This Recommendation defines an ITU-T metadata framework architecture for policy-based content delivery over networks. Content includes multimedia Web content and digital broadcast programmes provided by real-time streaming, on-demand streaming, and downloading. In broadband ubiquitous networks, this architecture enables content adaptation to the usage environment and content-aware QoS control, which are provided as network services by the use of policies, rules and network-related metadata. The proposed metadata framework architecture is structured in two layers: a metadata gateway and a policy-based service platform each of which provides open APIs to the next higher layer. The metadata gateway provides an integrated metadata retrieval capability across various metadata descriptions and the policy-based service platform provides specific functions commonto content delivery such as compatible content discovery, session control, QoS control, authentication and charging. As implementation examples of the metadata framework architecture, policy-based QoS control and CDN management are addressed.