1. A method for lossless editing of a media object, comprising the steps of: (a) accessing data defining the media object to produce a representation of the media object; (b) enabling a user to selectively edit the representation of the media object by applying a modification to the representation, producing metadata that define the modification; (c) rendering a modified media object in accord with the modification to the representation; and (d) storing the metadata that define the modification applied to the representation in association with the media object, without modifying the data that define the media object.