About audioMD and videoMD
News & Announcements
AudioMD and VideoMD Forum (amdvmd@loc.gov):
An unmoderated listserv for discussion of the audioMD and videoMD schemas. To subscribe to the list and view the archives go to:
audioMD and videoMD are XML Schemas that detail technical metadata for audio- and video-based digital objects. They often serve as extension schemas within the Metadata Encoding and Transmission Standard (METS) administrative metadata section or in PREMIS version 2.0 or later in <objectCharacteristicsExtension>. They are also suitable for use as standalone metadata documents or may be considered for incorporation into other structures, e.g., as embedded metadata in Material eXchange Format (MXF) files.
The audioMD schema allows for detailing properties such as:
- physical format for media-dependent materials (e.g., open reel tape, DAT, instantaneous disc)
- track format for magnetic tape recordings
- groove type for analog discs
- speed and speed adjustment for analog materials
- number of channels and sound channel map
- sampling frequency and bits per sample for digital recordings
- audio data encoding for digital materials
- file format name and version for media independent digital materials
The videoMD schema allows for detailing properties such as:
- physical format for media dependent materials (e.g., stock brand, base and binder for magnetic tapes, disc surface type for disc media)
- dimensions for media dependent materials (e.g., diameter, gauge, height, thickness, width, length)
- generation for analog media
- frame description (e.g., pixel or line counts horizontal and vertical, frame rate)
- data rate (may be expressed in terms of maximum, minimum, nominal, mode)
- format in terms of broadcast standards (e.g., NTSC, PAL, SECAM)
- formatting description for digital materials (e.g., name of creating application, commercial name of format, profile, version)
- bits per sample and sampling description in terms of chrominance and luminance (e.g., 4:2:2, 4:2:0)
The Library of Congress Network Development and MARC Standards Office (LoC) serves as the maintenance agency for audioMD and videoMD, although the majority of the qualitative work on the schema will come from the larger METS community and from audioMD and videoMD implementers external to LoC.
AudioMD and VideoMD
Related XML Formats
Under the designation AMD and VMD, these two schemas were originally created at the Library of Congress in 2000-2003 as part of the Audio-Visual Prototyping project. They were extensively improved by Karin Bredenberg of the National Archives of Sweden 
and others in 2009-2010. In 2011, LoC assumed maintenance of audioMD and videoMD. This has entailed creating a listserv for fostering discussion, authoring this official web site, as well as working on updates to the two schemas that offers new elements. The Library of Congress Network Development and MARC Standards Office (LoC) serves as the maintenance agency for audioMD and videoMD, although the majority of the qualitative work on the schema will come from the larger METS community and from audioMD and videoMD implementers external to LoC. AudioMD and VideoMD 2.0 is the current schema.