Synchronization and transfer of digital media items

A computer program product, encoded on a non-transitory tangible program carrier, operable to cause a portable device to perform operations comprising:

• receiving, from a network operating environment, one or more media items at the portable device, the portable device having a first media database and a second media database;
• storing the one or more media items in the first media database on the portable device, where the first media database stores only media items that were received at the mobile device and that have not been synchronized with another database;
• detecting when the mobile device is coupled to a second device;
• when the mobile device is coupled to the second device, updating a third media database on the second device with the one or more media items, including metadata associated with the one or more media items, with from the first media database on the mobile device;
• upon updating the third media database, deleting the one or more media items from the first media database on the portable device;
• and
• copying the one or more media items from the third media database on the second device to the second media database on the portable device.

A portable device, comprising:

• one or more processors;
• a first media database;
• a second media database;
• and
• a computer-readable medium storing instructions for execution by the one or more processors, the instructions comprising instructions to:
• receiving, from a media service, one or more media items;
• storing the one or more media items in the first media database, where the first media database stores only media items that were received at the mobile device and that have not been synchronized with another database;
• detecting when the portable device is coupled to a second device;
• updating a third media database on the second device with the one or more media items, including metadata associated with the one or more media items, from the first media database on the portable device;
• upon updating the third media database, deleting the one or more media items from the first media database;
• and
• copying the one or more media items from the third media database on the second device to the second media database.