Digital Music Research Network

Digital Music Research Network

EPSRC Network GR/R64810/01

Funded by
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council

UK Research Groups


Queen Mary University of London

Centre for Digital Music (Electronic Engineering) [DMRN Coordinator]

Research in the Centre, led by Prof Mark Sandler, started with the work in Digital Power Amplification in 1982. Recent relevant research in the lab includes work on music analysis and automatic music transcription using various techniques such as blackboard models and neural networks; application of Hidden Markov Models to music; digital audio watermarking; Wavelet transform for audio coding; music synthesis; sigma-delta signal processing; independent component analysis (ICA) and blind source separation.
Contact: Dr Mark Plumbley, Prof Mark Sandler, Dr Josh Reiss

Interaction, Media, and Communication Research Group (Computer Science)

Interaction, Media, and Communication is a multi-disciplinary group which applies computer science, philosophy, and psychology to exploit the potential of digital technologies to support novel forms of human action and interaction. Interests include: human-human communication, interactional engagement and creativity, human error modelling, multi-modal interaction (including verbal, gestural, aural, graphical and musical interaction) and accessibility.
Contact: Dr Nick Bryan-Kinns, Dr Pat Healey


University of Bristol

Signal Processing Group (Electrical and Electronic Engineering)

The work of the Signal Processing Group relates primarily to problems associated with image and video transmission and analysis. It also has activities in the areas of radar signal processing, tracking and audio analysis. [See also historical Digital Music Research (DMR) Group pages]
Contact: Prof Nishan Canagarajah, Prof David Bull


University of Cambridge

Signal Processing and Communications Laboratory (Engineering)

The Signal Processing and Communications Laboratory is active in many areas, including image and 3D data processing, computer vision and computer graphics, audio and music processing, statistical methodology (especially Bayesian methods), life sciences data (including genomics), tracking and machine learning.
Contact: Prof Bill Fitzgerald, Dr Simon Godsill, Prof Peter Rayner


City University, London

Music Informatics research group (Computing)

The work of the group includes the study of computational models of music analysis, music generation, and music performance. Interests of the Music Informatics group include statistical modelling, computational musicology, music knowledge representation, pattern discovery, and music e-learning. The group is also interested in wider aspects of modelling sequential structures, such as financial time series, biological sequences, and text, and the novel application of techniques from these areas to music.
Contact: Dr Darrell Conklin, Dr Tillman Weyde


De Montfort University, Leicester

Music, Technology and Innovation Research Centre

MTI Research Centre is the research hub of De Montfort University's (DMU) Music, Technology and Innovation Department (MTI), a programme of undergraduate and postgraduate education and researchwhich is part of DMU's Faculty of Humanities. Activites encompass a broad and continually evolving range of artistic creation and theory focused on innovative application of new technologies to music.
Contact: Prof Leigh Landy, Prof Andrew Hugill, Dr Simon Atkinson, Prof Simon Emmerson


University of Glasgow

Centre for Music Technology (Electronics & Electrical Eng / Music)

CMT is an interdisciplinary centre of the Departments of Music, Computing Science and Electronics & Electrical Engineering, managed by a board of staff members in the participating disciplines. Research topics include: Automatic Music Transcription; Optical Music Recognition; Content labelling; MPEG standard encoding methods such as MPEG-4 Structured Audio, MPEG-7, etc.; Streaming formats for delivery of audio over the Internet; Musical information storage, searching and retrieval; Multi-channel audio systems; Mixing and Post-processing systems; Musical composition tools; and Musical instrument synthesis.
Contact: Dr Carola Böhm, Dr Nick Bailey, Dr Nick Fells, Prof Stephen Brewster


Goldsmiths' College, University of London

Intelligent Sound and Music Systems (ISMS) (Computing)

Research in the group is focussed around two main areas: modelling of musical creativity and cognitively plausible tools and techniques for the analysis of musical data. An important aspect of the current work is pattern discovery and matching in large musical datasets, and work in this area has recently led to the discovery and patenting of new algorithms for the discovery and matching of patterns in arbitrary multidimensional datasets.
Contact: Prof Geraint Wiggins, Dr David Meredith, Mr Tim Crawford, Dr Michael Casey

Centre for cognition, computation and culture

The research labs include Cognitive Neuroscience (Psychology) and the Goldsmiths Digital Studios, where the emphasis is on the creative use of computing and information technology in music and the visual arts, and the computational modelling of cognition. The main aim of the centre (The 4Cs) is the understanding of cognitive processes including those related to cultural differences.
Contact: Dr Michael Young, Prof Geraint Wiggins


Imperial College

Multimedia Knowledge Management Group

Research is centred around the theme of Multimedia Information Retrieval, including Music Retrieval. The group is part of the London Knowledge Management Network.
Contact: Dr Stefan Rüger


King's College London

Algorithm Design Group (Computer Science)

The Group has a wide range of interests encompassing both applied and basic research. Particular strengths are in bio-informatics, music analysis, network optimization, string, graph and randomized algorithms. The research of the Group includes designing sequential and parallel algorithms to solve practical problems, providing rigorous proofs of correctness and efficiency, as well as exploring new areas of algorithmic research and evaluating selected algorithms exprimentally. Prof C. Iliopoulis (Head of the Group), Prof. A. Gibbons, and M. Kurokawa are working on computer assisted musical analysis in the group. This research aims to design and implement efficient algorithms for monophonic and polyphonic motif matching in musical sequences.
Contact: Prof Costas Iliopoulis, Prof Alan Gibbons


Leeds College of Music

Music Technology Research

The aims of the group include both work in original composition and academic research: Compositional research involves: Composition and dissemination of electroacoustic music; Music for Film and Television; Popular music composition. Current academic research topics include: The development of Music Technology education at secondary and tertiary levels; Diegetic and Non-diegetic sound in film and television; Creativity and Art in Music Recording and Process in Experimental music.
Contact: Dr Catherine Parsonage


University of Leeds

ICSRiM (Interdisciplinary Centre for Scientific Research in Music)

ICSRiM aims to produce research outcomes of international significance in the broad area of musical sound and its applications, and to exploit existing technologies and to drive novel technologies in musical sound and its applications.
Contact: Dr Kia Ng


London Metropolitain University

Music Technology (Sir John Cass Department of Art, Media and Design)

The area consists of work in audio electronics, DSP, sound synthesis, and digital audio. The University also supports the Centre for New Musical Instruments (CNMI). The primary aim of CNMI is to develop new versions of mainstream acoustic and orchestral instruments, with the immediate objective of creating orchestral-type instruments that reliably provide quartertones and other tuning systems. CNMI is also keen to encourage new timbral possibilities, acoustic-electronic hybrid instruments, and those that complement digital and electroacoustic instruments and music. CNMI aims to encourage collaborative projects involving fundamental research, e.g. acoustics, materials, electronics, new technologies, interfaces, cognitive and musical systems theory, software development, e.g. physical modelling, instrument design tools, interface control software.
Contact: Allan Seago, Sam Verik, Lewis Jones


University of Plymouth

Computer Music Research

Formed of scholars from different backgrounds and from different departments across the University, including musicians, media artists, engineers, neuroscientists and psychologists. Research interests include systems for musical composition, software sound synthesis, artificial intelligence, evolutionary computing models of music, biomusicology and neuroscience of music. The group is developing new intelligent musical systems that will be able to evolve their own rules for musical composition and ability to interact with musicians and listeners in much more sophisticated ways than the present ones can do. We predict the emergence of new kinds of music content, most of which will be generated on the fly, requiring new modes of representation, access and interaction. New research topics such as Evolutionary Computer Music and Neuroscience of Music are emerging as natural progressions in Computer Music research
Contact: Prof Eduardo Reck Miranda, Mr Dan Livingstone


Queen's University Belfast

Sonic Arts Research Centre (SARC)

A newly established centre of excellence, dedicated to the research of music technology. The new £4.5m Centre, the first purpose-built facility of its kind in the UK, has brought together key researchers working in the fields of music, computer science and electronic and electrical engineering into a world-class research group. The team, which has grown to over thirty people, is now one of the biggest groups of its kind in Europe has been actively recruiting staff from leading institutions in the field. SARC’s aim is to develop strategic partnerships with leading commercial and academic organisations in the audio, music and multimedia arena and, through these links, to advance creative and technical boundaries in the discipline.
Contact: Prof Michael Alcorn, Dr Maarten van Walstijn


University of Salford

Acoustics Research Centre

Principle areas include building and architectural acoustics, environmental acoustics, outdoor sound propagation, remote acoustic sensing of metrological conditions, subjective response especially for room acoustics and audio systems, digital signal processing, transducer design and active control. Salford is one of the two UK universities that provide acoustics training at degree, masters and doctoral level. The Centre has a portfolio of fundamental and applied research projects funded by research councils, government bodies, and industry. Activities include work on physical modelling of musical instruments.
Contact: Dr Ian Drumm, Prof Trevor Cox


University of Sheffield

MISTRES Group (Music Information Systems and Technology REsearch at Sheffield) (Information Studies / Computer Science / Music)

The MISTRES Group was formed at Sheffield University in 1998, involving the departments of Information Studies, Computer Science and Music. The broad aim of the group is to seek improved computer environments that better support the creative process of music composition and performance. This is a multi-faceted and multidisciplinary domain, hence the involvement of three departments.
Contact: Dr Barry Eaglestone, Dr Guy Brown, Dr Adrian Moore


University of Surrey

Institute of Sound Recording (IoSR)

Research is centred on the measurement, analysis and characterisation of recorded, reproduced, and live sound. Tools for sound analysis, visualisation and control are being developed alongside innovative experimental approaches to sound quality assessment. Close links, including collaboration and student sponsorship, exist with BBC Research and Development, Meridian Audio, Bang & Olufsen, Sony and NXT among others.
Contact: Prof Francis Rumsey, Dr Tim Brookes, Dr Russell Mason, Dr Slawek Zielinski


University of York

Audio Lab (Electronics)

Work in the Audio Lab relates to understanding what gives a sound its naturalness, sound analysis and synthesis, applications of audio and human perception of sound, particularly in three dimensions.
Contact: Prof David Howard, Mr Ross Kirk, Dr Andy Hunt, Dr Damian Murphy, Mr Tony Tew

Music Technology Research Group (Music)

The group is involved in the development of high speed digital signal processing for musical applications and has a Silicon Graphics Origin High Performance Computer with a 0.5TByte storage for compositional and software research. The music research centre promotes and supports creative research into the use and application of technology in Music. The centre has been designed to establish a supportive environment for an active community of researchers and artists and to support and develop contemporary creative work of international significance.
Contact: Dr Tony Myatt, Dr Ambrose Field