Software predicts which songs will be hits

Computer programs already recommend books to read or DVDs to watch. But can a mathematical algorithm predict if a song will become a hit?

Singer-songwriter Ben Novak said he was skeptical that a San Francisco company's technology could determine whether his song "Turn Your Car Around" would be a winner.

But the technology, called Hit Song Science, gave the song a high score, which caught the attention of a record executive. The song ended up hitting No. 12 on the British music charts and No. 2 in Italy.

"The hard thing for songwriters is that it's difficult to get an objective opinion," said Novak, who lives in New Zealand. "You love your song and so does your mom, but will anybody else? So that's why I loaded it up to Hit Song Science. What could be more objective than a computer program?"


Read more