Overview
IEC 62571:2011 - Digital audiobook file format and player requirements defines requirements and recommendations for creating, packaging and delivering digital audiobooks. Intended for publishers, software developers, content providers and hardware manufacturers, the standard specifies the data structures, usability and playback behaviors needed to ensure interoperable audiobook files and conformant players. The term “audiobook” in this standard covers primarily spoken‑word audio (including narration with occasional music or news-read formats). This 2011 bilingual edition replaces the earlier English version.
Key topics
The standard organizes technical requirements into structured elements and profiles; major topics include:
- File structure and containers - Definitions for audiobook headers, book records, levels and extendable structures (fixed/variable chunks, offsets and tags) that make up a conformant digital audiobook file.
- Playlist and TOC (Table of Contents) - How playlists, track entries and hierarchical levels map to linear playback and navigation.
- Metadata and identifiers - Use of UUIDs, ISBN/ISSN/DOI, Dublin Core and MPV‑Audiobook profile metadata to support discovery, rights and cataloguing.
- MPV audiobook profiles and XML schemas - MPV‑Audiobook manifest rules, namespaces and how MPV‑Music profiles may be reused for audiobook assets.
- Playback and player requirements - Functional and conformance requirements for players (seek, resume, bookmarks, background/foreground playback, playlist handling).
- Interoperability with other specifications - Mapping and comparisons to CEA‑2003‑C and use of MPV core extensions for audiobook contexts.
- Usability and delivery systems - Recommendations for user interaction, accessibility and delivery mechanisms across platforms and devices.
Practical applications and users
IEC 62571 is practical for anyone building audiobook ecosystems:
- Publishers and content producers - to package audiobooks with standardized metadata, TOCs and identifiers for broad distribution.
- Software developers (players, platforms) - to implement playback features, bookmarking, metadata parsing and MPV manifest support for compatibility.
- Content delivery and distribution services - to validate file structure and ensure consistent behavior across devices and apps.
- Hardware manufacturers (media players, e‑readers) - to ensure device firmware supports required playback semantics and file formats.
- Libraries, accessibility services and aggregators - to maintain discoverability, accessibility and reliable user navigation.
Related standards
- MPV (MPV‑Music / MPV‑Core) profiles and XML schemas referenced in the standard.
- CEA‑2003‑C mapping noted for binary-to-XML tag comparisons.
- Dublin Core metadata for descriptive elements.
Keywords: IEC 62571:2011, digital audiobook file format, audiobook player requirements, MPV audiobook, audiobook metadata, playback systems, delivery systems.