Re-headerer system and method

1. A computer-implemented method for packaging digital media, the method comprising:

obtaining, by a packaging computer, a first set of metadata associated with a first media distributor and a distinct second set of metadata associated with a second media distributor;

preparing, by said packaging computer, a body-portion of a first distribution-file, said first-distribution-file body-portion comprising digital-media data;

preparing, by said packaging computer, a header-portion of said first-distribution-file, said first-distribution-file header-portion comprising said first set of metadata;

storing said first-distribution-file header-portion and said first-distribution-file body-portion in a digital-media repository;

preparing, by said packaging computer, a header-portion of a second distribution-file, said second-distribution-file header-portion comprising said second set of metadata;

storing in said digital-media repository only said header-portion of said second-distribution-file;

receiving a request for said second-distribution-file from a client device;

obtaining said second-distribution-file header-portion from said digital-media repository;

obtaining said first-distribution-file body-portion from said digital-media repository; and

delivering to said client device said second-distribution-file according to said second-distribution-file header-portion and said first-distribution-file body-portion.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein obtaining said first-distribution-file body-portion comprises:

retrieving said first distribution-file from said digital-media repository; and

identifying a location of said first-distribution-file body-portion within said first distribution-file.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein delivering to said client device said second-distribution-file comprises sending to said client device a file stream comprising said second-distribution-file header-portion and said first-distribution-file body-portion.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said first media distributor comprises a dummy distributor and said first set of metadata comprises a set of default metadata values.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said storing said first-distribution-file header-portion and said first-distribution-file body portion comprises storing said first distribution-file.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said first distribution-file and said second distribution-file comprise a time-based-digital media file.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein said first-distribution-file header-portion and said second-distribution-file header-portion further comprise a shared third set of metadata associated with said digital-media data.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining that a body-portion of said second-distribution-file duplicates said first-distribution-file body-portion stored in said digital-media repository.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by a processor, perform the method of claim 1 .

10. A computing apparatus comprising a processor and a memory, the memory including instructions that, when executed by the processor, perform the method of claim 1 .

11. A computer-implemented method for delivering digital media for a plurality of distributors by a media-serving computer, the method comprising:

receiving, by the media-serving computer from a client device, a request for digital-media content, said request being associated with a first distributor of the plurality of distributors;

retrieving, from a digital-media repository, a body-portion of a first distribution-file, said first-distribution-file body-portion comprising digital media-data corresponding to said requested digital-media content;

obtaining, by the media-serving computer, a header-portion of a second distribution-file, said second-distribution-file header-portion corresponding to said requested digital-media content, said second-distribution-file header-portion including metadata associated with said first distributor;

delivering, by the media-serving computer to said client device, said second distribution-file comprising said distribution-file header-portion and said first-distribution-file body-portion, wherein said second distribution-file is associated with said first distributor;

receiving a second request for said digital-media content from a second client device, said second request being associated with a second distributor of the plurality of distributors;

obtaining a header-portion of a third distribution-file corresponding to said requested digital-media content, said third-distribution-file header-portion including metadata associated with said second distributor; and

delivering to said second client device said third distribution file according to said third-distribution-file header-portion and said first-distribution-file body-portion.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein delivering said second distribution-file comprises sending a digital-media file-stream associated with said first distributor, said digital-media file-stream comprising said second-distribution-file header-portion and said first-distribution-file body-portion.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein said first distribution-file further comprises a header-portion including metadata associated with a dummy distributor.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein obtaining said second-distribution-file header-portion comprises selecting said second-distribution-file header-portion from among a plurality of alternative distribution-file header-portions stored in a header repository, said plurality of alternative distribution-file header-portions being respectively combinable with said first-distribution-file body-portion to form a plurality of digital-media distribution-files.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein obtaining said second-distribution-file header-portion comprises:

obtaining metadata associated with said first distributor;

generating said second-distribution-file header-portion according to said obtained metadata and said first-distribution-file body-portion; and

storing said second-distribution-file header-portion in a header repository.

16. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

in response to receiving said request for said digital-media content, said request being associated with said first distributor, identifying a second distributor that can share said digital-media content with said first distributor;

obtaining second metadata associated with said second distributor;

pre-generating a third distribution-file header-portion according to said second metadata and said first-distribution-file body-portion; and

storing said third distribution-file header-portion in said header repository.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein said wherein said first distribution-file comprises a time-based-digital-media file.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by a processor, perform the method of claim 11 .

19. A computing apparatus comprising a processor and a memory, the memory including instructions that, when executed by the processor, perform the method of claim 11 .