HAND, the Universal Talent Identifier, has been approved as a liaison organization of DDEX (Digital Data Exchange). The relationship gives DDEX members a way to address how music metadata identifies both performers and licensed digital versions of them.
HAND, a nonprofit Digital Object Identifier (DOI) Registration Agency, is recognized in DDEX’s Standards Setting Organization category. DDEX develops metadata and messaging formats used to carry identity, rights and royalty information across the music industry. Our report on ElevenLabs joining DDEX describes how an AI company participates in that standards work.
DDEX has worked on declarations for generative AI. HAND focuses on identity, assigning persistent, resolvable identifiers to real people and to each “Licensed Human Likeness,” such as a voice model, digital double or avatar, that connects to the person who authorized it. The distinction matters when AI can generate a voice, complete an unfinished performance or present an artist through a digital replica. For a related voice-specific membership, see Voice-Swap’s DDEX role.
HAND IDs are designed to map to existing records, including ISNI, IPI, VIAF, MusicBrainz and Wikidata. HAND ID is a ratified Wikidata external identifier, P14750, and its public resolver is live. The IDs draw on verifiable, independent citations rather than self-reported claims, follower counts or manipulated metrics.
HAND is also a member of C2PA, CAWG and IPTC. It is a nonprofit trade association and the first Talent ID Registry to operate as an official DOI registration agency under the International DOI Foundation. More than 2.7 million HAND IDs are registered in the DOI registry. The global DOI system handles more than 3.5 billion resolutions per month, and HAND is one of 12 DOI registration agencies worldwide.
