The technical process of how metadata is parsed, validated, and cross-referenced against store rules. Six layers, from ingestion to certification — engineered for sub-second precision at scale.
Metadata enters the system via REST API (JSON), file upload (DDEX XML, CSV, XLSX), or distributor pipeline integration. The ingestion gateway authenticates the request, computes a SHA-256 payload hash, and routes the data to the appropriate regional processing cluster.
The format parser converts incoming data into our canonical internal schema — a format-agnostic JSON structure. This layer normalizes character encoding to UTF-8, trims whitespace, validates field types against the schema, and flags null or empty fields before passing data downstream.
The core engine applies 2,400+ validation rules organized by target store specification. Each field is checked for type, format, length, encoding, and store-specific requirements. Validations run in parallel across all target stores — a release destined for 6 stores is validated against all 6 simultaneously.
Identifiers are checked against external registries — MusicBrainz for recording data, ISRC databases for code validity, and per-store genre taxonomies for mapping. This layer catches mismatches that field validation alone cannot: a structurally valid ISRC assigned to a different recording, or a genre tag mapping to the wrong browse category.
Validation results are compiled into a structured compliance report. Each issue includes the field name, flagging store, severity level, violated rule ID, and a suggested fix. The report is output as JSON for API consumers and rendered as PDF for human review, cryptographically bound to the original payload hash.
Passing validations generate a compliance certificate with a cryptographic hash binding the metadata to its result. Certificates are stored immutably for 7 years. The validated package is then ready for delivery to target stores via the distributor's pipeline or our API, with webhook notifications on completion.
See how the architecture translates into real validation results, or dive into the API that powers it.