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This page is about contributing to the [[mb:|MusicBrainz]] project, which you can do in many ways.
=Contribute to MusicBrainz=


You can donate, enter or edit data, write code and documentation, draw up designs, and run tests.
'''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]]''
----


==Data==
===Adding Data===


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:
There are several ways that you can contribute data to MusicBrainz:
* Use the web interface to add artists, albums and tracks:
** [[How to Add an Artist|How to add an artist]]
** [[How to Add a Release|How to add a release]] (album)
** [[How to Add Standalone Recordings|How to add a standalone recording]] (track/song)
* [[Picard Download|Download]] [[Picard Tagger|Picard]] – the official MusicBrainz tagger – and use it to identify and clean up your digital music collection.
** 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
** Pop an audio CD into your CD drive, click the lookup button, and follow the instructions from there to contribute [[Disc ID|Disc IDs]]
** Help others match their files by setting up [[AcoustID]] with Picard and submitting fingerprints
* Use [[MusicBrainz for Android]] to submit barcodes, ratings, and tags.


==Contribute Money==
===Maintaining Data===


While new data is important to MusicBrainz, existing data can always be improved. Improvements can take the form of correcting mistakes, or updates as new information becomes available, [[Style|style guidelines]] are changed or are added to, or new server features are implemented.
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.


⚫
To help maintain data, use the [[mb:search|search page]] to find data to review. If you spot mistakes, missing data, or duplications in the database, then please use the '''Edit''', '''Delete''' and '''Merge''' links on the relevant pages.
[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.


You can also [[Subscription|subscribe]] to Artists, Labels, and other editors in to keep yourself apprised of changes and to [[#Reviewing and Voting|vote]] on changes. There are [[mb:reports|reports]] that deal with specific data maintenance tasks. We also have [[Community Project|community projects]].
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].
* How will we use your money? See our [http://www.musicbrainz.org/papers/mb_nonprofit.html non-profit white paper].
⚫
* Where has it gone? See our [http://www.musicbrainz.org/finances.html transparent finances].
⚫
* Who else is contributing? See our [http://www.musicbrainz.org/sponsors.html sponsors].
* '''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.


==Contribute Data==
===Reviewing Data===


Each change that is made to the database is entered into the MusicBrainz editing system. MusicBrainz editors then have the opportunity to make sure that changes are correct and in accordance with our [[Style|style guidelines]], and to vote or [[Edit Note|comment]]. Reviewing and voting is important to ensure data entered into MusicBrainz is correct.
There are several ways that you can contribute data to MusicBrainz:

* [http://www.musicbrainz.org/tagger/download.html Download] the [[MusicBrainz Tagger|MusicBrainzTagger]] and use it to identify and clean up your MP3, WAV and Ogg Vorbis collection. The Tagger will attempt to automatically identify your files and walk you through the process of matching up the unidentified files. Please note that the tagger can also submit audio CD metadata, just like the CDLookup tool mentioned below.
Check out [[Introduction to Editing]] and [[Introduction to Voting]] for more information, 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]].
* [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.
* Use the web interface to add artists, albums and tracks. Start [http://www.musicbrainz.org/addartist.html here] to add a new artist, or use the [http://www.musicbrainz.org/search.html search page] to go to an artist page. From the artist page you can click on the '''Add Album''' or '''Add Track''' links to start contributing.


==Donations==
==Maintain the Existing Data==
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.


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, and perhaps even a pittance to those working on the project.
⚫
To maintain the existing data, use the [http://www.musicbrainz.org/search.html search page] to log in as a moderator and view the metadata collection. If you spot mistakes, missing data, or too much data in the database, then please use the '''Edit''', '''Delete''' and '''Merge''' links on the artist/album pages.


To send money, please head to over to [https://metabrainz.org/donate this dedicated page] on the MetaBrainz web site.
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].
⚫
* Where has it gone? See our [https://metabrainz.org/finances/ transparent finances].
⚫
* Who else is contributing? See our [https://metabrainz.org/donors donors] and [https://metabrainz.org/sponsors sponsors].
⚫
==Code / Design / Testing / Documentation==


⚫
We invite you to contribute your 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.
⚫
==Contribute Source Code / Testing / Documentation==


*If you are a programmer, you can 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 are writing server code, you might be interested in [[Server Setup]].
⚫
Last, but certainly not least, you may also contribute your software engineering efforts in order to advance the [[MusicBrainz Development|MusicBrainzDevelopment]]. [[MusicBrainz]] is dedicated to the Open Source software development model, and thus the server and client library are available under the GPL and LGPL, respectively.
*If you are 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 are neither, you can still help — we 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 things we have already created.


To jump into any of these, join the MusicBrainz [[Communication#Forums|forums]] and come talk to us in [[IRC]].
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]].


[[Category:To Be Reviewed]] [[Category:How To]]
[[Category:How To]]

Latest revision as of 05:19, 3 March 2023

This page is about contributing to the MusicBrainz project, which you can do 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:
  • Download Picard – the official MusicBrainz tagger – and use it to identify and clean up your digital music collection.
    • 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
  • Use MusicBrainz for Android to submit barcodes, ratings, and tags.

Maintaining Data

While new data is important to MusicBrainz, existing data can always be improved. Improvements can take the form of correcting mistakes, or updates as new information becomes available, style guidelines are changed or are added to, or new server features are implemented.

To help maintain data, use the search page to find data to review. If you spot mistakes, missing data, or duplications in the database, then please use the Edit, Delete and Merge links on the relevant pages.

You can also subscribe to Artists, Labels, and other editors in to keep yourself apprised of changes and to vote on changes. There are reports that deal with specific data maintenance tasks. We also have community projects.

Reviewing Data

Each change that is made to the database is entered into the MusicBrainz editing system. MusicBrainz editors then have the opportunity to make sure that changes are correct and in accordance with our style guidelines, and to vote or comment. Reviewing and voting is important to ensure data entered into MusicBrainz is correct.

Check out Introduction to Editing and Introduction to Voting for more information, or go straight to the open edits or edit search to find edits to review. There is also a list of voting suggestions.

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, and perhaps even a pittance to those working on the project.

To send money, please head to over to this dedicated page on the MetaBrainz web site.

Code / Design / Testing / Documentation

We invite you to contribute your 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 are a programmer, you can 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 are writing server code, you might be interested in Server Setup.
  • If you are 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 are neither, you can still help — we need people to help test new features (on the beta server or on the test server) and write documentation for things we have already created.

To jump into any of these, join the MusicBrainz forums and come talk to us in IRC.

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