Behind the Curtain: How a Little-Known Tech is Helping Opera on Video Stay Organized
Behind the Curtain: How a Little-Known Tech is Helping Opera on Video Stay Organized
At Opera on Video, we’re all about bringing the beauty of opera to the world—making sure timeless performances are easy to find, watch, and enjoy. But behind the scenes, there’s a bit of digital magic helping us keep everything in order. It’s called EIDR, and while you may never see it on the site, it’s quietly playing an important role.
EIDR stands for Entertainment Identifier Registry, and it works kind of like a digital catalog system for movies, TV shows—and yes, even operas. Every performance gets a unique number (an EIDR ID) that helps media platforms, archives, and streaming services know exactly what content they’re working with.
Why does that matter? Because with so many versions of the same opera out there, it’s easy to get things mixed up. One production of Carmen isn’t the same as another—and EIDR helps make sure that each one is clearly and consistently identified.
At Opera on Video, we use EIDR IDs behind the scenes to help organize our collection and connect our videos to broader media databases. It helps keep our listings accurate and makes it easier for the industry to link our content to other sources, whether for research, distribution, or digital archives.
But the value of EIDR goes beyond opera. It’s used throughout the entertainment industry to manage content, track rights, improve workflows, and reduce confusion between similar titles. And more recently, it’s become a tool in the fight against AI-generated deepfakes and unauthorized use of performers’ names and likenesses. Industry groups are working together—using tools like EIDR—to detect and take down harmful or misleading content before it spreads.
You don’t have to be a tech expert to appreciate what that means: a safer, smarter digital media landscape that respects artists and protects their work.
So while you may never see an EIDR ID on Opera on Video, know that it’s there—quietly helping keep the world of opera just a little more organized.
It’s a small tag with a big mission—supporting the future of digital media, one aria at a time.
Curious to learn more? Visit eidr.org.
Click the button FIND AN EIDR – enter Tosca in Title and Jonas Kaufmann in Actor – press Search button
The results page:
Click the Content ID on the third line:
