METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MEDIA CONTENT DISTRIBUTION

1 . A method of creating a virtual distribution network for distributing content over a plurality of networks, the method comprising:

electronically publishing the content on one of the plurality of networks;

generating a sample of the content;

communicating the sample to a plurality of potential subscribers using the plurality of networks;

receiving a request from the one of the plurality of potential subscribers to use the content;

receiving subscription information from the requesting potential subscriber;

processing the subscription information; and

providing the content to the requesting potential subscriber upon successful processing of the subscription information.

2 . The method of claim 1 further comprising, subscribing the requesting potential subscriber to the virtual distribution network.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the content is received from one of a plurality of existing subscribers of the virtual distribution network.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving a referral for a potential subscriber from one of the plurality of existing subscribers; and making the sample available to the referred potential customer.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein making the sample available to the referred potential customer comprises making the sample available to the referred potential customer over at least one of: (1) a wireless phone; (2) e-mail; (3) a landline telephone; (4) a personal-data-assistant; and (5) portable media player.

6 . The method of claim 4 , wherein making the sample available to the referred potential customer comprises making the sample available to the referred potential customer via really simple syndication (RSS) technology to a website of the referred potential customer.

7 . The method of claim 5 further comprising, providing a reward to the referring subscriber upon successful subscription of the referred potential customer.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving a loaned content pack from a member of the virtual distribution network;

generating a sample pack for the loaned content pack;

electronically publishing the sample pack on the network;

receiving a request for the loaned content pack from another member of the VDN;

charging a debit to a subscription account of the another member of the VDN;

making the sample pack available to the another member; and

providing a credit to the subscription account of the loaning member.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the content is at least one of: (1) audio content; (2) video content; (3) text content; and (4) computer code.

10 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising analyzing the VDN using at least one of: (1) a consumption index; (2) a connector index; and (3) a purchase index.

11 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising comparing at least one of: (1) the consumption index with a consumption index threshold; (2) the connector index with a connector index threshold; and (3) the purchase index with a purchase index threshold, to determine efficiency of the VDN.

12 . A method of creating a virtual distribution network for distributing content over a network, the method comprising;

receiving the content from a subscriber of the virtual distribution network;

generating a sample of the content;

electronically publishing the content and the sample on the network;

providing access to a plurality of potential subscribers to review the sample;

receiving a request from one of the plurality of potential subscribers to use the content, the request including a referral from a referring subscriber of the virtual distribution network;

verifying the referral from the one of the plurality of potential subscribers; and

if the referral is verified, providing the sampler to the one of the plurality of potential subscribers.

13 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

receiving subscription from the one of the plurality of potential subscribers;

providing the content to the one of the plurality of potential subscribers upon successful subscription; and

providing a credit to the referring subscriber.

14 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the referral is at least one of: (1) a spoken referral; (2) a tentative referral; (3) an implicit referral.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the implicit referral is determined by comparing at least one of: (1) survey responses by one or more subscribers of the VDN; (2) comparing content access activity of the one or more subscribers of the VDN; (3) comparing content usage activity of one or more subscribers of the VDN; (4) comparing content purchase activity of one or more subscribers of the VDN; and (5) comparing demographic characteristics of one or more subscribers of the VDN.

16 . A processor readable medium having encoded thereupon a processor-readable program code which when executed causes a processor to implement a method for creating a virtual distribution network (VDN) for distributing content stored on the processor readable network over a plurality of networks communicatively attached to the processor, the method comprising:

electronically publishing the content on one of the plurality of networks;

generating a sample of the content;

communicating the sample to a plurality of potential subscribers using the plurality of networks;

receiving a request from the one of the plurality of potential subscribers to use the content;

receiving subscription information from the requesting potential subscriber;

processing the subscription information; and

providing the content to the requesting potential subscriber upon successful processing of the subscription information.

17 . The processor readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the content is at least one of: (1) a paid-for-content; and (2) free content.

18 . The processor readable medium of claim 16 , further comprising a VDN analysis program stored on the computer readable medium for generating a VDN consumption index; (2) a VDN connector index; and (3) a VDN purchase index.

19 . A virtual distribution network (VDN) system for managing a VDN over a plurality of communication networks, the system comprising:

a VDN creation module adapted to (1) electronically publish media content on one of the plurality of communication networks, (2) to generate a sample of the media content, and (3) to communicate the sample to a plurality of potential subscribers;

a content storage module adapted to store the media content and the sample on one of the plurality of communication networks;

a content processing module adapted to convert the sample and the media in a format communicable to and usable by the plurality of potential subscribers; and

a subscription processing module adapted to (1) receive a request from the one of the plurality of potential subscribers to use the content, (2) receive subscription information from the requesting potential subscriber, and (3) process the subscription information.

20 . The VDN system of claim 19 , further comprising a referral processing module adapted to (1) receive a referral from a subscriber of the VDN; (2) generate an outgoing call to the referred subscriber on behalf of the referring subscriber; and (3) provide sample to the referred subscriber via the outgoing call.

21 . The VDN system of claim 20 , further comprising an efficiency processing module adapted to calculate (1) a VDN consumption index; (2) a VDN connector index; and (3) a VDN purchase index.

22 . The VDN system of claim 21 , wherein each of the VDN creation module, the content storage module, the content processing module, the referral processing module, the subscription processing module and the efficiency analysis module are residing on different nodes of a communication network.