DDEX Import

DDEX (Digital Data Exchange) is the music industry standard for exchanging release data between distributors, labels, and platforms. LabelGrid supports DDEX import for enterprise clients.

What is DDEX?

Overview

DDEX is a consortium that creates standards for:

• Release metadata exchange
• Rights and licensing information
• Sales and usage reporting
• Financial reporting

ERN (Electronic Release Notification)

The primary format for delivering releases:

• Complete release metadata
• Track information
• Territorial rights
• Pricing and dates
• Deal terms

Who Uses DDEX

• Major labels
• Large independent labels
• Aggregators
• Enterprise distributors

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DDEX Versions Supported

Current Support

Version	Status	Notes
ERN 4.2	✓ Full support	Recommended
ERN 4.1	✓ Full support	Widely used
ERN 4.0	✓ Supported
ERN 3.8.2	✓ Legacy	For migration

Recommended Version

ERN 4.2 provides:

• Latest features
• Better metadata support
• Improved deal terms
• Enhanced validation

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Message Types

Supported Messages

Message	Purpose
NewReleaseMessage	New release delivery
ReleaseAvailabilityMessage	Update availability
PurgeReleaseMessage	Takedown request
CatalogTransferMessage	Bulk catalog transfer

NewReleaseMessage Structure

<NewReleaseMessage>
  <MessageHeader>...</MessageHeader>
  <ResourceList>
    <!-- Audio files, images -->
  </ResourceList>
  <ReleaseList>
    <!-- Release metadata -->
  </ReleaseList>
  <DealList>
    <!-- Territorial rights, pricing -->
  </DealList>
</NewReleaseMessage>

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Setup Process

Prerequisites

Before enabling DDEX:

• Enterprise account required
• Existing DDEX feed capability
• Technical team available
• Test content ready

Configuration Steps

1. Contact support

   • Request DDEX enablement
   • Discuss requirements
   • Schedule onboarding

2. Technical setup

   • Receive SFTP credentials
   • Configure delivery endpoint
   • Set up monitoring

3. Testing phase

   • Deliver test releases
   • Validate processing
   • Fix any issues

4. Go live

   • Begin production deliveries
   • Monitor for errors
   • Ongoing support

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Delivery Methods

SFTP Delivery

Primary delivery method:

Host: sftp.labelgrid.com
Port: 22
User: your_assigned_user
Path: /incoming/ddex/

File Structure

/incoming/ddex/
└── BATCH_20240115_001/
    ├── RELEASE_001/
    │   ├── release.xml
    │   ├── A1_01_track.wav
    │   ├── A1_02_track.wav
    │   └── artwork.jpg
    └── RELEASE_002/
        ├── release.xml
        └── ...

Delivery Confirmation

After upload:

1. System detects new files
2. Validates XML structure
3. Processes content
4. Sends acknowledgment
5. Provides status report

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XML Structure

Message Header

<MessageHeader>
  <MessageId>MSG_20240115_001</MessageId>
  <MessageSender>
    <PartyId>PADPIDA2024...</PartyId>
    <PartyName>
      <FullName>Your Label Name</FullName>
    </PartyName>
  </MessageSender>
  <SentOnBehalfOf>
    <PartyId>PADPIDA2024...</PartyId>
  </SentOnBehalfOf>
  <MessageRecipient>
    <PartyId>PADPIDA2024LABELGRID</PartyId>
  </MessageRecipient>
  <MessageCreatedDateTime>2024-01-15T10:30:00Z</MessageCreatedDateTime>
</MessageHeader>

Sound Recording Resource

<SoundRecording>
  <SoundRecordingType>MusicalWorkSoundRecording</SoundRecordingType>
  <SoundRecordingId>
    <ISRC>USRC12345678</ISRC>
  </SoundRecordingId>
  <ResourceReference>A1</ResourceReference>
  <ReferenceTitle>
    <TitleText>Track Title</TitleText>
  </ReferenceTitle>
  <Duration>PT3M42S</Duration>
  <SoundRecordingDetailsByTerritory>
    <TerritoryCode>Worldwide</TerritoryCode>
    <Title>
      <TitleText>Track Title</TitleText>
    </Title>
    <DisplayArtist>
      <PartyName>
        <FullName>Artist Name</FullName>
      </PartyName>
      <ArtistRole>MainArtist</ArtistRole>
    </DisplayArtist>
  </SoundRecordingDetailsByTerritory>
</SoundRecording>

Release Information

<Release>
  <ReleaseId>
    <GRid>A1...</GRid>
    <ICPN>123456789012</ICPN>
  </ReleaseId>
  <ReleaseReference>R1</ReleaseReference>
  <ReferenceTitle>
    <TitleText>Album Title</TitleText>
  </ReferenceTitle>
  <ReleaseResourceReferenceList>
    <ReleaseResourceReference>A1</ReleaseResourceReference>
    <ReleaseResourceReference>A2</ReleaseResourceReference>
  </ReleaseResourceReferenceList>
  <ReleaseType>Album</ReleaseType>
</Release>

Deal Terms

<ReleaseDeal>
  <DealReleaseReference>R1</DealReleaseReference>
  <Deal>
    <DealTerms>
      <CommercialModelType>SubscriptionModel</CommercialModelType>
      <Usage>
        <UseType>Stream</UseType>
      </Usage>
      <TerritoryCode>Worldwide</TerritoryCode>
      <ValidityPeriod>
        <StartDate>2024-03-15</StartDate>
      </ValidityPeriod>
    </DealTerms>
  </Deal>
</ReleaseDeal>

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Validation

Pre-delivery Validation

Validate your XML before delivery:

• Schema validation
• Business rule checks
• Reference integrity
• Required field presence

Common Validation Errors

Error	Cause	Fix
Schema validation failed	Invalid XML structure	Check against XSD
Missing ISRC	Required identifier missing	Add ISRC to track
Invalid territory	Unknown territory code	Use ISO 3166-1 codes
Duration mismatch	Duration doesn’t match audio	Verify file and metadata
Missing resource	Referenced file not found	Include all audio files

Validation Response

<AcknowledgementMessage>
  <MessageId>ACK_20240115_001</MessageId>
  <AcknowledgementType>Success</AcknowledgementType>
  <ProcessingStatus>Processed</ProcessingStatus>
  <ReleaseId>
    <ICPN>123456789012</ICPN>
  </ReleaseId>
</AcknowledgementMessage>

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Mapping to LabelGrid

Field Mapping

DDEX Field	LabelGrid Field
ReleaseId/ICPN	UPC
ISRC	ISRC
ReferenceTitle/TitleText	Title
DisplayArtist	Primary Artist
ReleaseType	Release Type
PLine	P-Line
CLine	C-Line

Supported Release Types

DDEX Type	LabelGrid Type
Album	Album
EP	EP
Single	Single
BundledRelease	Bundle

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Best Practices

Delivery Guidelines

1. Batch appropriately

   • 10-50 releases per batch
   • Don’t overload with large batches
   • Monitor processing status

2. Quality control

   • Validate XML before sending
   • Test with sample releases
   • Monitor acknowledgments

3. File management

   • Use consistent naming
   • Include all referenced files
   • Organize by batch/date

Metadata Quality

1. Complete all required fields
2. Use proper identifiers (ISRC, UPC, GRid)
3. Accurate territorial rights
4. Correct release dates
5. Valid party identifiers

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Troubleshooting

Delivery Issues

Issue	Solution
SFTP connection failed	Check credentials, firewall
Files not processing	Verify file structure
Timeout errors	Reduce batch size
Authentication errors	Regenerate credentials

Processing Errors

Issue	Solution
XML parse error	Validate XML structure
Missing resources	Include all files
Invalid references	Check ResourceReference links
Duplicate content	Use unique identifiers

Getting Support

For DDEX issues:

1. Check error logs/acknowledgments
2. Review XML against schema
3. Contact support with:
   • Batch ID
   • Error message
   • Sample XML (sanitized)

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Resources

DDEX Standards

• DDEX Knowledge Base
• ERN Standard documentation
• XML Schema (XSD) files
• Implementation guides

LabelGrid Resources

• DDEX onboarding guide
• Field mapping documentation
• Sample XML templates
• API documentation

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Need Help?

If you need assistance with DDEX integration, contact our support team with your technical requirements.