DDEX Standard

Skip to end of metadata
Go to start of metadata

This section of the DDEX Knowledge Base contains the Basic Audio Profile for the Digital Sales Reporting Message Suite Standard (Part 3 Version 1.3)

1 Introduction

This standard was developed by the member organisations of the Digital Data Exchange, LLC (DDEX) and provides a message that gives a uniform mechanism to enable Licensees (typically Digital Service Providers) to report to Rights Controllers (typically Music Rights Societies, Music Publishers, Music Licensing Companies and/or Record Companies) information regarding the level of usage and/or revenue generated from the distribution of such products, as well as sales of products based on Releases, to the relevant Rights Controllers.

The Flat File Variant of the Digital Sales Reporting Message Suite Standard has been developed in response to concerns regarding the file size and computational complexity of the XML Variant, and will lead to reduced implementation and running cost for Licensees and Licensors for reporting  and/or usages of audio-only usages, revenues or sales that are not addressed by any other Profile of the Flat File Variant. This Profile is also for reporting usages, revenues or sales for music videos and Resources for which no Release information is available.

Any organisation wishing to implement this (or any other DDEX standard) is required to apply for an Implementation Licence. The terms of the licence and an application form can be found on https://ddex.net/implementation/implementation-licence-and-ddex-party-identifiers.

 

 

 

Essential Reading

Download/Print standard (PDF)

This standard is Part 3 of a multi-part standard. The other parts (incl. samples) are available here.

Older versions of the various parts of the DSR standard can be accessed here.

Samples for the current version of the DSR Standard can be found here.

2 Scope

 2.1 Introduction

The message defined in this Part provides a mechanism for Licensees (typically Digital Service Providers) to report to Rights Controllers (typically Music Rights Societies, Music Licensing Companies, Music Publishers and/or Record Companies) Usage, Revenue or Sales from the exploitation of Products based on electronic Releases containing Sound Recordings and/or Music Audio-Visual Recordings which embody Musical Works and/or other Resources.

 2.2 Organisation of the Standard

This standard comprises six clauses and two annexes. Clauses 1-4 provide the scope, abbreviations and core definitions used in this standard. Clause  5 then defines the core audio profile.

Finally Annexes A provides some examples.

 2.3 Release Notes (Informative)

Version 3 of the Flat File Variant of the Digital Sales Reporting Message Suite Standard utilities a fundamentally different architecture than Version 2. This new architecture allows more Profiles to be supported than was possible in Version 2. Part 3 of this standard supports communicating sales and usages for basic audio services. 

Version 1.1 of the Basic Audio Profile provides a series of minor updates to some record types.

Version 1.2 of the basic audio Profile makes use of updated SY04, SY05, AS01, AS02, MW01, SU01 and SU02 records that support additional business requirements.

Version 1.3 (this version) incorporates the Single Record Block Variant into this standard and harmonises the Multiple and Single Record Block Variants. 

 

Below is the list of the changes made to the Basic Audio Profile's Record Types over time:

Record Type

1.2

1.3

SY01

.01

.02

SY02

.02

.03

SY03

Not used

.01

SY04

.01

.02

SY05

.02

.03

SY06

.02 (SRBV only)

Not used

SY12

Not used

Base Record

RE01

Base Record

.02

RE02

Base Record

Base Record

AS01

.01

.02

AS02

.02

.03

MW01

.01

.02

SU01

Base Record

.02

SU02

Base Record

.02

SR01

Base Record

.01

SR02

Base Record

.01

 


 

3 Normative References

 Click here to expand...
The following normative documents contain provisions, which through reference in this text constitute provisions of this standard. For dated references, subsequent amendments to, or revisions of, any of these publications do not apply. For undated references, the latest version applies.
  • DDEX. Digital Sales Reporting Message Suite Standard - Part 1: Architecture of the Flat File Variant.
  • DDEX. Digital Sales Reporting Message Suite Standard - Part 2: Allowed Value Sets.
  • DDEX. Digital Sales Reporting Message Suite Standard - Part 8: Record Type Definitions.

4 Terms and Abbreviations

 Click here to expand...

The terms and abbreviations used in Digital Sales Reporting Message Suite Standard – Part 1: Architecture of the Flat File Variant. also apply to this Standard.

5 Basic Audio Profile

 5.1 Introduction

This Profile is for reporting all audio-only Usage, Revenue or Sales not listed elsewhere in this standard. This Profile is also for reporting Usage, Revenue or Sales for music videos.

To indicate that a Sales/Usage Report is created in accordance with Clauses 5.2 or 5.3 of this Profile standard, the Profile Cell in the HEAD Record shall contain the value BasicAudioProfile and the ProfileVersion Cell shall contain the value 1.3.

To indicate that a Sales/Usage Report is created in accordance with Clauses 5.4 or 5.5 of this Profile standard, the Profile Cell in the HEAD Record shall contain the value BasicAudioProfileSRB and the ProfileVersion Cell shall contain the value 1.3.

 5.2 Definition of Blocks where Release Information is Available

When Usages, Revenues or Sales are to be reported where Release information is available to the Message Sender, the following Records shall be communicated for each Block in this order:

  1. One Release Record of type RE01.02 describing a Head Release.
    If the Message Sender has received a NewReleaseMessage defined in DDEX’s Release Notification Message Suite Standard, the “Head Release” is the “AlbumRelease” as defined in the NewReleaseMessage.

  2. One or more Resource Records describing Resources of type AS01.02 or AS02.03.
    These Records provide information regarding all the Sound Recordings, Videos and other Resources that are contained in the Head Release.
    While the AS02.03 Record allows the communication of the basic details of a Musical Work that underpins the Resource, the AS01.02 Record does not allow this. Only Resources that have been used or sold shall be included in this section of the Block. For the avoidance of doubt, if a Head Release has been used or sold, all Resources of that Head Release need to be included in the Sales Report Message.

  3. None, one or more Musical Work Records of type MW01.02 describing Musical Works.
    These Records provide information regarding all the Musical Works that are utilised in the Head Release and/or one of its Resources. As shown in Figure 5, the Musical Work Records are interspersed with the Resource Records. The Musical Work records immediately following a Resource record describe Works used in that Resource. MW01.02 Records may not be used in combination with AS02.03 Records.
    For the avoidance of doubt: AS01.02+MW01.02 and AS02.03 records may be used within a single Block. One example would be where a DSP communicates, the writers of ten tracks as communicated by the licensee to a works licensor or Rights Controller but where the eleventh track is a medley created by the DSP comprising multiple Musical Works.

  4. None, one or more Records describing “Sub-Releases” of type RE02.
    These Sub-Releases are either single-Resource Track Releases (as communicated in a NewReleaseMessage) and/or Releases that the Message Sender has generated exclusively from the Resources and/or Musical Works that are used in the Head Release. The Sub-Release Records shall point to the Resources they make use of. Only Sub-Releases that have been used or sold shall be included in this section of the Block.

  5. One or more Records providing Usage, Revenue or Sales figures of type SU01.02 or SU02.02.
    The SU01.02/02.02 Records shall point to the Release Record to which the Usage, Revenue or Sale transaction relates.

The Blocks shall be preceded by one or more Summary Records SY01.02, SY02.03, SY03.01, SY04.02, SY05.03 or SY12 (depending on the commercial model) for each type of use, commercial model and territory any Release contained in the Sales Report Message has been traded under. It is permissible to communicate different types of Summary Records in a single sales/usage report.

It is recommended to provide the Summary Records in a logical order to aid human readability. This would typically mean that Summary Records of different types are not mixed. For example a sequence of SY01.02 SY01.02 SY04.02 SY02.03 SY02.03 meets this recommendation, whereas SY04.02 SY01.02 SY04.02  does not. 

Figure 1 – One Block [1]  of Records when reporting Usages, Revenues or Sales for Audio Releases [2]


Figure 1 shows a Block providing a Head Release with four Resources, three of which include Musical Work information in the Resource Record, whereas one Resource is augmented by Musical Work information in an MW01.02 Record. Usage, Revenue or Sales are reported for two Sub-Releases as well as for the Head Release.

Note that in the diagram the first SUxx Record provides Usages, Revenues or Sales for a Sub Release, the second Record provides Usages, Revenues or Sales for a Resource and the last Record provides Usages, Revenues or Sales for the Head Release.

 

The table below provides an overview of the order and cardinality of the Records to be used in this Profile.

 

Record Type

Cardinality

Comment

HEAD

1

 

SY01.02 or SY02.03 or SY03.01 or SY04.02 or SY05.03  or SY12

1-n

Also a combination of the three Summary record types is allowed: 

  • first all SY01.02 Records (if there are any), 

  • then all SY02.03 Records (if there are any), 

  • then all SY03.01 Records (if there are any), 

  • then all SY04.03/SY05.03 Records (if there are any)

  • then all SY12 Records (if there are any)

Block

0-n

 

|   RE01.02

1

 

|   |   AS01.02 or AS02.03

1-n

If no (or partial) musical work information is available, an AS02.0 2 Record should be used with the relevant Cells left empty.

|   |   |   MW01.02

1-n

May only follow an AS01.02 record

|   RE02

0-n

 

|   SU01.02 or SU02.02

1-n

 

FOOT

1

 

 

[1] The term Block is used in accordance with Part 1.
[2] The indentation in the diagrams is solely for illustration purposes. There is no indentation in a Sales Report Message in accordance with this standard.

 

 5.3 Definition of Blocks where Release Information is not Available

When Usages, Revenues or Sales are to be reported for Resources for which no information on the Release it is contained in has been previously made available, the following Records shall be communicated for each Block in this order.
  • One Record of type AS01.02 or AS02.03 describing the Resource including basic information of the underlying Work. The Message Sender may wish to split the information into two Records.
    The first Record, of type AS01.02, contains information regarding the Sound Recording, Video or other Resource, and the second Record, of type MW01.02, contains information about the Musical Work utilised. 
  • One or more Records providing Usage, Revenue or Sales figures of type SU01.02 or SU02.02. 
    The SU01.02/SU02.02 Records does not need to point to the Resource Record to which the Usage, Revenue or Sale transaction relates as this is implicit as the Block only contains one Resource Record.

The Blocks shall be preceded by one or more Summary Records SY01.02 , SY02.03, SY03.01, SY04.02, SY05.02 or SY12 (depending on the commercial model) for each type of use, commercial model and territory any Resource contained in the Sales Report Message has been traded under. It is permissible to communicate different types of Summary Records in a single sales/usage report.

It is recommended to provide the Summary Records in a logical order to aid human readability. This would typically mean that Summary Records of different types are not mixed. For example a sequence of SY01.02 SY01.02 SY04.02 SY02.03 SY02.03 meets this recommendation, whereas SY04.02 SY01.02 SY04.02 does not. 

The left-hand part of the Figure 2 below shows the case where Musical Work information is provided as part of the Resource Record AS02.01 and the right-hand part shows the case where Musical Work information is provided on an extra Record MW01.02.

 Figure 1 – One Block  of Records when reporting Usages, Revenues or Sales for Audio Resources


The table below provides an overview of the order and cardinality of the Records to be used in this Profile.

 

 

Record Type

Cardinality

Comment

HEAD

1

 

SY01.02 or SY02.03  SY03.01 or or SY04.02 or SY05.03 or SY12

1-n

Also a combination of the three Summary record types is allowed:

  • first all SY01.02 Records (if there are any),

  • then all SY02.03 Records (if there are any),

  • then all SY03.01 Records (if there are any),

  • then all SY04.02/SY05.02 Records (if there are any)

  • then all SY12 Records (if there are any)

Block

0-n

 

|   AS01.02 or AS02.03

1

If no (or only partial) musical work information is available, an AS02.03 Record should be used with the relevant Cells left empty.

|   |   MW01.02

1-n

May only follow an AS01.02 record

|   SU01.02 or SU02

1-n

 

FOOT

1

 

 5.4 Single Record Block Variant of this Profile for Download Use Cases

The table below provides an overview of the order and cardinality of the Records to be used in this Variant.

 

Record Type

Card.

Comment

HEAD

1

 

SY01.02 or SY02.03 or SY03.01 or SY04.02 or SY05.03 or
SY12

1-n

A combination of the summary record types is allowed:

  • first, all SY01.02 Records (if there are any),

  • then, all SY02.03 Records (if there are any),

  • then, all SY04.02 Records (if there are any),

  • then, all SY05.03 Records (if there are any).

  • then, all SY12 Records (if there are any)

SR01.01

0-n

The SR01.01 Record Type has been derived from the Record Types used in the Multi-Record Block Variant of the Basic Audio Profile.

SRFO

1

This footer record differs from the one used in the other Variants.

 5.5 Single Record Block Variant of this Profile for Streaming Use Cases

The table below provides an overview of the order and cardinality of the Records to be used in this Variant.

 

Record Type

Card.

Comment

HEAD

1

 

SY01.02 or SY02.03 or SY03.01 or  SY04.02 or SY05.03 or
SY12

1-n

A combination of the summary record types is allowed:

  • first, all SY01.02 Records (if there are any),

  • then, all SY02.03 Records (if there are any),

  • then, all SY04.02 Records (if there are any),

  • then, all SY05.03 Records (if there are any),

  • then, all SY12 Records (if there are any).

SR02.01

0-n

The SR02.01 Record Type has been derived from the Record Types used in the Multi-Record Block Variant of the Basic Audio Profile.

SRFO

1

This footer record differs from the one used in the other Variants.

 5.6 Different Types of Usages, Revenues or Sales

This standard defines several Records to describe different types of Usages, Revenues or Sales.

Table 3 – Records for Different Types of Usages, Revenues or Sales

Commercial-
Model-
UseType                   Type

Advertisement-
SupportedModel

PayAsYouGo
Model

Subscription
Model

ContentInfluencedStream

SU02

SU02

SU02

Download

SU01

SU01

SU01

OnDemandStream

SU02

SU02

SU02

Permanent Download

SU01

SU01

SU01

Stream

SU02

SU02

SU02

Tethered Download

SU02

SU02

SU02

TimeInfluencedStream

SU02

SU02

SU02

UseAsRingbacktone

SU01

SU01

SU01

UseAsRingbacktune

SU01

SU01

SU01

UseAsRingtone

SU01

SU01

SU01

UseAsRingtune

SU01

SU01

SU01

Webcast

SU02

SU02

SU02

Annex A (informative) Examples

 Click here to expand...

Published alongside this standard are a series of Examples in the form of an Excel workbook. To transform them into Sales Report messages in accordance with this standard, the individual tabs of the spreadsheet can be saved as a tab-delimited file.

Evaluation Licence for DDEX Standards

 

Subject to your compliance with the terms and conditions of this Agreement, DDEX™ grants you a limited, nonexclusive, non-transferable, non-sublicenseable, royalty-free licence solely to reproduce, distribute within your organisation, and use the DDEX standard specifications (“DDEX Standards”) solely for the purpose of your internal evaluation. You may not make any commercial use of the DDEX Standards under this agreement. No other licences are granted under this agreement.

No representations or warranties (either express or implied) are made or offered by DDEX with regard to the DDEX Standards. In particular, but without limitation, no representations or warranties are made in relation to:

  1. The suitability or fitness of the standards for any particular purpose;
  2. The merchantability of the standards;
  3. The accuracy, completeness, relevance or validity of the standards; or
  4. The non-infringement of any third party intellectual property rights related to the DDEX Standards.

Accordingly, DDEX and/or its members shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, special, consequential or punitive loss or damages howsoever arising out of or in connection with the use of the standards. IN THE EVENT THAT ANY COURT OF COMPETENT JURISDICTION RENDERS JUDGEMENT AGAINST DDEX AND/OR ITS MEMBERS NOTWITHSTANDING THE ABOVE LIMITATION, THE AGGREGATE LIABILITY TO YOU IN CONNECTION WITH THIS AGREEMENT SHALL IN NO EVENT EXCEED THE AMOUNT OF ONE HUNDRED U.S. DOLLARS (US$ 100.00).

Users of the DDEX Standards are cautioned that it is subject to revision. Users are recommended to use the latest versions, which are available at http://www.ddex.net. The use of outdated versions of the standards is not recommended but may be required by agreement between implementers in particular cases.