Distribution of music between members of a cluster of mobile audio devices and a wide area network

An audio device enabled to transfer and receive audio signals and associated identifiers, comprising:

• a transmitter/receiver for transmitting audio signals to a receiving device and receiving audio signals from a transmitting device, wherein the audio signals comprise a music selection, a music identifier that identifies the audio signal,
• and an individual identifier that identifies a characteristic of the transmitting device;
• a player for playing the received audio signals, the player further comprising audio storage for storing audio signals received by the transmitter/receiver;
• a unit controller for preparing the audio signal from the storage for transmission to the receiving device and for preparing received audio signals to be played on the player;
• and
• a database interconnected with the unit controller for storing the received music identifier in association with the identifier of the transmitting device,
• wherein the database enables the receiving device to identify the transmitting device.

A computerized database for identifying a broadcasting device that transferred a music selection to a receiving device, the database configured to:

• receive from the receiving device a music identifier, the music identifier associated with a music selection transmitted from the broadcasting device to the receiving device, a first user identifier that identifies the user of the receiving device, and a second user identifier that identifies the user of the broadcasting device;
• transact with the receiving device for the purposes of performing at least one action selected from the group of:
• associating and storing the music identifier, the received first user identifier and the received second user identifier in the database;
• providing a requested music selection to the first user;
• registering the first user as a broadcaster in the event that the first user transmits the purchased music selection to another user;
• and
• awarding points for any additional purchasers that identify the first user as the broadcaster of the music selection.

A mobile wireless audio player, comprising:

• a unit integrated with the mobile wireless audio player that allows the user to decide whether to share music with a second player, the unit further comprising:
• a receiver for receiving a unique identifier from the second player;
• an Internet connector for connecting with a database hosted on the Internet, wherein the database includes information associated with the unique identifier;
• a means for accessing from the database ratings associated with the unique identifier;
• a means for determining whether to share music on the basis of the access ratings;
• and
• a transmitter for transmitting the music to the second player.

A first mobile music player for introducing a user of a second mobile music player to a music selection, comprising:

• a personal identifier of a user of the player;
• storage for storing the music selection and a music identifier of the music selection;
• an audio output for outputting the stored music selection to the user of the player;
• a transmitter for transmitting the stored music selection, the stored music identifier and the personal identifier;
• wherein the music selection is introduced to the user of the second music player by playing on the audio output of the second music player, and the personal identifier is stored on the second music player in association with the music selection and the music identifier.

A system for distributing an audio selection over the Internet, comprising:

• a distributor providing the audio selection to an audio device;
• the audio device broadcasting to a cluster of devices enabled to receive the provided audio selection;
• one or more cluster members listening to the broadcasted audio selection;
• a cluster member identifier associated with the cluster member device;
• an audio selection identifier associated with the audio selection;
• a broadcaster identifier associated with the broadcasting audio device that is broadcast from the broadcaster to the cluster member along with the audio selection that identifies the broadcaster;
• and
• a request made by the cluster member to the distributor requesting the audio selection, wherein the request comprises the broadcaster identifier and at least one of the audio selection identifier and the cluster member identifier;
• wherein the distributor provides the audio selection to the cluster member and stores the broadcaster identifier along with at least one of the audio selection identifier and the cluster member identifier.

A rating system for determining the rating of a user requesting membership in a music sharing cluster, comprising:

• a database for storing ratings in association with a predetermined user identifier, wherein the ratings are entered by one or more members of a music sharing cluster;
• a computer on which the database is hosted on the Internet;
• and
• an audio player connected to the music sharing cluster that connects to the computer over the Internet and queries the database for ratings;
• wherein the ratings are used to determine whether to allow the user to join in the music sharing cluster.