Patent ID: 8233999

Claim:
A method of managing a plurality of digital audio items, comprising the steps of: (a) accessing a database comprised of said plurality of digital audio items, each of said plurality of digital audio items having a plurality of data values associated therewith, each of said plurality of data values being representative of an aspect of said digital audio item; (b) choosing one of said plurality of digital audio items; (c) identifying said data values associated with said chosen digital audio item; (d) using said identified data values to determine a characterizing aspect of said chosen digital audio item; (e) determining a screen location associated with said characterizing aspect; (f) displaying an icon representative of said chosen digital audio item on a display device proximate to said screen location, thereby forming an aspect cluster; (g) performing steps (b) through (f) until sufficient digital audio items are chosen to produce at least two different aspect clusters that each have a plurality of digital audio items associated therewith; (h) selecting a first one of said aspect clusters on the display device, said first aspect cluster having a first characterizing aspect associated therewith, said first aspect cluster having a first plurality of digital audio items associated therewith; (i) dragging on said display device a representation of said first aspect cluster to a screen location proximate to a second aspect cluster, said second aspect cluster having a second characterizing aspect associated therewith, said second aspect cluster having a second plurality of digital audio items associated therewith; (j) selecting a confidence level; (k) identifying which of said first plurality of digital audio items possesses said second characterizing aspect at said confidence level; (l) identifying which of said second plurality of digital audio items possesses said first characterizing aspect at said confidence level; (m) using any of said identified digital audio items in said first plurality of digital audio items or said second plurality of digital audio items to form a playlist; and, (n) performing for a user at least a portion of said playlist.