Facebook joins DDEX as a Charter Member and gets a seat at the Board of Directors

By Emmanuel Legrand

Facebook has joined DDEX as a Charter Member of the international data standards-setting organisation. 

  Facebook, which owns and operates platforms such as WhatsApp and Oculus VR, has appointed Dan Simpson from its Music Operations to the DDEX Board of Directors.

  “Facebook values the work of DDEX in creating metadata standards for the music industry, and I’m pleased to join their Board in support of this effort,” said Simpson. “With more people than ever turning to online entertainment, it’s so important that everyone in the ecosystem, starting from music creation through to the person that enjoys that work, is using the most up-to-date versions of DDEX standards to communicate information about the songs and their usage.”

Influence the development of standards

  DDEX counts over 120 members worldwide and is open to any organisation with a business interest in digital media content. DDEX standards are accessible to non-members but being a member of DDEX allows "to participate in and influence the development of international standards in the digital value chain," according to the organisation.

  More specifically, being a Charter member of DDEX allows an organisation to:

  > Provide a director to the DDEX Board;
  > Provide comments on a Committee Draft Standard as set out in the standards development process;
  > Send one or more individuals to each Plenary Meeting and have access to all documentation and communications relating to those meetings.
  > Send one or more individuals to any of the technical Working Groups and have access to all documentation and communications relating to those meetings.

Serving the industry

  Jeff King, Chair of the Board DDEX and COO of Canadian rights society SOCAN, said: “DDEX is creating standards for the entire digital music value chain, and so we’re very pleased to add Facebook, one of the largest global platforms to reach music fans, as a Charter Member, and Dan to our Board. We have a great balance of content companies, rights organizations, and digital distributors in our ranks, ensuring that our work serves the needs of the entire industry.”

  The remainder of the DDEX Board is made up of executives from the 20 other Charter members of the organisation: Jill Chapman (Amazon), Chair Emeritus Nick Williamson (Apple Inc.), Nick Lehman (ASCAP), Ed Oshanani (BMI), Scott Williams (Downtown Music Holdings), Till Evert (GEMA), Executive Board member Greg Quillard (Google), Bob Bruderman  (Kobalt Music), Noel Morrison (Pandora Media), Mark Douglas (PPL), Keith Hill (PRS for Music), Laurent Fradin (SCPP), Executive Board member Paul Cohen Scali (SACEM), Executive Board member Kirit Joshi (Sony Music Entertainment), Chair of the Board Jeff King (SOCAN), Luis Bonilla (SoundExchange), Sung Kyu Choi (Spotify), Roberta Fong (Tencent Music Entertainment Group), Executive Board member Kim Beauchamp (Universal Music Group) and Brigette Boyle (Warner Music Group).