Abstract: A method and system for media navigation. A descriptor hierarchy may be accessed. The descriptor hierarchy may include at least one category list. One or more media descriptors may be accessed for a plurality of media items. The plurality of media items may be accessible from a plurality of sources. The one or more media descriptors may be mapped to the at least one category list. The navigation may be processed through a user interface to enable selection of the plurality of media items from the plurality of sources.

Abstract: Consistent user experience of playlist capabilities, despite differences in available resources and on-line connectivity, is provided. Data embedded in a playback device compensates for lack of connectivity. For compactness, embedded data can be targeted to geographic region(s) by selecting metadata for recordings containing audio using statistics on playback of the recordings in many geographic regions. The statistics and corresponding metadata are segregated by the geographic regions. Then a portion of the corresponding metadata is selected for at least one of the geographic regions based on the statistics. By using statistics that indicate popularity of recordings within geographic regions based on frequency of playback or requests for information about a recording when it is played, the portion of the corresponding metadata that is selected can be tailored for individual geographic regions.