The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has issued a new Indian Standard titled Media and Entertainment, Sound and Music Services, Vocabulary, laying out definitions for terms and acronyms commonly used across the sound and music services sector.
The standard was finalised by the Media and Entertainment Services Sectional Committee and cleared by the Service Sector Division Council. It is intended to bring consistency to how stakeholders across the ecosystem interpret and use industry terminology.
According to the document, the vocabulary has been compiled to cover a wide range of concepts tied to sound and music services, including recording, reproduction, transmission, streaming, acoustic environments, performance and user experience.
The standard defines commonly used terms such as “artist,” “composer,” “sound recording,” “broadcast,” “stream,” “download,” “metadata,” and “Digital Service Provider (DSP),” alongside rights-related terms like “assignment,” “infringement,” and “synchronization license.”
It also includes references to industry bodies such as the Indian Performing Rights Society and the Indian Singers and Musicians Rights Association, as well as broader definitions linked to rights management and stakeholders within the music ecosystem.
BIS notes that the definitions are clarificatory in nature and reflect common industry usage. They do not override statutory definitions under laws such as the Copyright Act, 1957.
The standard is expected to function as a reference point for developers, content creators, copyright owners, service providers, researchers, regulators and consumers working across sound and music services.
