Automated audio processing for international content delivery at scale

Premiere Digital™ is a media services and software solutions partner for content owners, video distributors, digital retailers, broadcasters, subscription video and ad supported platforms. The distribution arm of the business partners with major digital, cable, satellite and broadcast platforms, reaching a global audience in more than 100 countries. The company claims to be the #1 distributor of independent content in the world.

Technology Involved:

Project

Premiere Digital™ approached Emotion Systems with a simple problem. They had a number of QuickTime files in their archive with stereo audio laid down on a single track and 5.1 surround sound across six mono streams. They needed the stereo track on these files to be split into a left and right stream so that all their archive content had eight consistent tracks.

The problem was that, of the 1,000,000 assets in their archive at the time, approximately 30% of these needed this fix to be applied. Premiere Digital™ needed an automated solution to manipulate the audio tracks of 300,000 assets to bring them in line with the rest of their archive library.

The challenge that this simple requirement presented was that, in order to split the stereo stream into two mono tracks, you have to reauthor the file. Doing so runs the risk of affecting the video tracks and compromising vital file metadata. While relabelling the stereo stream as a left and right track required some metadata editing, the other data needed to be protected from any changes.

Premier Digital & Emotion Systems Strategic Partnership

To solve this, the Emotion Systems team worked closely with Premiere Digital™ to develop two new Engine modules. The File Manipulation Module enables the reauthoring of the audio content and the File Metadata Module allows users to relabel the tracks. These modules work together so that, no matter what the content’s incoming streams are, the outgoing streams can follow almost any predefined pattern.

The new modules were developed based on Premiere Digital’s requirements and were tested extensively with their content before being formally released and rolled out. Premiere Digital™ is also using Engine’s loudness, downmix and a number of other modules to create different versions of content to meet international deliverable requirements.

While we worked closely with the Premiere Digital™ team to develop and tested this solution, rather than building unique tools for this client only, we developed modules which can easily be reused by other clients and for other applications. This reflects our ethos of constant development to meet the changing needs of the industry as a whole.”

MC Patel
CEO

Summary

The case study outlines how Premiere Digital™ partnered with Emotion Systems to enhance their audio processing capabilities for a vast archive of media assets. Facing the challenge of converting stereo audio tracks within QuickTime files into left and right mono streams across 300,000 assets, Emotion Systems developed tailored solutions. This involved creating two innovative Engine modules: the File Manipulation Module for reauthoring audio content without compromising video tracks or metadata, and the File Metadata Module for seamless relabeling of tracks. These modules were meticulously tested to ensure compatibility with Premiere Digital’s existing library and were designed with reusability in mind, reflecting Emotion Systems' commitment to scalable solutions for diverse client needs in media distribution.

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Through collaborative development and rigorous testing, Emotion Systems successfully implemented automated tools that not only met Premiere Digital’s immediate requirements but also offered flexibility for future applications and industry standards. By prioritising the preservation of vital file metadata and ensuring consistency across their extensive archive, Premiere Digital™ leveraged Engine’s capabilities beyond simple stereo splitting. This approach underscores Emotion Systems' dedication to advancing audio processing technologies that address complex challenges in global content delivery, while also positioning their modular solutions for broader adoption across the media services landscape.

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Automated Audio Processing

Engine efficiently handles the conversion of stereo audio tracks into left and right mono streams for over 300,000 assets.

Consistency Across Archive

Engines flexibility ensures all media files have a uniform eight-track audio format.

Metadata Integrity

Engine preserves vital video tracks and metadata during the reauthoring process, preventing data loss or corruption.

Scalability

With the deployment of additional Engines at regional stations, Premier Digital can scale their audio processing capabilities to meet growing demand. Emotion Systems developed tools that are reusable for other clients and applications, enhancing the software's value.

International Compliance

Premier Digital can now be confident they will meet international deliverable requirements by utilising additional features like loudness compliance control and downmixing.