Patent ID: 8688462

Claim:
A method of exchanging playable media items over an electronic network between a first subscriber of a media distribution service and a second subscriber of the media distribution service, the method comprising the steps of: (a) monitoring a first subscriber selection queue for the first subscriber with a computing system, said first subscriber selection queue consisting of a first list of one or more first playable media items delivered and/or to be delivered to said first subscriber; (b) monitoring a second subscriber selection queue for the second subscriber with the computing system, said second subscriber selection queue consisting of a second list of one or more second playable media items to be delivered to said second subscriber; (c) detecting when the first subscriber and the second subscriber have a common playable media item title in their respective first and second subscriber selection queues with the computing system; wherein the first subscriber has a first right of access to said common playable media item title determined by the computing system which is earlier than a second right of access to said common playable media item title held by said second subscriber; (d) automatically switching said first right of access to said second subscriber for said common playable media item title with the computing system based on a value of a subscriber satisfaction criterion for said second subscriber generated by an exchange program operating under control of the media distribution service; (e) automatically causing said common playable media item to be considered for and sent to said second subscriber ahead of the first subscriber based on switching said first right of access.