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For the model of a software project, I need a generic term that is abstract enough to encompass a single song, TV episode, movie, audiobook, etc.

The word content comes to mind, but it is plural. The words entity and item are much too ambiguous.

Any ideas?

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Content is not necessarily plural - it can be a mass/uncountable noun. – Matt Эллен Apr 13 '12 at 11:16

3 Answers

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How about composition?

The Associated Press Stylebook's section on composition titles includes instructions on how to handle titles of:

books, computer and video games, movies, operas, plays, poems, albums, songs and radio and TV shows, as well as the titles of lectures, speeches and works of art.

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Composition seems like it would work great. Thanks! – Ian Unruh Apr 13 '12 at 16:26
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How about "media item"? That's what I've seen similar software use.

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I use "media clip" for playable content. While "clip" has connotations of brevity, it's merely short for "clipping," and relative: what's a feature film but a two-hour clip made from two hundred hours of footage. – choster Apr 13 '12 at 6:42
I seem to recall the phrase "1000 media items in your library" used in some software; don't remember which one it was though. – Milind Ganjoo Apr 13 '12 at 6:58
Media without item would seem to be sufficient. – Adam Musch Apr 13 '12 at 14:22
No, media is plural. Think what the user is doing with the software - "I would like to play a media" versus "I would like to play a media item". – Optimal Cynic Apr 14 '12 at 3:09
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Perhaps terms like these:

media asset, media file, media clip.

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