Digital asset hosting and distribution via digital asset playlists
View Patent ↗A first collection of content that includes digital assets is maintained on a host computer. Based on a determination that a portable media device becomes connected to a client computer that is separate from the host computer and that interacts with the host computer, initiation of a synchronization of the first collection of content resident on the host computer with a second collection of content on the portable media device is automatically triggered. The synchronization of the first collection with the second collection includes a transfer of at least one of the digital assets from the host computer to the client computer to the portable media device and is triggered and conditioned upon the determination that the portable media device has become connected to the client computer.
1. A method comprising:
hosting, at one or more servers, a library of digital assets and a plurality of hosted accounts corresponding to a plurality of users with a plurality of user devices;
generating, at the one or more servers, a first hosted account for a first user of a first computing device based on user interaction with one or more digital assets of the library of digital assets hosted at the one or more servers;
monitoring, by the one or more servers, activity of the first user of the first computing device, wherein the activity of the first user comprises:
browsing at least one digital asset of a second hosted account of a second user; and
storing a digital asset of the second hosted account of the second user in the first hosted account of the first user;
determining, by the one or more servers, a preference of the first user based at least in part on the monitored activity of the first user, the browsed at least one digital asset, and the stored digital asset of the second hosted account of the second user in the first hosted account of the first user; and
generating, by the one or more servers, a plurality of digital assets for the first user that comprises one or more digital assets selected from the library of digital assets based at least in part on the determined preference of the first user; and
adding the plurality of digital assets for the first user that comprise the one or more digital assets selected from the library of digital assets to the first hosted account of the first user such that the first user can access the plurality of digital assets utilizing the first computing device.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving preference information expressly supplied by the first user; and
determining the preference of the first user based at least in part on the received preference information.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising detecting that the first user is accessing one or more digital assets or searching for one or more digital assets.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining digital assets most frequently accessed by the first user; and
determining the preference of the first user based on the digital assets most frequently accessed by the first user, the browsed at least one digital asset, and the stored digital asset of the second hosted account of the second user in the first hosted account of the first user.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the digital assets accessed most frequently by the first user are audio files and further comprising:
determining, based on monitored activity of the second user, audio files accessed most frequently by the second user;
determining a preference of the second user based at least in part on the monitored activity of the second user and the audio files accessed most frequently by the second user; and
identifying the second user of the digital asset hosting and distribution system based on the determined preference of the second user being the same as the determined preference of the first user.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising identifying one or more search queries made by the first user.
7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising determining the preference of the first user based on the one or more search queries made by the first user, the browsed at least one digital asset, and the stored digital asset of the second hosted account of the second user in the first hosted account of the first user.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the monitored activity of the first user comprises at least one of searching for one or more digital assets, playing one or more digital assets, or purchasing one or more digital assets.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more digital assets comprises a song.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the determined preference of the first user comprises a genre of music.
11. A method comprising:
hosting, at one or more servers, a library of digital assets and a plurality of hosted accounts corresponding to a plurality of users with a plurality of user devices;
generating, at the one or more servers, a first hosted account for a first user of a first computing device based on user interaction with one or more digital assets of the library of digital assets hosted at the one or more servers;
maintaining a first set of digital assets associated with the first hosted account of the first user;
monitoring, by the one or more servers, activity of a second user, wherein the activity comprises:
browsing at least one digital asset from the first set of digital assets associated with the first hosted account of the first user; and
storing a digital asset of the first set of digital assets associated with the first hosted account of the first user in a second hosted account of the second user; and
compiling, by the one or more servers, a second set of digital assets associated with the second hosted account of the second user based on the monitored activity of the second user, the browsed at least one digital asset from the first set of digital assets, and the stored digital asset of the first set of digital assets; and
adding the second set of digital assets to the second hosted account of the second user such that second user can access the second set of digital assets utilizing a second computing device.
12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
determining a preference of the second user; and
selecting the second set of digital assets from the first set of digital assets based at least in part on the preference of the second user.
13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
referencing preference information expressly supplied by the second user; and
generating the preference of the second user based at least in part on the referenced preference information.
14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
determining, based on the monitored activity of the second user, digital assets from the first set of digital assets played most frequently by the second user; and
compiling, by the one or more servers, the second set of digital assets based on the monitored activity of the second user, the digital assets from the first set of digital assets played most frequently by the second user, the browsed at least one digital asset from the first set of digital assets, and the stored digital asset of the first set of digital assets.
15. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
detecting a link between the first user and the second user; and
selecting the second set of digital assets from the first set of digital assets based at least in part on the detected link.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the link between the first user and the second user comprises the second user being subscribed to one or more playlists associated with the first user.
17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the one or more digital assets comprises one of a text file, audio file, picture file, or video file.
18. A method comprising:
hosting, at one or more servers, a library of digital assets and a plurality of hosted accounts corresponding to a plurality of users with a plurality of user devices;
generating, at the one or more servers, a first hosted account for a first user of a first computing device based on user interaction with one or more digital assets of the library of digital assets hosted at the one or more servers;
receiving from the first user a request to automatically generate a set of digital assets associated with the first hosted account of the first user;
monitoring, by the one or more servers, activity of the first user, wherein the activity of the first user comprises:
browsing at least one digital asset of a second hosted account of a second user; and
storing a digital asset of the second hosted account of the second user in the first hosted account of the first user;
identifying, by the one or more servers, one or more digital assets from the library of digital assets, wherein the identified one or more digital assets satisfy one or more asset selection rules and wherein the one or more asset selection rules are based on the browsed at least one digital asset and the stored digital asset of the second hosted account of the second user in the first hosted account of the first user; and
adding the identified one or more digital assets to the set of digital assets based on the one or more digital assets satisfying the one or more asset selection rules such that the first user can access the set of digital assets utilizing the first computing device.
19. The method of claim 18 , wherein:
the library of digital assets comprises audio files; and
browsing the at least one digital asset of the second hosted account of the second user comprises browsing at least one audio file of the second hosted account of the second user.
20. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:
identifying one or more attributes associated with each digital asset in the library of digital assets; and
generating the one or more asset selection rules based on the one or more identified attributes.
21. The method of claim 19 , further comprising:
determining, based on monitored activity of the first user, audio files played most frequently by the first user; and
compiling the second set of digital assets based at least in part on the audio files played most frequently by the first user.
22. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:
identifying one or more search queries made by the first user; and
generating the one or more asset selection rules based on the identified one or more search queries.
23. The method of claim 18 , further comprising indexing the set of digital assets for future access by the first user.
24. A system comprising:
at least one processor; and
at least one non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions thereon that, when executed, cause the at least one processor to:
host, at one or more servers, a library of digital assets and a plurality of hosted accounts corresponding to a plurality of users with a plurality of user devices;
generate, at the one or more servers, a first hosted account of a first user of a first computing device and a second hosted account of a second user of a second computing device;
maintain a first set of digital assets associated with the first hosted account of the first user;
monitor, by the one or more servers, activity of the second user, wherein the activity comprises:
browsing at least one digital asset from the first set of digital assets associated with the first hosted account of the first user; and
storing a digital asset of the first set of digital assets associated with the first hosted account of the first user in the second hosted account of the second user; and
compile a second set of digital assets associated with the second hosted account of the second user based on the monitored activity of the second user, the browsed at least one digital asset from the first set of digital assets, and the stored digital asset of the first set of digital assets; and
add the second set of digital assets to the second hosted account of the second user such that second user can access the second set of digital assets utilizing the second computing device.