1. A computer-implemented method for identifying a media item, the method comprising: receiving a test fingerprint for a media item to be identified, the test fingerprint comprising a plurality of frames corresponding to segments of the media item, wherein a region of interest is defined for the test fingerprint to include the frames of the test fingerprint; accessing a database of reference fingerprints, each reference fingerprint comprising a plurality of frames corresponding to segments of known media items; performing a candidate search process a plurality of times, the candidate search process comprising: querying the database to match one or more frames of the test fingerprint that are within the region of interest to one or more frames of a reference fingerprint in the database, identifying the matching reference fingerprint as a candidate fingerprint, and redefining the region of interest to eliminate the matched frames of the test fingerprint from the region of interest; and returning one or more of the candidate fingerprints as being a possible match for the test fingerprint.