Unlocking the Power of ID Mapping: The Value of a Unified ID Registry

In today’s digital landscape, a single piece of content—whether a movie, TV show, or song—often exists in multiple versions. From director cuts and remastered editions to language-dubbed adaptations, each version is typically assigned a unique content ID. For media companies, having a clear view of all these content IDs is crucial for tracking, revenue optimisation, rights management, advertising, and more.

However, consolidating multiple content IDs into a unified repository is no simple task. It requires meticulous attention to detail and expertise in metadata management. ID mapping plays a vital role in merging disparate content records into a single master record. This challenge is further amplified by the increasing need to integrate data from social media and automatic content recognition (ACR) technologies.

The Challenge of ID Fragmentation

Social media platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, and X (formerly Twitter) generate unique content IDs for posts, videos, and media. However, these IDs do not align with those used by TV networks, content owners, or streaming services. The same challenge exists for TV operating systems like Roku, Fire TV, and Android TV, which assign their own content identifiers. While some smart TVs use video/audio fingerprinting (ACR) to recognise content, they do not inherently store universal content IDs.

The Power of ID Matching

At the forefront of this challenge, we specialise in ID matching. With over a decade of experience in ingesting, mapping, and reconciling content records from diverse sources, we have refined a sophisticated approach to metadata management. Our cloud-based platform, Atlas, provides a robust solution through:

• Data normalisation to ensure consistency across different formats and data types.
• Standardised ontologies and dictionaries to align terminology from various sources.
• Automated quality checks that maintain high data integrity.
• Advanced data management frameworks to resolve conflicts in metadata.
• Incremental data mapping to adapt to evolving schema changes over time.

We can efficiently match content IDs from any source by leveraging our ID Repository, which contains over 140 million MetaBroadcast IDs (MBIDs). Each MBID consolidates the original content IDs and associated metadata from various origins, creating a unified and enriched content record.

How ID Matching Works

The ID matching process begins by identifying unique identifiers across datasets. If two records share an identical identifier, they are deemed matches. However, our methodology extends beyond simple matches by incorporating fuzzy matching algorithms and rule-based evaluations to score relationships between potential matches. Our extensive experience allows us to quickly deploy a library of rules that refine the matching process, ensuring continuous data accuracy and quality improvements.

Once candidate records achieve a high confidence score, they are linked together, and an MBID incorporating all relevant content IDs is assigned to the merged record.

The Benefits of ID Mapping

By consolidating content records into a unified ID registry, media companies gain:

1. Comprehensive Content Tracking: A holistic view of content distribution and performance across multiple platforms.
2. Enhanced Revenue Optimization: Insight into how different versions and platforms contribute to revenue generation.
3. Informed Monetization Strategies: Identifying the most profitable markets, formats, and distribution channels.
4. Accurate Ad Management: Ensuring all advertising revenue is properly attributed and maximised.
5. Improved Rights Management: Facilitating licensing compliance, royalty calculations, and piracy monitoring.
6. Granular Performance Analytics: Understanding audience engagement, version popularity, and platform-specific performance.

For example, Channel 4 in the UK has recently shared how it extended its content distribution to YouTube, leading to the integration of YouTube content IDs into its metadata records. By tracking content performance across multiple platforms, Channel 4 can fine-tune its distribution and monetisation strategies based on real-time insights.

Strategic Decision-Making Through ID Visibility

Understanding the entire lifecycle of a piece of content across all its associated IDs empowers media companies to make data-driven decisions. With access to detailed performance analytics, businesses can:

• Identify which content versions resonate most with audiences.
• Determine which platforms drive the highest engagement.
• Optimise marketing campaigns based on audience interactions.
• Plan future content investments with confidence.

In a rapidly evolving media landscape, a well-structured ID mapping strategy is no longer a luxury—it’s a necessity. By harnessing the power of a comprehensive ID registry, media companies can unlock new opportunities for growth, efficiency, and profitability.