The Digital Production Partnership (DPP) has announced the release of a new guide designed to aid news organisations and suppliers of news systems in easily exchanging metadata.

BBC R&D launches Nearly Live production workflow

DPP Metadata Exchange for News: Enables responsive, reactive and efficient new production workflows

The DPP Metadata Exchange for News has been created to implement a common metadata framework based on the International Press Telecommunications Committee (IPTC) NewsML-G2 standard. 

The new standards-based approach aims to provide a common minimum metadata set that can be employed by news agencies, television and online.

The guide makes it possible for organisations to automate news processes, manage multiple versions, enable workflow efficiencies and importantly, manage rights and restrictions from planning right through to delivery of news packages.

By having the correct metadata from the outset, the result will be considerable cost and time savings.

“This will make media discoverable more quickly for our audiences, enriching their experience and increasing participation in this multiplatform world” - Andy Bocking, BBC

BBC Head of Technology Andy Bocking said: “The introduction of DPP Metadata Exchange for News will help suppliers understand both the necessity and the requirements to enable media companies to develop efficient end to end workflows across multi-platform environments.

”In turn this will make media discoverable more quickly for our audiences, enriching their experience and increasing participation in this multiplatform world, where knowing what we have, where it is, and if we can use it, becomes ever more critical.” 

Sony Professional Solutions Europe Strategic Technology Development Manager Peter Sykes said: “Sony is committed to driving positive change with the adoption of automated and intelligent processes that enable content creators to achieve more, quicker, in ways that will ultimately be seen as game-changing for the industry as a whole.

“Where speed to air is key, these benefits represent a real boost for the industry” - Peter Sykes, Sony Professional Soltuions Europe 

“As a member of the DPP News Exchange Working group, Sony is uniquely placed to help create added value from wireless acquisition, through our cameras, all the way through to content delivery. The benefits of DPP Metadata Exchange for News are instant within News where speed to air is key. These benefits represent a real boost for the industry.”

DPP logo new

Following the publication of the guide, the DPP will launch a testing programme for DPP Metadata Exchange for News tools.

The DPP Tested mark is aimed at giving buyers and sellers confidence that products and services are interoperable and can be exchanged internationally, delivering benefits across the whole supply chain.

DPP Managing Director Mark Harrison said: ”The lack of basic metadata in end-to-end digital news workflows has introduced inefficiencies in newsrooms around the world.

“The development of a common metadata framework will enable newsgathering organisations and their suppliers to increase efficiency by supporting and enabling faster discovery, better rights-informed exploitation, automation and greater re-use of captured content.”

Available to both members and non-members of the DPP, the guide will provide an overview of the minimum metadata requirements for exchange; introduces new production workflows; maps the business requirements to IPTC NewsML-G2; and provides detailed implementation guidance covering the end-to-end news production process.

The DPP Metadata Exchange for News guide is available here.