Anyone feel like participating in some data exchanging? Well, if you're vaguely digital, read on. Key companies involved in digital music yesterday launched a new organisation with the aim to develop and encourage "voluntary standards to improve the current exchange of data between companies operating in the digital music business".
Digital Data Exchange, or DDEX (you pronounce it 'dee-dex', apparently), says it hopes that by providing a network for communication between different music and technology companies they can help boost value, quality and choice in the digital music space, and to support success in the growing and at times complex digital music sector. Good luck with that.
Organisations signed up to the association include record companies EMI, SonyBMG, Warner and Universal, music rights societies ASCAP, MCPS-PRS and SGAE and digital service providers Microsoft, Real and Apple.
The organisation's first chair, Chris Amenita of collecting society ASCAP, told reporters: "By working together and developing voluntary technical standards, we can harmonize and streamline the exchange of information relating to digital music. That's great news for the all participants across the whole value chain - from artists and writers through to the consumer. Our work here is just beginning. We invite any organization or company involved in digital music to join us. Together we can help fully empower and unlock the future of digital music."
You'll find more info on all this here: http://www.digitaldataexchange.com.