CLARIN proposes a component-based approach: you can combine several metadata components (sets of metadata elements) into a self-defined scheme that suits your particular needs. Of course you can share your profile with others (in fact we strongly advise that). If sharing the full profile is not an option, you still can use common components, e.g. a component to describe a sound recording. In case that still does not address your needs, it is even possible to create components yourself.The CLARIN project (Common Language Resources and Technology Infrastructure) is a large-scale pan-European collaborative effort to create, coordinate and make language resources and technology available and readily useable.