DDEX
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Digital Data Exchange (DDEX) is an international standards-setting organisation that was formed in 2006[1] to develop standards that enable companies to communicate information along the digital supply chain more efficiently[2] by:
- Developing standard message and file formats (XML or flat-file)
- Developing choreographies for specific business transactions
- Developing communication protocols (SFTP or based on web services)
- Working with industry bodies to create a more efficient supply chain.
DDEX's focus is the music industry, particularly recorded music. It has three membership levels—charter, full, and associate—with a total of about 100 members.[3] The charter members of DDEX were
- Amazon
- American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers
- Apple Inc.
- Broadcast Music, Inc.
- Downtown Music
- GEMA
- Kobalt Music Group
- Pandora Media, Inc.
- Phonographic Performance Limited
- PRS for Music
- Sacem
- Société Civile des Producteurs Phonographiques
- Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada
- Sony Music Entertainment
- SoundExchange
- Spotify
- Tencent Music
- Universal Music Group
- Warner Music Group
Business transactions addressed
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DDEX's standards[4] address a series of business transactions, including:
- Release deliveries
- Sales/usage reporting
- Communication with and amongst Music Licensing Companies
- Licensing of musical works
- Collection of information on sound recordings and musical works in the recording studio
Using DDEX standards
[edit]All DDEX standards are available from the DDEX Knowledge Base, with complete documentation.[5] DDEX has also created a series of free introductory videos.[6]
Implementers that want to use any of the DDEX standards are required to take out a software licence.[7] This licence is a royalty-free click wrap licence that grants implementers access to the intellectual property embedded in the DDEX standards.