Descriptive metadata in the music industry: Why it is broken and how to fix it — Part one

Abstract

Stakeholders in the music industry agree that there is a problem with descriptive metadata. But consensus has not been reached regarding how to fix it. This report first covers the issue’s background, showing evidence that descriptive metadata in digital downloads today are no more detailed than on audio cylinders from 1899. Then it examines two keystones to a solution: (1) a standardised descriptive metadata schema; and (2) a globally unique abstracted persistent identifier (GUAPI). While previous discussions of this topic have concentrated on authority, this report will show that a standardised schema is the first step to a solution. First, the landscape of music descriptive metadata silos is detailed and the proprietary and open systems are compared. Part two of the report will be published in Journal of Digital Media Management, Vol. 2, No. 4.