NDI announced enhancements to its metadata capabilities, expanding control and automation in live production and broadcast workflows. Newly updated documentation details how users can leverage bidirectional XML metadata exchange between NDI senders and receivers, enabling remote control, smarter automation, and streamlined workflows for live events and broadcast environments.

Beyond documenting existing capabilities with Vizrt’s support, the update introduces four new official standard metadata elements, developed in collaboration with key industry brands. These additions include closed-captioning standards CEA-708 and SCTE-104, developed with ToolsOnAir; support for MIDI audio standards, in partnership with LAMA; and integration of the DMX lighting control standard, developed with SalrayWorks.

Live events traditionally require separate teams to manage video, lighting, and audio, which can be costly and complex—especially for smaller organizations such as houses of worship and school sports productions. By transporting metadata over NDI, users can remotely manage multiple production elements within a single, unified workflow.

For example, integrating NDI with lighting systems allows for real-time remote adjustments directly from video preview screens, reducing the need for a dedicated lighting specialist. These innovations enhance live production environments, empowering broadcasters and production teams to automate complex tasks with greater efficiency.

Inspired by these developments, NDI has launched the Metadata Lab, a new initiative that allows brands and developers to submit metadata proposals for potential inclusion in NDI’s official documentation. The NDI technical team will review and test each submission before publishing approved metadata standards. Companies interested in contributing can submit their proposals at ndi.video/metadata-lab.

As metadata integration expands across the NDI ecosystem, broadcasters and live production teams will gain unprecedented flexibility and control, unlocking new possibilities for automation, remote management, and more efficient workflows in live event production.