Apparatus, system, and method for integrating content and content services

Abstract

A system and method for providing seamless consumption of media content and managing playlists for seamless consumption of media is described. One embodiment includes receiving a request for media content; determining a mode of consumption for the media content; determining a media content service to provide the media content; and providing the media content according to the preferred mode of consumption and from the preferred service and managing playlists to integrate reproduction of media content from multiple services.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 receiving, at a central computer server, a request for media content;   receiving from a user preferences database maintained on a first data storage device associated with the central computer server a mode of consumption preference for a user;   determining, based at least in part on the mode of consumption preference, a mode of consumption for the media content;   determining a media content service from which to request the media content;   performing the following:
 in response to determining an ownership mode of consumption for the media content, sending, to a provisioning computer server of the media content service, a first set of one or more instructions including one or more instructions to send, to a second data storage device, a downloadable media content file encoded with the media content; and 
 in response to the determining an access mode of consumption, sending a second set of one or more instructions to add a first reference to a streamable media content file encoded with the media content to a playlist database. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the determining a media content service includes sending a query to one or more computer servers of one or more media content services for availability data of the media content. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 sending, in response to the receiving a request for media content, an advertisement to the device from which the request was received.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the request for media content includes data selected from the group consisting of media content metadata, RDS data, image data, QR code data, bar code data, and media content signature data. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the media content has a type selected from the group consisting of music, video, electronic book, and image. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first instruction set further includes one or more instructions to add a second reference to the downloadable media content file to a playlist database, the second reference including an address of the downloadable media content file on the second data storage device. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the playlist database resides on the first data storage device and the second data storage device is a third-party data storage device. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the second data storage device is a first third-party data storage device and the playlist database resides on a second third-party data storage device. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 sending, in response to the receiving a request for media content, an advertisement to a device from which the request for media content was received.   
     
     
         10 . A system comprising:
 a first data storage device having a user preferences database for storing a user preference for a mode of consumption, the mode of consumption selected from the group consisting of ownership and access; and   a first computer server having a network communications interface, a memory, and a processor, the first computer server configured to:
 receive a request for media content via the networks communications interface, 
 query the user preferences database for a user preference for a mode of consumption, 
 query one or more second computer servers of one or more media content services for availability data of the media content, 
 determine, based at least in part on a mode of consumption of media content and the availability data a media content service to provide the media content, 
 construct a first set of one or more instructions to a computer server of the media content service to provide the media content to send, to a second data storage device, a downloadable media content file encoded with the media content, and 
 construct a second set of one or more instructions to add a first reference to a streamable media content file encoded with the media content to a playlist database. 
   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the first computer server is further configured to send, in response to the receiving a request for media content, an advertisement to the device from which the request was received. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the request for media content includes data selected from the group consisting of media content metadata, RDS data, image data, QR code data, bar code data, and media content signature data. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the media content has a type selected from the group consisting of music, video, electronic book, and image. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the first instruction set further includes one or more instructions to add a second reference to the downloadable media content file to a playlist database, the second reference including an address of the downloadable media content file on the second data storage device. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the playlist database resides on the first data storage device and the second data storage device is a third-party data storage device. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the second data storage device is a first third-party data storage device and the playlist database resides on a second third-party data storage device. 
     
     
         17 . A system comprising:
 a streaming content database, stored on a first data storage device;   a playlist database configured to reference media content files stored in the streaming content database and configured to reference media content files stored in a third-party data storage device.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 a playlist manager configured to receive instructions to add references to media content files stored in a third-party data storage device.   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 a third-party media manager configured to retrieve a media content file referenced in a third-party data storage device for streaming.