Release Group

A Release Group is a MusicBrainz concept introduced in May 2009 used to group several different Releases into a single logical entity. Every Release must belong to one, and only one release group. There are a number of situations in which grouping releases into the same release group is appropriate.

• Regular releases

Since every release must be inside one release group, some release groups have only a single release.

• International release variations

Releases are often released in different ways in different markets; with or without bonus tracks. Due to WhatDefinesAUniqueRelease these would be separate releases at MusicBrainz, but since they represent the same

• Deluxe or limited editions and remasters

Deluxe and/or re-releases or remasters of an album with/or without bonus tracks (and any Bonus Discs) should be part of the same release group.

• Multi-Disc Releases

Each disc in a Multi-Disc Release at MusicBrainz is a separate release (named according to 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 would normally be part of the same release group.

• Transliterations & translations

Transliterated or translated pseudo-releases should be part of the same release group as the official release (but see below for alternate language versions)

Examples

• Transplant's single "Diamonds and Guns" is a single release inside its own group.
• Weezer's "Weezer (Red Album)" has ten editions in the database, some releases from different countries, some deluxe editions.
• Franz Ferdinand's "Tonight: Franz Ferdinand" came on its own, with a bonus disc, or on two vinyl records.
• a 3 disc self-titled compilation by "Nirvana".
• Mozart's 9 volume, 170 disc "Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Complete Works" boxset, or the compilation "Bravo Hits 64".
• Blind Guardian's "Nightfall in Middle-Earth" released in 1998 and then in 2007, the musical "My Fair Lady (Original London Cast)" released on vinyl in 1959 and CD in 1998.

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:

• For a Series of releases. Complete compilation series' that have different volumes released over time. Typical examples are "Café del Mar", "Hitzone", "Ministry of Sound" and "Now That's What I Call Music!". Each volume of the series would be its own release group.

• Different bootleg recordings of a live show, e.g. bootleg 1 and bootleg 2 of a 1970 Pink Floyd concert in San Francisco.

• If the individual discs of a re-release Box Set have not been duplicated, due to the rules outlined at "What Defines a Unique Release", each disc in that set should not be grouped together as for the normal box set rules noted above.

• If there are two versions of a release in different languages; each language would be its own release group.

e.g. Shakira's Laundry Service and Servicio de lavanderia

Use of Attributes

Title

The title of a release group should be the title of its individual releases, removing Extra Title Information added due to Disc Number Style, Volume Number Style etc.

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, Live disc etc to be inside the same "Album" release group as the accompanying album disc.