Overview
ISO/IEC 23000-15:2016 - Multimedia preservation application format (MP-AF) specifies a standardized representation of Multimedia Preservation Description Information (MPDI). Part of the MPEG-A family, this standard defines a data model and normative XML Schema for exchange of multimedia preservation metadata between archives, libraries, museums, broadcasters, publishers, service providers and other stakeholders. MP-AF is aligned with OAIS concepts and reuses MPEG technologies (notably MPEG-21 and MPEG-7) to support long-term digital preservation and interoperability.
Key technical topics and requirements
- MPDI data model: UML-based logical model describing Digital Item entities, process entities (activities, operators) and their relations.
- Normative XML serialization: A formal XML Schema (included as an annex) provides a machine-readable format for MPDI documents.
- Core metadata sets: Defines common core descriptive and technical metadata (content metadata, technical properties for image/video/audio, annotations).
- Preservation process metadata: Metadata to record integrity checking, migrations, replications, quality evaluation, and relationships between source and transformed outputs.
- Conformance requirements: Rules for MP-AF document conformance, external schema referencing and compliance with MPEG-21 declarations.
- Interoperability aids: Annexes provide mapping to other preservation metadata models and taxonomies; controlled vocabularies and reference mechanisms are supported.
- Re-use of MPEG standards: Harmonized model leverages MPEG-21 DID and other MPEG technologies to integrate packaging and item descriptions.
Practical applications and users
MP-AF is designed for practical use in preservation and asset exchange workflows:
- Exchange multimedia assets and preservation metadata between repositories or between organizations.
- Document and verify integrity, format migration outcomes, replication events, restoration steps and quality assessments.
- Provide a standardized preservation metadata bundle for ingest (SIP), archival packages and dissemination (DIP) consistent with OAIS.
- Use cases include digitization projects, format migration, archival transfers, content curation and preservation service provisioning.
Primary users:
- Digital archivists, librarians and museum technologists
- Repository and preservation system implementers
- Software developers and vendors of preservation tools
- Broadcasters, publishers and service providers engaged in long-term multimedia stewardship
Related standards
- ISO/IEC 23000 (MPEG-A series) - general Multimedia Application Format framework
- ISO/IEC 23000-6 (Professional Archival Application Format - PA-AF) - packaging guidance referenced for OAIS packaging
- MPEG-21 and MPEG-7 - reused components referenced for item and metadata modeling
Keywords: ISO/IEC 23000-15, MP-AF, MPDI, multimedia preservation metadata, MPEG-A, MPEG-21, XML schema, OAIS, digital preservation, metadata exchange.
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