1 Introduction

This document defines the file formats of the Bulk communication of Work And Recording Metadata (BWARM) standard. It was developed by the member organisations of the Digital Data Exchange, LLC (DDEX). Any organisation wishing to implement this (or any other DDEX standard) is required to apply for an Implementation Licence. Information about the Implementation Licence, its terms and conditions and access to an application form can be found here and here.

The file formats contained within the BWARM standard, when delivered together, provide a lightweight mechanism for communicating, in bulk, data about sound recordings and music videos and the musical works that are embodied in them. The file formats also enable the communication of right share data about those musical works. This version 2.0 of the BWARM standard was developed primarily to support the activities of the Mechanical Licensing Collective, LLC established under the Music Modernization Act that was signed into US law in 2018. The standard may however also be used by any entity wishing to communicate in bulk, data about sound recordings and music videos, musical works and the right shares in those musical works.

This standard serves a similar purpose to the Musical Work Right Share Notification Choreography Standard (MWN). MWN is, however, best suited to communicating detailed data about a comparatively small number of musical works in the specific context of the licensing of those musical works. By contrast the BWARM standard is for communicating in bulk large sets of data.

This standard was developed by the member organisations of the Digital Data Exchange, LLC (DDEX) and provides a suite of messages that give a uniform mechanism to enable Release Creators (usually record companies) to inform DSPs about Releases — whether they are newly created or “back catalogue” — that are available for distribution to consumers.

This standard also enables Release Creators to inform DSPs in a standardised way the terms and conditions under which such Releases can be made available.