Access credentials

Record companies, aggregators and DSPs work closely together with one another to make sure that Releases are available, with accurate metadata, on a DSP’s service. They also work together to ensure that usage information, particularly information that allows a record company to analyse consumer behaviour, is available to record companies to allow the planning and execution of marketing campaigns.

To support this data exchange – beyond the use of DDEX messages such as the ERN – some DSPs have a content management console that they allow designated record company personnel to access. DSPs need to make sure that only those record company staff that the record company or aggregator designates of having access are granted access (and no-one else, even from the same record company or aggregator). This is particularly important for managing “embargoed” Releases before street date.

ERN 4.2 offers a tag, ReleaseAdminId, that allows communicating an access code to a DSP. This code identifies the group of people that the record company wants to have console access to the Release(s) described in the ERN message. 

The exchange of usernames, to which access group they belong as well as access credentials such as passwords, is not handled in the ERN and needs to be effected by record company/aggregator and DSP out of band.