Digital media cartridge status indicator

An apparatus comprising:

• means for determining the status of a tape of a recording medium tape device, the tape housed in a cartridge, the tape having leader tape comprising marked segments of a plurality of distinctive markings such that each marking indicates a corresponding tape status;
• and
• means for automatically moving the recording medium tape such that a marked segment of the leader tape having a marking indicative of the tape status is visible through the cartridge.

A machine-readable medium that provides executable instructions, which when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method, the method comprising:

• determining the status of a tape of a recording medium tape device, the tape housed in a cartridge, the tape having leader tape comprising marked segments of a plurality of distinctive markings such that each marking indicates a corresponding tape status;
• and
• automatically moving the recording medium tape such that a marked segment of the leader tape having a marking indicative of the tape status is visible through the cartridge.

A tape cartridge comprising:

• a tape cartridge housing;
• tape located within the housing, the tape including leader tape comprising marked segments of a plurality of distinctive markings each marking indicates a corresponding tape status, wherein the tape can be moved to make visible at least one marking indicative of the cartridge status.