Metadata provides descriptions for content like documents, audio and images. Metadata is useful in providing data about the content it is describing. Metadata is also quite useful in defining the workings of applications. It even helps data organization, searching and retrieval. Metadata can be automatically generated. But it can also be manually created. In some instances, people would edit and delete metadata too.

In the case of videos, one use for metadata is on VOD or Video-on-demand subscriptions. For this purpose, a project has been formed to scrutinize content such as movies being sent by many different providers to cable operators. Metadata for such content would typically contain data about content asset package. It could provide simple information such as the titles of the movies. It could also contain other information to facilitate indexing of different scenes of the movie. Metadata could also provide instructions on how the movie is to be displayed, sold and copied.

What the project really aims to achieve is to provide specifications for VOD subscriptions. With the use of metadata, such specifications can be defined for all content. VOD metadata would typically give instructions for the subscriptions. This is to aid cable operators operate their business. While metadata would also inform the cable operators the restrictions imposed on every movie and of course, its specifications, VOD metadata would aid cable operators by providing flexibility on how they can offer content to their customers. VOD metadata specifications standards create ways for them to offer movies to customers and ways for their customers to search for favorite scenes in movies.