If you’ve tried to merge acoustic datasets from different projects, you know the pain: inconsistent folder structures, missing device settings, ambiguous timestamps, and no record of which model version produced which detections. Safe & Sound is small funded project by WILDLABS that tackles this head-on by proposing a practical standard for bioacoustic data and metadata.
What it is. Safe & Sound is drafting a lightweight, project-level standard that covers how to organise recordings and what metadata to include so datasets are interoperable and FAIR. The group is aligning with existing practice rather than reinventing the wheel—for example, exploring how to extend Camtrap DP (widely used in camera-trap workflows) to also describe passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) data. The goal is a format that’s simple enough for field teams, but structured enough for downstream tooling, validation, and archiving.
What it captures. The draft focuses on essentials most of us already collect but rarely package consistently:
- project/site/deployment context (who, where, when, why)
- recorder + microphone configuration (model, gain, sampling rate, channels, calibration)
- file-level metadata (time zone, clock behaviour, compression)
- processing lineage (software + model versions, parameters)
- annotation and detection outputs with uncertainty and provenance
Why it matters. Standardised metadata de-risks long-term monitoring: it preserves effort, lets models be compared or re-run, and makes sharing with partners and repositories straightforward. For TABMON, adopting a common structure will speed data exchange across countries and help us publish transparent indicators with clear provenance.
How to engage. The Safe & Sound team is actively seeking use cases and comments on the proposed approach via the WILDLABS discussion. More information at this link.
Related work. The initiative sits alongside other community standards (e.g., Open Ecoacoustics’ metadata guidance) and established schemas from adjacent domains (e.g., Tethys for marine bioacoustics). Convergence is the point: pick something usable, document it, and stick to it.
For a short introduction to Safe & Sound, refer to Julia’s talk!