MusicDNA is a file system that consists of an ontology that describes the underlying structure of the events that make up musical history – "who did what, where, and when" together with a set of user interfaces that allow subscribers to view, add and edit entries.
[1] MusicDNA began life as a website supporting BBC Radio's 18-hour programme, The Unfinished Symphony,[2] and was created by Antony Pitts.
In subsequent research Antony Pitts combined the horizontal time dimension with a vertical aesthetic journey, moving from inspiration to reception, to enable a multi-dimensional browsing interface.
[4] Funded by HEIF3 and the Centre for Distance Education[3] the project sought to offer a way of consolidating existing resources, making them accessible to students, staff, and the general public.
[7][8] released 30 September 2009, which records the details of what the user listened to, including time and place, and allows navigation and filtering of the resultant timeline.