A content management apparatus which manages a list of audio and visual content files stored in a plurality of devices external to said content management apparatus, including at least one of an image, audio, and a moving image, and including metadata aspects of the content files, the content management apparatus comprising: a microprocessor, the microprocessor integrating: a metadata classifying unit configured to classify the metadata aspects of the AV content files included in the lists obtained from said external devices into a detail metadata aspect group indicating details of the AV content files, a quality metadata aspect group indicating reproduction quality of the AV content files, and a group including metadata aspects other than said detail metadata aspects and said quality metadata aspects; and a consolidating list creating unit configured to create a consolidating list departing from said lists obtained from said plural external devices, wherein: 1) the AV content files having a user-defined common set of said detail metadata aspects whose values match each other, are grouped into a same group of files; and 2) the list displays only one representing AV content file for each of the formed groups of AV files; and an output unit configured to output said created consolidating list on a display. a microprocessor, the microprocessor integrating: a metadata classifying unit configured to classify the metadata aspects of the AV content files included in the lists obtained from said external devices into a detail metadata aspect group indicating details of the AV content files, a quality metadata aspect group indicating reproduction quality of the AV content files, and a group including metadata aspects other than said detail metadata aspects and said quality metadata aspects; and a consolidating list creating unit configured to create a consolidating list departing from said lists obtained from said plural external devices, wherein: 1) the AV content files having a user-defined common set of said detail metadata aspects whose values match each other, are grouped into a same group of files; and 2) the list displays only one representing AV content file for each of the formed groups of AV files; and a metadata classifying unit configured to classify the metadata aspects of the AV content files included in the lists obtained from said external devices into a detail metadata aspect group indicating details of the AV content files, a quality metadata aspect group indicating reproduction quality of the AV content files, and a group including metadata aspects other than said detail metadata aspects and said quality metadata aspects; and a consolidating list creating unit configured to create a consolidating list departing from said lists obtained from said plural external devices, wherein: 1) the AV content files having a user-defined common set of said detail metadata aspects whose values match each other, are grouped into a same group of files; and 2) the list displays only one representing AV content file for each of the formed groups of AV files; and 1) the AV content files having a user-defined common set of said detail metadata aspects whose values match each other, are grouped into a same group of files; and 2) the list displays only one representing AV content file for each of the formed groups of AV files; and an output unit configured to output said created consolidating list on a display.