Patent ID: 7113999

Claim:
A method of operating a virtual jukebox by a group of persons, comprising the steps of: receiving, at a virtual jukebox device that is communicatively coupled to networked devices via a network interface, at least one playback request from at least one of the networked devices for rendering at least one audio file, each of the networked devices being operated by at least one person of the group of persons; storing the received at least one playback request in a queue in the virtual jukebox device; requesting a copy of the at least one audio file associated with the at least one playback request; storing the copy of the requested at least one audio file in the virtual jukebox device; rendering the stored copy of the requested at least one audio, file by the virtual jukebox device; contemporaneously with the step of rendering, receiving at the virtual jukebox device, from the networked devices via the network interface, at least one vote for or against the at least one audio file; and based upon an aggregate summation of the at least one vote received, providing audio to the group of persons in a shared acoustical environment, the audio corresponding to the at least one audio file being rendered.