2.1 Introduction

The message design defined in this standard provides a mechanism for Licensees (typically Digital Service Providers) to report to Licensors (typically Music Rights Societies, Audio-visual Rights Societies, Music Publishers and/or Record Companies) Usage, Revenue or Sales from the exploitation of Products based on electronic Releases containing Sound Recordings and/or Music Audio-Visual Recordings which embody Musical Works and/or other Resources.

Such data is provided, in accordance with the overall architecture defined in Part 1, in a series of Records. The order of these Records is defined in the relevant Profile (as documented in a seperate Part of this standard) whereas the syntax and semantics of each Record is defined in this Part 8.