Distribution metadata revolves around EIDR: the Entertainment IDentifier Registry, which assigns a unique ID globally for:
…a broad array of audio visual objects, including motion pictures, television, and radio programs. The identification system resolves an identifier to a metadata record that is associated with top-level titles, edits, DVDs, encodings, clips, and mash-ups. EIDR also provides identifiers for Video Service providers, such as broadcast and cable networks.
As of late 2015, EIDR contains over 827K content assets (up 14% from 2014), including 143K movies, and 387K episodes of over 24K TV series. EIDR is an implementation of a Digital Object Identifier (DOI).
The great thing about unique IDs is that they allow other metadata to be linked to that unique ID, and TiVo package up information about on camera and behind the scenes talent linked to that ID and make it available for program guides and other uses.
In April 2017 Google announced that YouTube transactional reports will include:
the Entertainment Identifier Registry (EIDR) ID when that number is provided in an Avail
This enables a full EIDR “round trip,” where the EIDR ID is used in the initial publishing of the Avail for a piece of Film/TV content all the way through to financial reporting on the performance of the content.
Source3 also use the EIDR ID, to :
…enhance identification and tracking of movie and television properties for its marketplace and technology clients. Source3 has extensively mapped IP assets, including trademark and copyright, and has produced a comprehensive, granular database of licensable properties linked to licensor data.