Release Group: Difference between revisions

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(Undo revision 35487 by BrianSchweitzer (Talk))
(make this page a simple difinition, and forword to Style/Release_Group for style questions)
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{{Status|This is proposed style for a recently released feature (24 May 2009), currently under development. It is not yet official.}}

== Definition ==

A '''Release Group''' is a MusicBrainz concept introduced in May 2009 used to group several different [[Release|releases]] into a single logical entity. Every release belongs to one, and only one release group.
A '''Release Group''' is a MusicBrainz concept introduced in May 2009 used to group several different [[Release|releases]] into a single logical entity. Every release belongs to one, and only one release group.


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MusicBrainz automatically considers every release in the database to be part of a release group, even if this group only contains the one release. As an editor you don't have to worry about ''creating'' release groups, you will only need to ''merge'' existing ones.
MusicBrainz automatically considers every release in the database to be part of a release group, even if this group only contains the one release. As an editor you don't have to worry about ''creating'' release groups, you will only need to ''merge'' existing ones.

There are a number of situations in which merging releases groups is appropriate. All of the following can be part of a single release group:

; Regular releases
: Since every release is inside a release group, some release groups have only a single release.

; International release variations
: Releases are often released with different tracklists in different markets, some may even have additional [[Bonus Disc|bonus discs]]. Due to [[WhatDefinesAUniqueRelease]] these would be separate releases at MusicBrainz, but should be merged together into the same release group.

; Deluxe/limited editions and reissues/remasters
: Just like above, a "special" edition of an album, a reissue of an album, or a remaster, should all be part of the same release group.

; Promotional and pirated versions
: Promotional and pirated versions of albums, singles etc should be in the same release group as the regular official release.

; Multi-disc releases
: Each disc in a [[Multi-Disc Release|multi-disc release]] at MusicBrainz is a separate release (named according to [[Disc Number Style|disc number style]]), but all discs should be part of the same release group.

; Box sets
: A special case of the above; each disc in a [[Box Set|box set]] would normally be part of the same release group.

; Pseudo-releases
: Transliterated or translated pseudo-releases should be part of the same release group as the official release.


== Examples ==
== Examples ==
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* The musical "[[ReleaseGroup:afdd011e-e2aa-39f3-b52b-1ffe001d8d87|My Fair Lady]]" (Original London Cast) was originally released on vinyl in 1959 and on CD in 1998.
* The musical "[[ReleaseGroup:afdd011e-e2aa-39f3-b52b-1ffe001d8d87|My Fair Lady]]" (Original London Cast) was originally released on vinyl in 1959 and on CD in 1998.


== Style ==
== When Not to Group Releases together ==

There are a number of cases where it is not appropriate for releases to be part of the same group:

* A [[Series]] of different volumes that may have been released over time. Typical examples are "[[Series/Cafe Del Mar|Café del Mar]]", "[[Series/Hitzone|Hitzone]]", "[[Series/Ministry Of Sound|Ministry of Sound]]" and "[[Series/Now Thats What I Call Music|Now That's What I Call Music!]]". Each volume's discs belong in a release group though, e.g. "[[ReleaseGroup:359e66ba-49ee-341c-8f1d-885a28af26db|Volume 1]]" and "[[ReleaseGroup:69533a2f-3060-39a9-a03d-3b95eda764e5|Volume 2]]" of the Trance Voices series.

* Different bootleg recordings of a live show, e.g. [[ReleaseGroup:147aeffa-7874-3cfd-84fd-32508319adbc|bootleg 1]] and [[ReleaseGroup:b4fd2cd3-6e48-3bf2-8b77-88f2629b5f79|bootleg 2]] of a 1970 Pink Floyd concert in San Francisco.

* For [[Box Set]]s or [[Multi-Disc Release]]s where each disc has been released separately. If these individual discs have '''not''' been duplicated due to the rules outlined at "[[What Defines A Unique Release]]", they should '''not''' be grouped together as per the normal box set rules noted above.

* "2 in 1" releases should have a third release group. This applies to all [[Release Type]]s, including 2-in-1 albums and double A-side singles. e.g. ABBA's "[[ReleaseGroup:ec7f97cf-acf7-325d-ab93-d9a61e50fd22|Waterloo / Voulez-Vous]]" should not be merged into "[[ReleaseGroup:e66b255d-04c5-39e9-8f79-dd303df44cac|Waterloo]]" or "[[ReleaseGroup:7401fb97-46e6-32cd-bd59-6c49debaa3ae|Voulez-Vous]]".

If you are unsure about other cases, please feel free to come on [[IRC]], use the [[Mailing List|mailing list]], or add a note to the [[Talk:Release Group|discussion]] page.

== Use of Attributes ==

=== Title ===
The title of a release group should usually be the title of its individual releases, removing release-specific [[Extra Title Information]] added due to [[Disc Number Style]]. In the case of re-releases with different titles, the principle of [[Consistent Original Data]] should be applied to choose the release group's title from one of the linked releases.


See the [[Style/Release_Group|dedicated page]] in the style section.
=== Type ===
The types of a release group are the same as those possible for [[Release Type]] and should normally be the same as all of the releases in that group. This may not always be the case. It is OK for a bonus disc EP, remix, live disc etc to be inside the same "Album" release group as the accompanying album disc.


[[Category:Terminology]] [[Category:Release Group]] [[Category:Release]]
[[Category:Terminology]] [[Category:Release Group]]

Revision as of 12:35, 18 May 2011

A Release Group is a MusicBrainz concept introduced in May 2009 used to group several different releases into a single logical entity. Every release belongs to one, and only one release group.

Both release groups and releases are "albums" in a general sense, but with a slight difference: a release is something you can buy as media, e.g. a CD, a vinyl record etc. on its own, while a release group embraces the concept of an album -- it doesn't matter how many CDs or editions/versions it had. When an artist tells you "We've released our new album", they're talking about a release group. When his publisher says "This new album gets released next week in Japan and next month in Europe", they're talking about the different releases that belong in the release group that the artist told you about.

MusicBrainz automatically considers every release in the database to be part of a release group, even if this group only contains the one release. As an editor you don't have to worry about creating release groups, you will only need to merge existing ones.

Examples

Style

See the dedicated page in the style section.