SMPTE opens up standards catalogue for free

This includes all published SMPTE standards, recommended practices, engineering guidelines, and registered disclosure documents (RDDs), as well as all future releases.

SMPTE standards have helped enable the interoperability that underpins the entertainment technology industry for over a century. 

By removing barriers to access, the move is expected to accelerate adoption and implementation, strengthen interoperability, and help drive the next generation of innovation. 

“This was a decision we did not make lightly,” says Rich Welsh, President of SMPTE. “For 110 years, SMPTE has evolved alongside the media technology industry, helping to drive change and innovation – and we’re not stopping now. 

“Our industry is confronting transformative shifts, from IP-based workflows to AI authenticity and content provenance, and we find ourselves at another inflection point. We listened to our members, partners, and the global standards community, and the answer was clear: interoperability is essential to the future of media. Now is the time to open the gates and ensure the next generation of media technology is built on a stronger, more accessible foundation.” 

SMPTE's open-access standards library is part of a broader effort to modernise the organisation's standards development and publication processes.  

Recent initiatives include: adopting GitHub-based workflows for version control, issue tracking, and automation; transitioning to structured HTML-based authoring; and implementing an integrated publishing pipeline that streamlines document creation, review, validation, and release. 

SMPTE's move to an open-access standards library is supported in part by the organisation's diamond-level corporate members: Amazon AWS, Apple, Blackmagic Design, CBS/Paramount Global, Disney, Dolby, Fox, Google, Ross Video, Sony, and Telstra.  

Additionally, companies and individuals pledging donations of $10,000 or more by December 31, 2026, will be recognised as inaugural supporters of the standards catalogue. 

SMPTE recently teamed up with the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and the Entertainment Technology Center (ETC) on a new engineering report on artificial intelligence (AI) and its effect on media. Discover more here.