Abstract
Metadata standards are an important key to unlocking the value of multimedia data. Yet, the field of multimedia metadata standards still isn't mature. Although we routinely work with multimedia content on our PCs and consumer electronics devices, metadata doesn't yet flow consistently. This article takes a broad view of the multimedia standards field and identifies challenges for satisfying a range of requirements and usages. We recommend that standards bodies work better together in a more modular fashion to advance the value of metadata for the multimedia domain.