Digital Data Exchange (DDEX) is an international standards-setting organization that was formed in 2006^[1] to develop standards that enable companies to communicate information along the digital supply chain more efficiently^[2] by:

• Developing standard message and file formats (XML or flat-file)
• Developing choreographies for specific business transactions
• Developing communication protocols (SFTP or based on web services)
• Working with industry bodies to create a more efficient supply chain.

DDEX currently focuses on the music industry and has 3 types of membership: charter, full and associate members, with about 100 members.^[3]

DDEX's standards^[4] address a series of business transactions, including:

• Release deliveries
• Sales/usage reporting
• Communication with and amongst Music Licensing Companies
• Licensing of musical works
• Collection of information on sound recordings and musical works in the recording studio

All DDEX standards are available from the DDEX Knowledge Base, with complete documentation.^[5] DDEX has also created a series of free introductory videos.^[6]

Implementers that want to use any of the DDEX standards are required to take out a software licence.^[7] This licence is a royalty-free click wrap licence that grants implementers access to the intellectual property embedded in the DDEX standards.

• DDEX Homepage