XML Music Notation Modelling for Multimedia: MPEG-SMR

Abstract

The evolution of information technology has changed the use of music representation and notation in software applications, transforming and extending them from a simple visual coding model for music scores into a tool for modelling music for computer programs and electronic devices in general (e.g., keyboards), to support the exploitation of the multimedia characteristics lying behind music notation and representation. The MPEG Symbolic Music Representation (MPEG-SMR) is a new emerging standard for modelling music notation within the MPEG multimedia framework. MPEG-SMR provides an XML-based language to model most of the music notation in terms of the visual and audio aspects, as well as music score annotations. MPEG-SMR also provides a language to define the music score formatting rules, supporting personalisation for the score visual presentation, custom symbols and control visual rendering of the common notation symbols.