The specification discloses a system and related method for retrieving encoded media content, such as retrieving audio tracks from a CD in MP3 format. The system involves attaching indicia to the media, or possibly a case or protective cover of the media, which uniquely identifies the content. An encoding retrieval and playback device has the ability to obtain the unique number identified by the indicia, where obtaining the unique number may be a consumer entering the number, may be by reading a barcode label, may be by reading the number from a radio frequency device and the like. Once the unique number has been obtained, the encoding retrieval and playback device retrieves the encoded media content from a server across a network connection. In this manner, a consumer need only be present to initiate the retrieval process, and the retrieval of the encoded media content may be completed without the presence of the consumer, and without inserting the storage media in the playback device.