Remote access of media items

An apparatus for downloading media items to a first network device from a second network device, comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a memory, at least one of the processor or the memory being adapted for:
• obtaining media item metadata associated with a plurality of media items from the second network device;
• storing the obtained media item metadata associated with the plurality of media items on the first network device;
• obtaining media item content data associated with a first subset of the plurality of media items from the second network device;
• and
• storing the obtained media item content data associated with the first subset of the plurality of media items on the first network device;
• wherein at least some of the media item metadata associated with a second subset of the plurality of media items is stored on the first network device without the associated media item content data.

A computer-implemented method for managing a mobile media library on a mobile network device, said method comprising:

• (a) determining whether the mobile network device has access to a media repository via a network;
• (b) determining whether the mobile media library is to be updated;
• (c) determining update data to be provided to the mobile media library;
• (d) acquiring the update data from the media repository via the network;
• and
• (e) storing the acquired update date to the mobile media library on the mobile network device,
• wherein said determining (c), said acquiring (d) and said storing (e) are performed when said determining (a) determines that the mobile network device has access to the media repository and said determining (b) determines that the mobile media library is to be updated.

A method for managing media items in a media library accessible by a network device and an electronic device using the network device, the media items including associated media item metadata and media item content, comprising:

• accessing the media library with the electronic device via a communications link between the electronic device and the network device;
• storing a plurality of media item metadata on the electronic device;
• and,
• storing associated media item content on the electronic device for only a subset of the plurality of stored media item metadata.

An electronic device capable of playing at least one type of the media items available in a media library accessible by a network device, comprising:

• a processor having associated memory;
• circuitry capable of establishing a communications links with the network device having access to the media library;
• and
• data storage having a plurality of stored media item metadata, wherein at least some of the media item metadata associated with a subset of the plurality of media items is stored on the electronic device without the associated media item content data.