Purpose of MWN

The MWN standard supports a number of use cases, including:

  • A record company or DSP requesting information about claim(s) (a RightsShare) in musical work(s) from a music rights society or music publisher. This use-case is usually the first step in a larger process of a licensee subsequently requesting a licence(s) for use(s) of a musical-work(s); and

  • A licensee requesting a licensor to provide augmented and enriched data about a musical work(s).

As well as the exchange of information about RightShares which is at the heart of the process, the choreography of the messages defined in the standard allows for (and indeed encourages) the exchange of many data elements which should provide significant value to both licensor and licensee, such as:

  • The licensee supplying the licensor with sound-recording and release data along with the associated identifiers: 

    • ISRCs for sound recordings; and

    • UPCs or catalogue numbers for the releases; and

  • The licensor supplying the licensee with composer, lyricist or arranger information and the exact title of the musical work, along with associated identifiers:

    • IPI name number of the composers, lyricists, arranger and music publisher; and

    • ISWC for the musical work.

As well as sharing industry standard identifiers, it is also highly recommended that both licensee and licensor ingest each other's proprietary identifiers. Exchange and usage of identifiers allows for much greater automation of this and other licensing processes.

The MWN standard specifies three message formats and two choreographies. The message formats are:

  • MusicalWorkClaimRequestMessage

    • The MusicalWorkClaimRequestMessage enables a licensee to request information on musical work(s) from a licensor. When creating the request, a requestor should include as much information as they have, and in particular should include as many identifiers as they have to aid efficient identification of the entities by the recipient;

  • MusicalWorkClaimNotificationMessage

    • The MusicalWorkClaimNotificationMessage enables a licensor to respond to a MusicalWorkClaimRequestMessage with information and claims on musical work(s) when it has a claim (or partial claim) in one or more of the musical works for which the request was received; and

  • MusicalWorkClaimRequestRecallMessage

    • The MusicalWorkClaimRequestRecallMessage enables a licensee to recall a MusicalWorkClaimRequestMessage if it has determined that it no longer needs the claim information.

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