Overview
ISO/IEC 23000-15:2016/Amd 1:2017 is an amendment to ISO/IEC 23000‑15 (MPEG‑A Part 15) that provides non‑normative implementation guidelines for the Multimedia Preservation Application Format (MP‑AF). The amendment explains how MP‑AF can be used in real‑world digital preservation workflows, includes three concrete use cases (format migration outsourcing, audiovisual digitization at RAI, and vinyl/tape digitization at Japan’s National Diet Library), and supplies complete MP‑AF XML examples and electronic XML inserts. Keywords: ISO/IEC 23000‑15, MP‑AF, MPEG‑A, multimedia preservation, implementation guidelines.
Key topics and technical requirements
- MP‑AF metadata model: Describes PreservationObject, Representations, Essence/Components, and descriptors for preservation metadata.
- Preservation descriptors: Standard descriptors used in MP‑AF-Fixity, Integrity, Rights, Quality, TechnicalMetadataDescriptor, and DescriptiveMetadataDescriptor-to capture preservation information at object and bitstream levels.
- Process and provenance metadata: Activity and Operator elements record ingest, rewrapping, transcoding, quality control and tools used. Useful for audit trails and reproducibility.
- XML serialization: Complete MP‑AF XML examples validating against the MP‑AF XSD; uses MPEG‑21 DIDL and namespaces like MPEG‑7, EBUcore and IPMP info.
- OAIS terminology: Uses Submission Information Package (SIP) and Dissemination Information Package (DIP) concepts to align with archival practice.
- Format validation and quality control: Guidance on logging format compliance, checksums (MD5, SHA1), component‑level fixity, and automated validation tool results.
- Packaging of essences and metadata: How to tie media files (essences) to MP‑AF metadata for ingestion, migration, and delivery.
Practical applications and users
Who benefits:
- Digital archivists and preservation managers implementing standardized preservation metadata and workflows.
- Broadcast organizations and media archives (e.g., RAI) documenting digitization and migration of audiovisual assets.
- National libraries and cultural heritage institutions performing mass digitization of analog media (vinyl, tapes).
- Third‑party preservation providers and vendors offering format migration, QA, and preservation services.
- Software developers and integrators building MP‑AF‑aware ingestion, validation, and packaging tools.
Practical uses:
- Recording provenance and tool configurations during format migration.
- Ensuring fixity and integrity across ingest and delivery (SIP/DIP).
- Packaging descriptive, technical and rights metadata with media files for long‑term preservation and distribution.
- Generating compliant MP‑AF XML documents for archival exchange and auditing.
Related standards
- ISO/IEC 23000 (MPEG‑A family)
- OAIS (Open Archival Information System) terminology
- MPEG‑21 DIDL, MPEG‑7, EBUcore metadata
- SMPTE standards (MXF format references)
- ISO 3166 (country codes), ISAN (work identifiers)
This amendment is a practical supplement to MP‑AF, offering real use cases, XML samples and integration guidance to help archives, broadcasters, and preservation vendors implement interoperable multimedia preservation workflows. Keywords: multimedia preservation, MP‑AF XML, preservation metadata, format migration, digital archiving.