System and method for providing visual indicators in a media application

A system for providing visual indicators on an electronic device, the electronic device comprising:

• a microprocessor for controlling the operation of the electronic device;
• a display device coupled to the microprocessor for communicating an output;
• a communications subsystem coupled to the microprocessor for communicating with a communications network;
• and
• a memory coupled to the microprocessor;
• the system including a media player module resident in the memory for execution by the microprocessor, the media player module being configured to:
• retrieve information related to a plurality of media items stored on an external device and available to be copied from the external device to the electronic device;
• retrieve information related to content existing in a play list stored on the electronic device;
• compare the retrieved information related to the plurality of available media items with the retrieved information related to content existing in the play list to determine items from the plurality of available media items that are already included in the play list;
• display a menu on the display device of the electronic device, the menu including a plurality of selectable menu items, wherein each menu item, when selected, navigates to one or more nested sub-menus in a plurality of sub-menus into which the plurality of available media items are organized hierarchically according to one or more category descriptors of the plurality of available media items;
• and
• display visual indicators next to each menu item displayed in the menu on the display device of the electronic device for which at least one available media item included within the one or more nested sub-menus navigable to from that menu item is already included in the play list stored on the electronic device.