The Caribbean Metadata Standard (CMS) is the first open framework designed to classify, describe, and index Caribbean audiovisual content — aligning with global digital platforms while preserving cultural authenticity.
It does not replace existing standards. It extends them: adding a Caribbean semantic layer to Dublin Core, schema.org, and EBUCore.
→ White Paper v2.0: caribbeanmetadata.org/white-paper (full specification — hosted on the official site)
→ Live Tagger: caribbeanmetadata.org/#tagger
→ NLP Corpus: github.com/heso73/cms-nlp-corpus (first structured Caribbean cultural dataset)
→ Contact: cms@caribwood.org
Caribbean creators face three systemic barriers:
- Misclassification — Platforms lack categories for Caribbean genres, dialects, and cultural nuances
- Algorithmic Blindness — Recommendation engines cannot promote what they cannot interpret
- Cultural Dilution — Without proper metadata, Caribbean identity is flattened into generic categories
| Family | CMS Fields | Example Tags |
|---|---|---|
| Linguistic | cms:linguistic_marker, cms:code_switching |
Haitian Creole, FR/Kreyol |
| Cultural | cms:cultural_markers[] |
Carnival, Vodou, Diaspora identity |
| Narrative | cms:narrative_genre |
Magical realism, Social drama |
| Rhythmic | cms:rhythmic_tempo |
Syncopated, Island tempo |
| Geographic | cms:territory, cms:environment |
Haiti, Guadeloupe, Coastal |
| Socio-historical | cms:sociohistorical_markers[] |
Postcolonial identity, Creolization |
{
"@context": {
"@vocab": "https://schema.org/",
"cms": "https://caribbeanmetadata.org/ns/"
},
"@type": "CreativeWork",
"name": "Your content title",
"inLanguage": "ht",
"cms:territory": "Haiti",
"cms:standard_version": "CMS-2.0"
}{
"@context": {
"@vocab": "https://schema.org/",
"cms": "https://caribbeanmetadata.org/ns/"
},
"@type": "Movie",
"name": "Anba Dlo",
"description": "A documentary on Vodou spirituality in rural Haiti.",
"creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Claudine Moreau" },
"datePublished": "2024-06-01",
"inLanguage": "ht",
"keywords": ["haiti", "documentary", "vodou"],
"cms:territory": "Haiti",
"cms:environment": "Rural",
"cms:linguistic_marker": "Haitian Creole",
"cms:narrative_genre": "Documentary",
"cms:cultural_markers": ["Vodou", "Afro-Caribbean spirituality"],
"cms:rhythmic_tempo": "slow contemplative island",
"cms:sociohistorical_markers": ["Postcolonial identity", "Memory of slavery"],
"cms:certification": "Gold",
"cms:standard_version": "CMS-2.0"
}→ Use the interactive Tagger to generate your JSON-LD without writing code: caribbeanmetadata.org/#tagger
| Level | Description | Effort |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 — Basic | Accept CMS tags as keywords in existing fields (dc:subject) |
Hours |
| Level 2 — Structured | Map CMS families to dedicated fields or schema:additionalProperty |
Days |
| Level 3 — Native | Fully integrate all six families as first-class metadata fields | Weeks |
cms/
├── README.md # This file
├── CONTRIBUTING.md # How to propose tags and contribute
├── LICENSE # CC BY 4.0
│
├── templates/
│ └── cms_template.json # Annotated JSON-LD template for creators
│
├── tools/
│ ├── cms_to_dublin_core.py # CMS → Dublin Core XML/CSV converter
│ └── cms_to_ebucore.py # CMS → EBUCore 1.6 XML converter
│
├── examples/
│ ├── example_movie.json # Movie (Haiti, Documentary)
│ ├── example_music.json # Music recording (Guadeloupe, Konpa)
│ └── example_podcast.json # Podcast (Jamaica, Diaspora)
│
└── docs/
└── developer_guide.html # Full technical reference for developers
White Paper v2.0 (full specification, governance, roadmap) is hosted at
→ caribbeanmetadata.org/white-paper
python tools/cms_to_dublin_core.py your_content.json
python tools/cms_to_dublin_core.py your_content.json --format both
python tools/cms_to_dublin_core.py your_content.json --validate-onlypython tools/cms_to_ebucore.py your_content.json
python tools/cms_to_ebucore.py your_content.json --validate-onlyBoth scripts require Python 3.10+ and no external dependencies.
The CMS is designed as a regional common good, not a private asset.
| Body | Role |
|---|---|
| Technical Committee | Validates new tags, corrections, minor versions. 5–9 experts, 2-year mandates. |
| General Assembly | Approves major versions. All adopting institutions, one vote each. |
| Secretariat | Operations, website, GitHub, certifications. |
Transfer clause: Once 5 independent Caribbean institutions officially adopt the CMS, governance transfers entirely from Caribwood Language Lab to the independent Technical Committee.
→ Current adopter count: 0 / 5 — express interest
The CMS governance is open. Any Caribbean institution can:
- Propose new tags — open an Issue using the
tag-proposaltemplate - Report errors — open an Issue using the
correctiontemplate - Join the Technical Committee — contact cms@caribwood.org
See CONTRIBUTING.md for the full evolution process.
| Phase | Timeline | Key Deliverable |
|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 — Foundation | Months 0–3 | CMS v1.0 + Metadata Bible |
| Phase 2 — Adoption | Months 3–9 | Pilot platforms + Certification badges |
| Phase 3 — Scaling | Months 9–18 | AI-assisted tagging (experimental) + CMS v2.0 public |
| Resource | URL | Description |
|---|---|---|
| CMS NLP Corpus | github.com/heso73/cms-nlp-corpus | First structured Caribbean cultural dataset — 15 records, 8 languages, CC BY 4.0 |
| Official website | caribbeanmetadata.org | White Paper, Live Tagger, Metadata Bible |
| White Paper v2.0 | caribbeanmetadata.org/white-paper | Full specification, governance, roadmap |
CC BY 4.0 — Caribbean Metadata Standard © 2026 Caribwood Language Lab
You are free to use, adapt, and redistribute with attribution.
→ creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Caribwood Language Lab — Metadata & Cultural Innovation Hub
caribbeanmetadata.org · cms@caribwood.org