Towards the Future of Multi-Layer Music Encoding: The IEEE 1599 v2.0 Draft

In this contribution, we present the latest proposed changes to the IEEE 1599 format. IEEE 1599 is an XML-based format first standardized in 2008 by the Computer Society of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE CS). The original goal of the standard was to provide a digital format capable of describing music pieces, supporting the presence of heterogeneous materials (symbolic, formal, graphical, audio, etc.), inside an XML container. The format allowed advanced features such as a multi-layer information description and synchronization among entities (known as layers). Since its conception, the technological landscape has changed and new and different needs have emerged. The experience gained over the years has highlighted the strengths and limitations of the format and, for these reasons, the IEEE Working Group for XML Musical Application (IEEE WG 1599) is now contributing to a new release of the format. This paper will use a commented example to illustrate the proposed changes together with their impact compared to the original standard.