Account FAQ
NOTE: We are currently standardizing the terminology used in our documentation. In some the following terms used interchangeably.
- Album and Release
- Moderate and Edit
Release and Edit are now standard.
Purpose
This page answers FrequentlyAskedQuestions about accounts and forgotten login information. If that still doesn't help, please find us in one of the MusicBrainzForums or via the contact page. If you would like to update the content of this page on the wiki, feel free to do so but please do not add questions without answers.
FAQ
Do I have to provide an email address?
No. Providing an email is completly optional.
Why should I provide my email address?
If you decide not to provide it, some of the MusicBrainz features will not be available to you.
If you enter your e-mail address:
- others can send messages to you without knowing or revealing your email address (your email address can also remain private to avoid being contacted this way)
- any notes attached to edits you have entered will be emailed to you
- you can "subscribe" (for free) to your favourite artists, in which case MusicBrainz will send you a daily list of moderations made against those artists
In all cases your e-mail address will not be revealed to other MusicBrainz users - they'll only see your user name.
What about privacy?
Rest assured that we will not pass your e-mail address on to anyone, including other MusicBrainz users, without your most explicit consent. At any time you can fill in your e-mail address if it's currently blank, blank it if it's currently filled in, or change from one address to another. Read on for the full MusicBrainz Privacy Policy.
We will not send you any newsletters, promotional mailings, etc. If you're interested in that, please subscribe to our mailing lists.
I think I know my login name but I've forgotten my password. Can I retrieve it?
If you've previously entered and confirmed your e-mail address, then use the Forgot your password? link.
Otherwise, please see the answer to the next question, "Why won't the web site accept my login name and password?"
Why won't the web site accept my login name and password?
Please send us an e-mail providing as much of the following information as accurately as possible:
- your username (or as much as you can remember of it)
- your password (or as much as you can remember of it)
- the e-mail address you registered with
- when you registered
- when you last successfully logged in
- when you last tried and failed to log in
With that information we'll be able to look into the problem and help you.
How do I delete my account?
You can't completely delete your account. We need to keep at least the information that an account existed at some point, so that the database is kept consistent. However, you can remove your personal information from an account:
- if you have any, delete all your subscriptions
- edit your profile and blank out all three fields
- change your password to something very complex and hard to remember and don't it write down
That way all your personal information is removed from your account, and you've effectively "locked" the account (by giving it an almost impossibly complex password).
If you like we can also rename the account to something like "deleted account #1234". If you want us to do this, then follow the above instructions except:
- Set the "bio" text of the account to "Please delete this account" (or similar)
- E-mail us, telling us that you'd like your account to be deleted, and tell us the name of the account. We'll e-mail you back to let you know when it's done.
Is there any Code of Conduct or rules?
Yes, there is a CodeOfConduct and it applies to all users of MusicBrainz including Editors and AutoModerators
