IEEE 1599-2008 PDF
This recommended practice will develop an XML application defining a standard language for symbolic music representation. The language will be a meta-representation of music information for describing and processing said music information within a multi-layered environment, for achieving integration among structural, score, Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI), and digital sound levels of representation. Furthermore, the recommended practice should integrate music representation with already defined and accepted common standards. The recommended practice will be accepted by any kind of software dealing with music information, e.g., score editing, optical music recognition (OMR) systems, music performance, musical databases, and composition and musicological applications.
There is currently no defined, independent standard for representing music information that can describe and process all the different layers which characterize music information. For each layer of music information, there is one or more accepted standards (e.g. MIDI for performances, NIFF for notation and so on) and/or one or more proprietary formats. None of them can be suitably applied to other layers. This standard will make easier the integration, interchange, and translation from one layer to another of music information across different applications and even for different users.
New IEEE Standard – Inactive-Reserved. This project will develop an XML application defining a standard language for symbolic music representation. The language will be a meta-representation of music information for describing and processing said music information within a multi-layered environment, for achieving integration among structural, score, MIDI, and digital sound levels of representation. Furthermore, the proposed standard should integrate music representation with already defined and accepted common standards. The standard will be accepted by any kind of software dealing with music information, e.g. score editing, OMR systems, music performance, musical databases, and composition and musicological applications.