RDA treats online videos and streaming media as **moving image** resources whose carrier is an “online resource,” and it describes them using the same content/media/carrier framework as DVDs, with some streaming‑specific details.[cornerstone.lib.mnsu+2](https://cornerstone.lib.mnsu.edu/olac-publications/25/)
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## Resource type and carrier
- **Content, media, carrier**
- Streaming video is recorded as:
- Content type: “two-dimensional moving image” (MARC 336).[nwcentral+1](https://nwcentral.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/RDAMovingImages_OLA.pdf)
- Media type: “computer” (MARC 337).[oclc+1](https://www.oclc.org/bibformats/en/3xx/345.html)
- Carrier type: “online resource” (MARC 338).[enssib+1](https://www.enssib.fr/bibliotheque-numerique/documents/70874-best-practices-for-cataloging-streaming-media.pdf)
- RDA 3.3.1.3 and OLAC guidelines explicitly treat both streaming audio and video under the umbrella term **“online resource.”**[cornerstone.lib.mnsu+1](https://cornerstone.lib.mnsu.edu/olac-publications/25/)
- **Online vs. physical**
- The descriptive rules for title, responsibility, edition, etc., are essentially the same as for DVDs; what changes is the media/carrier coding and some technical details.[nwcentral+1](https://nwcentral.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/RDAMovingImages_OLA.pdf)
- RDA differentiates between streaming media (accessed remotely and not owned as a physical item) and downloadable files, but both are still online carriers.[enssib+1](https://www.enssib.fr/bibliotheque-numerique/documents/70874-best-practices-for-cataloging-streaming-media.pdf)
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## Preferred source and description
- **Preferred source of information**
- For moving images, RDA specifies title frames or title screens as preferred sources; for online moving images this usually means the title screen in the player or a clearly identifiable title within the streamed file.youtube[nwcentral](https://nwcentral.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/RDAMovingImages_OLA.pdf)
- If there is no usable title frame, catalogers may use a label or accompanying information (e.g., descriptive web page) as allowed by RDA.youtube[nwcentral](https://nwcentral.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/RDAMovingImages_OLA.pdf)
- **Descriptive elements**
- Core RDA elements (title proper, statement of responsibility, publication/production details, date, duration, language, etc.) are recorded similarly to physical video, with adjustments for online availability and streaming providers.[cornerstone.lib.mnsu+1](https://cornerstone.lib.mnsu.edu/lib_services_fac_pubs/25/)
- OLAC best‑practice documents show full MARC examples where fields like 264 (production/publication), 300 (extent, often “1 online resource (1 video file, X min.)”), and 34X (technical characteristics) are tailored to streaming.[olacinc+2](https://www.olacinc.org/olac-resources)
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## Technical and relationship elements
- **Technical characteristics**
- RDA and MARC use 34X and 345 fields for things like video format, sound, aspect ratio, encoding, and other moving‑image characteristics, applicable to online as well as physical video.[oclc+1](https://www.oclc.org/bibformats/en/3xx/345.html)
- Streaming‑specific information (e.g., file format, resolution) can be recorded when readily ascertainable, following RDA’s general instructions on media characteristics.[nwcentral+1](https://nwcentral.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/RDAMovingImages_OLA.pdf)
- **Relationships and providers**
- RDA encourages explicit relationships between the streaming manifestation and related works/expressions (e.g., a streaming version of a theatrical film, or a digitized copy of a VHS tape).[fiafnet+1](https://www.fiafnet.org/pages/e-resources/cataloguing-manual.html)
- OLAC guidelines recommend using relationship designators and access points to show links between streaming versions and their physical counterparts, and to identify key entities such as production companies and distributors.[cornerstone.lib.mnsu+2](https://cornerstone.lib.mnsu.edu/lib_services_fac_pubs/25/)
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## Best‑practice frameworks in use
- **OLAC Best Practices**
- “Best Practices for Cataloging Streaming Media Using RDA and MARC21” (and its 2022 update) is the main community guide translating RDA rules into concrete procedures and MARC coding for streaming video.[cornerstone.lib.mnsu+2](https://cornerstone.lib.mnsu.edu/olac-publications/17/)
- A newer combined guide covers DVD‑Video, Blu‑ray, objects, streaming media, and video games, still anchored in the original RDA Toolkit and MARC 21.[umimpact.umt+1](https://umimpact.umt.edu/en/publications/olac-best-practices-for-cataloging-dvd-video-and-blu-ray-discs-ob)
- **Training and manuals**
- Webinars and manuals (ALCTS/IFLA, Kelley McGrath’s “RDA & Moving Images,” FIAF’s Moving Image Cataloguing Manual) train catalogers to apply RDA’s moving‑image and online‑resource instructions consistently to streaming platforms and web‑hosted videos.[ifla+1](https://www.ifla.org/events/cataloging-dvds-blu-rays-and-streaming-video-with-rda-and-marc21-best-practices/)youtube
If you like, the next step can be a step‑by‑step pseudo‑record for a specific streaming video (e.g., a YouTube lecture) showing exactly which RDA elements and MARC fields would be used.
1. [https://cornerstone.lib.mnsu.edu/olac-publications/25/](https://cornerstone.lib.mnsu.edu/olac-publications/25/)
2. [https://www.enssib.fr/bibliotheque-numerique/documents/70874-best-practices-for-cataloging-streaming-media.pdf](https://www.enssib.fr/bibliotheque-numerique/documents/70874-best-practices-for-cataloging-streaming-media.pdf)
3. [https://nwcentral.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/RDAMovingImages_OLA.pdf](https://nwcentral.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/RDAMovingImages_OLA.pdf)
4. [https://www.oclc.org/bibformats/en/3xx/345.html](https://www.oclc.org/bibformats/en/3xx/345.html)
5. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZ9KB329RCk](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZ9KB329RCk)
6. [https://cornerstone.lib.mnsu.edu/lib_services_fac_pubs/25/](https://cornerstone.lib.mnsu.edu/lib_services_fac_pubs/25/)
7. [https://www.olacinc.org/olac-resources](https://www.olacinc.org/olac-resources)
8. [https://www.fiafnet.org/pages/e-resources/cataloguing-manual.html](https://www.fiafnet.org/pages/e-resources/cataloguing-manual.html)
9. [https://cornerstone.lib.mnsu.edu/olac-publications/17/](https://cornerstone.lib.mnsu.edu/olac-publications/17/)
10. [https://oasis.library.unlv.edu/lib_articles/737/](https://oasis.library.unlv.edu/lib_articles/737/)
11. [https://umimpact.umt.edu/en/publications/olac-best-practices-for-cataloging-dvd-video-and-blu-ray-discs-ob](https://umimpact.umt.edu/en/publications/olac-best-practices-for-cataloging-dvd-video-and-blu-ray-discs-ob)
12. [https://olacinc.wildapricot.org/page-1751942](https://olacinc.wildapricot.org/page-1751942)
13. [https://www.ifla.org/events/cataloging-dvds-blu-rays-and-streaming-video-with-rda-and-marc21-best-practices/](https://www.ifla.org/events/cataloging-dvds-blu-rays-and-streaming-video-with-rda-and-marc21-best-practices/)
14. [https://connect.ala.org/discussion/cataloging-video-resources-with-rda-and-marc21-best-practices](https://connect.ala.org/discussion/cataloging-video-resources-with-rda-and-marc21-best-practices)
15. [http://www.libraryworkflowexchange.org/2016/07/06/olacs-best-practices-for-cataloging-streaming-media-using-rda-and-marc21/](http://www.libraryworkflowexchange.org/2016/07/06/olacs-best-practices-for-cataloging-streaming-media-using-rda-and-marc21/)
16. [https://web.stanford.edu/~gdegroat/RDAvideo-cataloging-guidelines.html](https://web.stanford.edu/~gdegroat/RDAvideo-cataloging-guidelines.html)
17. [https://www.aallnet.org/tssis/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2021/09/TSLL-Vol-46-No-3-March-2021.pdf](https://www.aallnet.org/tssis/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2021/09/TSLL-Vol-46-No-3-March-2021.pdf)
18. [https://share.illinoisheartland.org/sites/default/files/uploaded_media/OLAC%20Best%20Practices%20for%20Cataloging%20DVD-Video%20and%20Blu-ray%20Discs%20O.pdf](https://share.illinoisheartland.org/sites/default/files/uploaded_media/OLAC%20Best%20Practices%20for%20Cataloging%20DVD-Video%20and%20Blu-ray%20Discs%20O.pdf)
19. [https://www.rdatoolkit.org/archivedsite/docs/5rda-edguide.pdf](https://www.rdatoolkit.org/archivedsite/docs/5rda-edguide.pdf)
20. [https://www.loc.gov/catworkshop/RDA%20training%20materials/DCatRDA/3toolkitnonlc0514.pdf](https://www.loc.gov/catworkshop/RDA%20training%20materials/DCatRDA/3toolkitnonlc0514.pdf)
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