Understanding the Components of an Electronic Release Notification (ERN) Message

Welcome to our guide on understanding the components of an Electronic Release Notification (ERN) message as defined by the DDEX standard. This guide will walk you through the essential elements that together describe a digital release in detail, ensuring that you can manage and distribute digital content effectively.

Release-by-Release Delivery

Overview: Release-by-release delivery involves submitting each music release (single, EP, album, or track release) individually as soon as it is ready. This method is suited for labels or content providers who prioritise speed and flexibility in their release schedule.

Example File Structure for Release-by-Release Delivery

For this example, let's assume the UPC for the batch is 7707722999177 and the batch ID is 20240607170334436.

Top-Level Directory: The top-level directory should be named after the UPC and Batch ID to clearly associate the files with the specific batch of releases.

7707722999177_20240607170334436

Resources Directory: Within the top-level directory, a resources sub-directory should be used to store all media files (audio and images) associated with the releases in the batch.

7707722999177_20240607170334436/resources

Assets in the Resources Directory

Here you would store each audio and image file named according to a clear and consistent convention as shown below:

7707722999177_20240607170334436/resources/7707722999177_01_01.flac
7707722999177_20240607170334436/resources/resources/7707722999177.jpg

XML Files: The DDEX XML files which contain metadata for each release should be stored directly under the top-level directory. The XML files should be named to correspond clearly with the UPC of the release.

20240607170334436/123456789012/123456789012_Metadata.xml

20240607170334436/987654321098/987654321098_Metadata.xml

Full Example Structure

Here’s how the full directory and file structure might look:

7707722999177_20240607170334436/
├── resources/
│ ├── 7707722999177_01_01.flac
│ ├── 7707722999177_cover.jpg
├── 7707722999177.xml

Naming Conventions

Batch and UPC: The top-level directory uses the UPC followed by a timestamp ensuring each batch is unique and traceable.
Resources: All media files are stored under the resources folder to keep them organised and separate from metadata files.
File Naming: Each file name includes the UPC and file type. For audio, additional details such as the track number and Volume number should be included. Please ensure that you are listing out the Track and Volume as _01_01 rather than _1_1. This will not fail validation but assist us with timely troubleshooting should an issue arise.
XML Naming: XML files are named after the UPC they pertain to.

Batch Delivery

Batch Delivery Method: Batch delivery involves consolidating multiple music releases—whether singles, EPs, albums, or track releases—into a single delivery submission. This method is particularly suited for labels or content providers that need to distribute a large volume of content simultaneously. Please note that our supply chain is optimised for release-by-release submission which allows for quicker processing of content.

Top-Level Batch Directory

The top-level directory represents the batch and is named using a unique identifier, this should be the timestamp to distinguish it from other batches.

20240607170334436/

UPC Subdirectories

Within the batch directory, each release is stored in its own subdirectory named after its UPC. This allows each release to be isolated for management and processing.

20240607170334436/123456789012/
20240607170334436/987654321098/

Resources in UPC Subdirectories

Each UPC subdirectory contains all resources related to that specific release such as audio files, images, and metadata.

20240607170334436/123456789012/resources/
20240607170334436/987654321098/resources/

Assets in the Resources Directory

Resources such as audio and image files for each release are named and stored within their respective UPC subdirectories.

20240607170334436/123456789012/resources/7707722999177_01_01.flac
20240607170334436/123456789012/resources/7707722999177_cover.jpg
20240607170334436/987654321098/resources/8808822999177_01_01.flac
20240607170334436/987654321098/resources/8808822999177_cover.jpg

XML Metadata Files

Metadata for each release is stored directly within its corresponding UPC subdirectory.

20240607170334436/123456789012/123456789012_Metadata.xml
20240607170334436/987654321098/987654321098_Metadata.xml

Batch Complete XML File

An XML file to indicate that the delivery to the batch has been completed is placed in the top-level batch directory. This file serves as a trigger or confirmation that all intended contents have been delivered and the batch is ready for processing.

The batch complete file name should start with batchcomplete and is case-sensitive and should be delivered after all other files are uploaded.

Our system will delete the batchcomplete file when processing begins, so you should expect to see it disappear shortly after the upload.

20240607170334436/batchcomplete_20240607170334436.xml

Full Example Structure for Batch Delivery

Here’s how the complete directory and file structure might look:

20240607170334436/
├── 7707722999177/
│ ├── resources/
│ │ ├── 7707722999177_01_01.flac
│ │ ├── 7707722999177_cover.jpg
│ ├── 7707722999177_Metadata.xml
├── 8808822999177/
│ ├── resources/
│ │ ├── 8808822999177_01_01.flac
│ │ ├── 8808822999177_cover.jpg
│ ├── 987654321098_Metadata.xml
├── batchcomplete_20240607170334436.xml

Naming Conventions

Batch Directory: Named using a unique timestamp for clear identification.
UPC Subdirectories: Each release is managed within a subdirectory named after its UPC ensuring separation and systematic handling.
Resources and Files: Organised within each UPC subdirectory tailored to each release’s specific content needs.
Batch Complete XML: Signals the completion of all deliveries within the batch allowing for batch processing to commence. The batch complete file name should start with batchcomplete and is case-sensitive and should be delivered after all other files are uploaded.