Interactive music playlist sharing system and methods

A community media playlist relational database system, comprising:

• a playlist server in communication with a database of media playlists, the media playlists each including media identification information and user identification information, the at least one playlist server connected to a network for access thereto by a plurality of system users;
• wherein the playlist server includes a server-provided network playlist interface module providing a front-end to the playlist server over the network, the network playlist interface module including:
• a playlist submission interface module for submitting media playlists to the playlist server by a system user over a network from a plurality of external media playlist formats, the playlist server recognizing the plurality of external formats and converting the submitted media playlists for inclusion in the database of media playlists;
• a playlist linking interface module for linking the database of media playlists to additional media information through the network playlist interface module, the playlist linking interface module further linking the database of media playlists to a plurality of points of purchase for individual media items in the media playlists of the database of media playlists;
• and
• a meta-affiliate interface module for distributing affiliate profits from at least one of the plurality of points of purchase when accessed via the playlist linking interface module to distribute at least a portion of the affiliate profits among at least one of the system users based upon media identification information, system user information, and playlist information.

A media playlist sharing system, comprising:

• a web interface module for serving elements of a playlist sharing system to system users over a network from a playlist sharing server;
• the playlist sharing server including access to a first playlist and a second playlist, the first playlist including a first playlist name, a first set of media descriptors representing a first set of media works, and first playlist description data, and the second playlist including a second playlist name, a second set of media descriptors representing a second set of media works, and second playlist description data;
• and
• wherein the playlist server includes:
• a playlist submission interface module, including an automatic playlist submission interface module providing:
• a server-based universal playlist compatibility interface to populate the first playlist from any of a plurality of third party playlist formats, and a server-based manual playlist submission interface for populating the second playlist via the web interface module;
• a media recommendations interface to provide recommendations of at least one of playlists, media works, and system users based on an affinity at the playlist server of at least one of playlists, media works, and system users;
• and
• a social networking interface module for enabling a first system user and a second system user to directly communicate with one another and share standard playlist format information via a network communication protocol.

A computer readable medium storing a computer program for causing a processor, used in a data processing system controlling a media playlist sharing system, to:

• supply a web-based interface to a network including a plurality of system users;
• provide an interface for uploading media playlists from the plurality of system users to the media playlist sharing system;
• associate the playlists to respective system users;
• associate the playlists to one or more third party providers for each of the media items on the playlists;
• enable the sharing of the media playlists among the plurality of system users via the web-based interface;
• provide network communications among the plurality of users via the web-based interface according to the content of the playlists associated with respective system users;
• store affiliate associations between the system users and the third party providers;
• and
• track the stored affiliate associations of each media item on the playlist associated with a user when that media item is selected for acquisition from a third party by another user.

A method for sharing media playlists including a plurality of media files among a plurality of users on a network, comprising:

• uploading a first playlist from a first user to a playlist sharing server over the network, the playlist sharing server including a database, a web server, and an interface to a network including the plurality of users;
• uploading a second playlist from a second user to the playlist sharing server over the network;
• converting the first playlist and the second playlist to a standard playlist format on the playlist sharing server;
• storing the first playlist and the second playlist in the standard playlist format in the database associated with the playlist sharing server;
• associating the first playlist and the second playlist with respective media identification information, media relation information, and user information for each the playlist in the database;
• associating the first playlist and the second playlist with a plurality of third party media providers such that each media file in the first playlist is linked to at least one of the plurality of third party media providers that distributes that media file if any, and each media file in the second playlist is linked to at least one of the plurality of third party media providers that distributes that media file if any;
• and
• sharing the first playlist and the second playlist with the first user and the second user via the web interface over the network.

A method for universally sharing playlists of media works among a plurality of users on a network via a network playlist server, comprising:

• submitting a first playlist in a first proprietary format from a first user to the network playlist server over the network;
• converting the first playlist to a standard playlist format;
• submitting a second playlist in a second proprietary format from a second user to the network playlist server over the network;
• converting the second playlist to a standard playlist format;
• providing a web-based browsing interface enabling the first user and the second user to share the first playlist and the second playlist in the standard playlist format over the network;
• and
• providing a web-based searching interface enabling the first user and the second user to share the first playlist and the second playlist in the standard playlist format over the network.

A method for sharing playlists of media files in a community media playlist relational database system over a network, comprising:

• connecting to a network at least one playlist server including a database of media playlists, the media playlists each including media identification information and user identification information, for access thereto by a plurality of system users over the network;
• providing a network playlist interface for interaction between the playlist relational database system and the plurality of system users, including:
• submitting media playlists to the playlist server by a system user over a network from a plurality of external media playlist formats, the playlist server recognizing the plurality of external formats and converting the submitted media playlists for inclusion in the database of media playlists, and
• linking the database of media playlists to additional media information through the network playlist interface, the playlist linking system further linking the database of media playlists to a plurality of points of purchase for individual media items in the media playlists of the database of media playlists;
• and
• distributing affiliate profits from at least one of the plurality of points of purchase when accessed via the playlist linking interface to distribute at least a portion of the affiliate profits among at least one of the system users based upon media identification information, system user information, and playlist information.

A method for sharing media playlists, including a first playlist and a second playlist, the first playlist including a first playlist name, a first set of media descriptors representing a first set of media works, and first playlist description data, comprising:

• providing a playlist sharing server to a plurality of system users over a network;
• receiving a first playlist from a first system user;
• automatically translating the first playlist from the first user to a standard playlist format;
• populating the first playlist name, first set of media descriptors, and first playlist description data based on the translated first playlist from the first user;
• sharing playlist data from the first playlist in the standard playlist format to a plurality of system users over a network from the playlist sharing server;
• and
• connecting the first user and another user via a server-based social networking interface to enable the first user and another user to directly communicate with one another via a network communication protocol mediated by the playlist sharing server, based on the sharing of the first playlist between the first user and another user.