucent LCD screen. it can generate soft graphics for mellow songs and powerful graphics for energetic songs. six calls this ‘lyric sync technology’ and the speaker is the world’s first speaker to have these functions. the product was the recent recipient of the good design award best 100. 

‘amid the rapid digitization of the music industry, not many people will think much about the lyrics booklet that came with the cover sleeve of a physical cd or the purpose it served,’ says jin saito, creative director of six. ‘the lyric speaker is an internet of things speaker that brings back the utility of a lyrics booklet but takes it to the next level using technology and stunning visuals. it draws out music’s fundamental beauty by enhancing the power of individual songs through technology to present stunning visual displays of song lyrics.’

the GOOD DESIGN award was founded in 1957 by the japanese ministry of international trade and industry and is hosted by the japan institute for design promotion. the ‘g mark’ emblem reflects comprehensive design values and principles that aim to enrich lives, industries and society.