A method according to one embodiment of the present invention includes receiving an instruction to perform a verification operation on a media cartridge having a tape wrapped around a spool; unwrapping at least some of the tape from the spool of the media cartridge; after the unwrapping, wrapping at least some of the tape back onto the spool; during at least one of the unwrapping and wrapping (and preferably both, and possibly over several cycles of unwrapping and wrapping), performing a verification operation; generating a quality metric based on the verification operation; and outputting the quality metric or derivative thereof, such as a pass or fail indication; an instruction to set a pass/fail flag; a number, score or graphic illustrating to a user a general quality of the tape, etc. Additional methods and systems are also presented.