According to the Hollywood Reporter, major record labels, technology companies and publisher groups have formed a membership-based organization to create standards for communicating information necessary to license and sell digital entertainment globally.
The U.S.-based Digital Data Exchange (DDEX) was founded by 11 charter members: EMI Music, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Warner Music Group, Universal Music Group, Apple Computer, Microsoft, RealNetworks, ASCAP, the Harry Fox Agency, U.K. collecting society MCPS-PRS Alliance and Spanish society SGAE. French society SACEM is reportedly finalizing its charter membership.
The group hopes to create voluntary standards to ensure the speedy and accurate transfer of digital music, videos, artwork and information that identifies the music, creators, copyright holders, purchases and other sales-related data.
With more than 100 digital service providers, an increasing number of mobile service providers, dozens of collecting societies and thousands of music publishers and record labels -- most using different software and set up to identify music in different ways -- the back-office systems are creating a log jam and increasing costs for the transition to digital distribution.
The U.S.-based Digital Data Exchange (DDEX) was founded by 11 charter members: EMI Music, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Warner Music Group, Universal Music Group, Apple Computer, Microsoft, RealNetworks, ASCAP, the Harry Fox Agency, U.K. collecting society MCPS-PRS Alliance and Spanish society SGAE. French society SACEM is reportedly finalizing its charter membership.
The group hopes to create voluntary standards to ensure the speedy and accurate transfer of digital music, videos, artwork and information that identifies the music, creators, copyright holders, purchases and other sales-related data.
With more than 100 digital service providers, an increasing number of mobile service providers, dozens of collecting societies and thousands of music publishers and record labels -- most using different software and set up to identify music in different ways -- the back-office systems are creating a log jam and increasing costs for the transition to digital distribution.