A global sound map built from a network of live public microphones powered by software similar to Shazam. The sound map is superimposed over Google maps & Street view.
Browse the world maps by sound.
Filter the world map based on what predominantly goes on (birds singing, traffic, people chatting and eating, construction work, etc) within a specific time of day.
Locate nearby places where a specific event usually occurs within the specified time window. For example "What is the nearest place where I am likely to see a peacock between 1 and 2 pm?"
Be warned of places to avoid based on what you don't want to encounter.
Listen to what any place in the world sounds like at present time.
A sound map of the world comprised of a worldwide network of public microphones powered by Shazam-like sound recognition software. The sound map can be overlaid over Google maps and Street view.
People can contribute to the world sound network by installing the app and dedicating a device (smartphone, tablet, etc.). The device can have an external microphone or use the in-built one. Cities can dedicate the audio streams from various surveillance cameras to the network.
Any speech or sounds that might be considered an invasion of privacy are anonymized or removed. The rest can be played back on demand.
All sounds that have not yet been recognized by the software are grouped by similarity and queued to be reviewed by the network moderators. Volunteers can help the moderators identify the sounds via comments.
In areas without live microphones, volunteers can leave a phone/microphone online for a few days to help give the world a sense of what the area is like.
Some examples of usage scenarios
Find city areas with the lowest noise pollution.
Find places with small streams of water (burble sound).
Find nearby places known for outdoor dining.
Find the closest place that is likely to have live jazz music on Friday evening.
Locate and avoid traffic jams, protests, road works, etc. Your car's computer taps into the system and warns you of unwanted stuff that is on the way to your destination.
What kind of noises are common in the area where I'm looking at buying some real estate? (you wouldn't want to live near animal farms, street violence, railway, etc)
See where human settlements end and nature begins.
The idea was inspired by this comment.
What further improvements can be made?
Darko Savic Apr 23, 2022