Name that tune

Abstract

In this paper we argue that Musicons, short samples from pieces of music are a useful way to present private but memorable reminder messages. We investigated accuracy, memorability and response times for short, medium, and long Musicons. User performance on the Musicons was also compared to short spoken reminders. The study consisted of two sessions a week apart. Quantitative measures were augmented with qualitative questions about associations and memories. Overall, participants achieved a high level of accuracy (89%) on the Musicons. Recognition was stable at 90% or better across sessions for users who were able to construct meaningful links between Musicons and the associated tasks. Optimal response times were achieved for medium-length 0.5 sec. Musicons. We conclude that Musicons are a viable option for alarms and notifications that combine the high learnability of Auditory Icons with the more private nature of Earcons.