A portable rating apparatus for rating one of audio and video content. The apparatus includes a user-manipulable control dedicated for generating a signal indicating a rating of a media content. The rating corresponds to one of a plurality of categories of preferences. A processor, operatively connected to the user-manipulable control, receives the signal from the user-manipulable control and associates the rating with the media content. A memory device, operatively connected to the processor, stores the rating associated with the media content.