History:SG5 Disaster Relief

Subject: These are the plans to solve the major problem of StyleGuideline 5 (FeaturingArtistStyle) which are to be implemented in the short term. So we are not completly GettingRidOfFeaturingArtistStyle. In the medium term it can be made more acceptable via interface changes like the ArtistPageRedesign. A more detailed solution should come along with the NextGenerationSchema in the long term.

The plans are as follows:

1. Allow albums with various artists on the tracks but which are attributed to one artist to be moved to this artist.
2. Change the StyleGuideline like this: "If two or more primary artists perform on a track, create a collaboration artist for them and attach the track to it." Note, that the use of "feat." will still be valid for guest performing artists.

Code changes

The first part requires code changes such that:

• The album listing will no longer list albums which have a track of the current artist on them and AlbumArtist == VariousArtists but list albums which have a track of the current artist on them and AlbumArtist != the current artist.
• When listing tracks of an album, the TrackArtists will only be shown if one or more tracks have a TrackArtist != AlbumArtist.
• Albums which have VariousArtists as AlbumArtist (that is which are VariousArtistAlbums currently) get a "Move" link which allows moving them to a SingleArtist.
• Probably we have to adjust the tagger libs a bit for this.

The code changes will be open for testing on the test server before being released. Also the changes will be further announced (especially important for the customers).

Examples

• The Queen albums which are attributed to Queen on the cover and have all tracks by Queen except one which is by "Queen & David Bowie" are changed in the following way:
  1. Convert the album to VariousArtists
  2. Change the TrackArtist of the one track to a newly created collaboration "Queen & David Bowie"
  3. Move the album to the artist Queen

This is a bit work but the result should be acceptable for everyone. ;)

• The album The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is nearly completly by Howard Shore except the last track which is by Enya. You could move the album to Howard Shore. This would have the following consequences:
  • The album appears in the discography of Howard Shore (in one of the main sections).
  • The album appears in one of the VA sections of Enya.
  • When looking at the album you see Howard Shore above it and the correct artist listed for every track.

• The double album The K&D Sessions is added again and again to the artist Kruder & Dorfmeister because they remixed it and so it is attributed to them. You could move it to this artist and it would appear under their albums - but the remixed tracks still show the original artists.

Editing

As you can see in some cases you'd need several atomic edits until you are where you want to be with an album (convert to VA, change track artist, move to SA). Therefore it's recommended to add notes with exhaustive explanations to the edits and links to each other. Also as some of the changes do not appear under subscribable artists you might want to tell people to vote on those changes if you are not an AutoModerator so that they won't fail and you can go on with the work on it.

Discussion

How does a compilation with a track by Queen & David Bowie be handled? The same as it is at the moment, i.e. Under Pressure (feat. David Bowie) by Queen? --Zout

• yes, because this track was composed by bowie for queen, then he was a guest performer on it. ifr link from yllona: Under_Pressure ~ blah
  • OK, wrong example: what about Time of My Life by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes? --Zout
    • It looks like a legal collaboration in the db at the moment - also it does not appear on any questionable album that probably should be moved to a single artist. So nothing would change about this. And yes, Queen & David Bowie is probably a bad example in the section above. If you can think of any better example with such an album and a track performed by two primary artists that did not (long time) collaborate in the current definition, then feel free to replace it. :) --Shepard
  No, because Queen and David Bowie are both primary artists of Under Pressure, all releases of the track are by Queen & David Bowie. The collaboration artist Queen & David Bowie has to be linked with the collaboration AR to both single artists. The result must be, that all releases of the same "track" are attached to the same artist. Queen and David Bowie compilations (Greatest Hits and similar) are listed under the artist credited on the cover. Real VA compilations can only be reached by following the collaboration AR link (until the long term solution is implemented). --Fuchs
  • So in effect the FeaturingArtistStyle I made "official" and lasted for a day will be applied, with the extension of the ReleaseArtist? This looks great! When will this go live on the test server, you think? --Zout
    • Actually, it is already live! (on test of course) ;-) --G0llum
      • It's great! But I have some minor issues. Where can I post those? Here? --Zout
        • Sure. Note that the display of the track artists is not quite good at the moment and I think this will be changed back soon - DeleteWhenCooked --Shepard