How to Contribute: Difference between revisions
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You can contribute to the MusicBrainz project in many ways. You can donate, enter or edit data, write code and documentation, draw up designs, and run tests. |
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=Contribute to MusicBrainz= |
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'''Status:''' ''This page is part of [[Restructuring The Documentation|RestructuringTheDocumentation]]. It is a wikified version of [http://bugs.musicbrainz.org/browser/mb_server/trunk/htdocs/contribute.html?rev=5498 the contribute.html page (since removed)]. The content of this page needs to be split into pages like [[How To Edit The Data|HowToEditTheData]], [[How To Vote|HowToVote]], etc --[[User:DonRedman|DonRedman]]'' |
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===Adding Data=== |
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| ⚫ | * Use the web interface to add artists, albums and tracks. Use the [[mb:search|search page]] to go to an artist page, or if you can't find it, [[mb:artist/create|add]] a new one. From the artist page you can click on the '''[[Release|Add Release]]''' or '''[[Recording|Add Recording]]''' links to start contributing. Make sure to follow the [[Style|style guidelines!]] |
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** Using Picard's "Add Cluster as Release" [[Picard Plugins|plugin]], use your existing tags as a starting point for adding releases with the web interface. |
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** Pop an audio CD into your CD drive, click the lookup button and follow the instructions from there to contribute [[Disc ID|Disc IDs]]. |
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** Help others match their files by setting up [[AcoustID]] with Picard and submitting fingerprints where they don't exist already. |
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* Using [[MusicBrainz for Android]], submit barcodes, ratings, and tags. |
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===Maintaining Data=== |
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There are a number of ways that you can contribute to the [[MusicBrainz]] project. You may contribute money, data, moderation effort, source code, documentation or testing effort: |
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While new data is important to MusicBrainz, our existing data can always use further improvement as well, both to correct mistakes and as new information becomes available, [[Style|style guidelines]] change or are added to, or new server features are implemented. |
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If you feel that MusicBrainz is a worthwhile effort, please consider contributing some money. The money is used for hardware and hosting services, and most importantly, to form a non-profit tax-exempt corporation so that future contributions will be tax-deductible. |
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You can also [[Subscription|subscribe]] to Artists, Labels, and other editors in order to keep yourself apprised of changes and to help with [[#Reviewing and Voting|voting]], and there are [[mb:reports|reports]] that deal with some specific sorts of data maintenance tasks. We also have some [[Community Project|community projects]] that center around various needs. |
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[http://www.oreilly.com O'Reilly and Associates] started it off with a $500 contribution to MusicBrainz. (In return [[User:RobertKaye|RobertKaye]] had to shave the P2P logo into his hair for the fall P2P conference). Since then, [http://www.musicbrainz.org/finances.html hundreds of donors] have given anything from 50 cents to over $2000. |
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===Reviewing Data=== |
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To send money, please head to over to [http://www.paypal.com PayPal] and send money to '''[mailto:donations@musicbrainz.org donations@musicbrainz.org]'''. You can also use one of the [http://www.musicbrainz.org/contribute.html#paypal convenient buttons on the original version of this page]. |
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* How will we use your money? See our [http://www.musicbrainz.org/papers/mb_nonprofit.html non-profit white paper]. |
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* '''Update:''' [[MusicBrainz]] is now a [[Tax Exempt|TaxExempt]] Organization. See this [http://blog.musicbrainz.org/archives/2004/11/nonprofit_filin.html blog entry] for details. |
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Each change that's made to the database is entered into the MusicBrainz editing system. MusicBrainz editors then have the opportunity to review these changes to make sure that they are correct and in accordance with our [[Style|style guidelines]], and to vote or [[Edit Note|comment]] on the changes. |
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Review and voting by other editors is important to ensure data entered into MusicBrainz is correct from the start! Check out [[Introduction to Editing]] and [[Introduction to Voting]] for more information on the editing and voting system, or go straight to the [[mb:edit/open|open edits]] or [[mb:search/edits|edit search]] to find edits to review. There is also a list of [[mb:vote|voting suggestions]]. |
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* [http://www.musicbrainz.org/products/cdlookup/download.html Download] the CDLookup tool for Windows. Pop an Audio CD into your CD-ROM drive, click the lookup button and the program will open the mini-browser to the [[MusicBrainz]] CD Lookup/Submission pages. Just follow the instructions from there. |
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===Donations=== |
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| ⚫ | * Use the web interface to add artists, albums and tracks. |
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If you feel that MusicBrainz is a worthwhile effort, please consider contributing money to the [https://metabrainz.org/ MetaBrainz Foundation]. The MetaBrainz Foundation is a 501.(c).3 tax-exempt non-profit based in California that operates the MusicBrainz project. All of your donations will be tax-deductible in the United States; you will receive a receipt to use with your taxes. |
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Your donations will be used to help cover the operating costs of the MusicBrainz project. This includes paying for ongoing expenses like hosting, hardware, maintaining a modest office in San Luis Obispo, California, and perhaps even paying a pittance to those working on developing MusicBrainz – if there is enough money in the budget to afford that! |
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To send money, please head to over to [https://metabrainz.org/donate this dedicated page] on the MetaBrainz web site. |
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==Maintain the Existing Data== |
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| ⚫ | To maintain the existing data, use the [ |
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Each change that you make to the database gets entered into the [[MusicBrainz]] moderation system. The other [[MusicBrainz]] users will then have the opportunity to vote on your changes to make sure that they are correct and they meet our [[Style Guideline|StyleGuideline]]s. Check out [[Moderation Philosophy|ModerationPhilosophy]] and [[Moderation Guide|ModerationGuide]] for more information on the moderation system, or go straight to the [http://www.musicbrainz.org/mod/search/pre/new.html moderation pages]. |
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| ⚫ | Last, but certainly not least, you may also contribute your various talents to the [[Development|development of MusicBrainz]]. MusicBrainz is dedicated to the Open Source software development model, and thus the [[Server|server]] and client libraries are available under the [https://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html GPL (GNU General Public License)] and [https://www.gnu.org/copyleft/lesser.html LGPL (GNU Lesser General Public License)], respectively. |
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*If you're a programmer, please help out and write some code for the server, Picard, or for client libraries. If you're looking for a place to start, the [https://tickets.metabrainz.org bug tracker] has endless things that need doing, or come talk to us in [[IRC]]. If you're writing server code, you might be interested in [[Server Setup]]. |
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| ⚫ | Last, but certainly not least, you may also contribute your |
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*If you're a designer, we always need help and advice on UI and UX, and we can always use a few more aesthetes as well. |
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*If you're neither, you can still help — we always need people to help test new features (on the [https://beta.musicbrainz.org/ beta server] or on the [https://test.musicbrainz.org/ test server] and write documentation for the things we've already created. |
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No matter what, to jump in, join the MusicBrainz [[Communication#Forums|forums]] and come talk to us in [[IRC]]! |
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If you're a programmer, please help out and write some code. Even if you are not a programmer you can help to advance [[MusicBrainz]] -- we will always need people to help test new features and write documentation for the things we've already created. To jump in, join the [[MusicBrainz]] [[Mailing List|MailingList]]. |
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[[Category:How To]] |
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Revision as of 15:53, 24 January 2021
You can contribute to the MusicBrainz project in many ways. You can donate, enter or edit data, write code and documentation, draw up designs, and run tests.
Data
Adding Data
There are several ways that you can contribute data to MusicBrainz:
- Use the web interface to add artists, albums and tracks. Use the search page to go to an artist page, or if you can't find it, add a new one. From the artist page you can click on the Add Release or Add Recording links to start contributing. Make sure to follow the style guidelines!
- Download Picard – the official MusicBrainz tagger – and use it to identify and clean up your digital music collection. The tagger will attempt to automatically identify your files and walk you through the process of matching up unidentified files.
- Using Picard's "Add Cluster as Release" plugin, use your existing tags as a starting point for adding releases with the web interface.
- Pop an audio CD into your CD drive, click the lookup button and follow the instructions from there to contribute Disc IDs.
- Help others match their files by setting up AcoustID with Picard and submitting fingerprints where they don't exist already.
- Using MusicBrainz for Android, submit barcodes, ratings, and tags.
Maintaining Data
While new data is important to MusicBrainz, our existing data can always use further improvement as well, both to correct mistakes and as new information becomes available, style guidelines change or are added to, or new server features are implemented.
To help maintain the existing data, use the search page to find information to review. If you spot mistakes, missing data, or duplicate data in the database, then please use the Edit, Delete and Merge links on the artist/album pages.
You can also subscribe to Artists, Labels, and other editors in order to keep yourself apprised of changes and to help with voting, and there are reports that deal with some specific sorts of data maintenance tasks. We also have some community projects that center around various needs.
Reviewing Data
Each change that's made to the database is entered into the MusicBrainz editing system. MusicBrainz editors then have the opportunity to review these changes to make sure that they are correct and in accordance with our style guidelines, and to vote or comment on the changes.
Review and voting by other editors is important to ensure data entered into MusicBrainz is correct from the start! Check out Introduction to Editing and Introduction to Voting for more information on the editing and voting system, or go straight to the open edits or edit search to find edits to review. There is also a list of voting suggestions.
Money
Donations
If you feel that MusicBrainz is a worthwhile effort, please consider contributing money to the MetaBrainz Foundation. The MetaBrainz Foundation is a 501.(c).3 tax-exempt non-profit based in California that operates the MusicBrainz project. All of your donations will be tax-deductible in the United States; you will receive a receipt to use with your taxes.
Your donations will be used to help cover the operating costs of the MusicBrainz project. This includes paying for ongoing expenses like hosting, hardware, maintaining a modest office in San Luis Obispo, California, and perhaps even paying a pittance to those working on developing MusicBrainz – if there is enough money in the budget to afford that!
To send money, please head to over to this dedicated page on the MetaBrainz web site.
- Where has it gone? See our transparent finances.
- Who else is contributing? See our donors and sponsors.
Code / Design / Testing / Documentation
Last, but certainly not least, you may also contribute your various talents to the development of MusicBrainz. MusicBrainz is dedicated to the Open Source software development model, and thus the server and client libraries are available under the GPL (GNU General Public License) and LGPL (GNU Lesser General Public License), respectively.
- If you're a programmer, please help out and write some code for the server, Picard, or for client libraries. If you're looking for a place to start, the bug tracker has endless things that need doing, or come talk to us in IRC. If you're writing server code, you might be interested in Server Setup.
- If you're a designer, we always need help and advice on UI and UX, and we can always use a few more aesthetes as well.
- If you're neither, you can still help — we always need people to help test new features (on the beta server or on the test server and write documentation for the things we've already created.
No matter what, to jump in, join the MusicBrainz forums and come talk to us in IRC!
