Method and apparatus for indexing and retrieving multimedia with objective metadata

A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium for storing computer-executable instructions for indexing and retrieving multimedia items from a multimedia database, by a method comprising:

• storing multiple multimedia items in the multimedia database;
• storing at least one item of objective metadata associated with an individual multimedia item of the multiple multimedia item in the multimedia database, wherein the objective metadata corresponds to a characteristic of the multimedia item that can be objectively determined;
• storing at least one item of subjective metadata associated with an individual multimedia item of the multiple multimedia items in the multimedia database, wherein the subjective metadata corresponds to a subjective characteristic of the associated multimedia item;
• receiving a search query specifying search parameters including at least one objective metadata parameter;
• retrieving from the multimedia database a list of multimedia items matching the received search query;
• and
• presenting at least a portion of the list of multimedia items to a user.

A system for indexing and retrieving multimedia items from a multimedia database, comprising:

• a processor;
• a memory;
• a multimedia database configured to store:
• multiple multimedia items, and
• at least one item of objective metadata associated with an individual multimedia item of the multiple multimedia item in the multimedia database, wherein the objective metadata corresponds to a characteristic of the multimedia item that can be objectively determined;
• and
• at least one item of subjective metadata associated with an individual multimedia item of the multiple multimedia items in the multimedia database, wherein the subjective metadata corresponds to a subjective characteristic of the associated multimedia item;
• a query component configured to receive a search query specifying search parameters including at least one objective metadata parameter;
• a retrieval component configured to retrieve from the multimedia database a list of multimedia items matching the received search query;
• and
• a display component configured to present at least a portion of the list of multimedia items to a user.