The MXF standard SMPTE ST 377-1 provides for descriptive metadata schemes as “plug-ins” to the MXF header metadata. This guideline is intended to provide guidance for the use of MXF descriptive metadata schemes. This guideline is a supplement to SMPTE EG 377-3.

This guideline explains the common structural metadata components by which all MXF descriptive metadata schemes can be related to the essence they describe. Additional constraints required for MXF descriptive metadata schemes are also described.

This guideline describes how MXF descriptive metadata is related to the essence using the structural metadata defined in SMPTE ST 377-1. It also describes how MXF descriptive metadata is coded as KLV data for use in MXF files and as XML for text-based metadata exchange. This guideline also provides guidance for implementing MXF descriptive metadata schemes.

Descriptive metadata is a complex topic and requires at least some basic understandings of the various attributes of descriptive metadata together with data modeling techniques. This guideline provides annexes that summarize these topics.