An approach is provided for initiating generation of a media compilation based on one or more sampling criteria. A sampling platform determines at least one subset of one or more media items captured of at least one event. The sampling platform also partitions the at least one subset of the one or more media items into one or more bins and generates at least one compilation of the at least one subset of the one or more items based, at least in part, on whether the one or more media items in the one or more bins at least substantially meet one or more sampling criteria.