User:CallerNo6/sandbox4: Difference between revisions

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{{Status|Work in Progress}}
{{Status|Work in Progress}}
{{Icon|terminology.png|CategoryTerminology|Terminology|left}}<br />



;[[Acoustid|AcoustID]]
!!!;<span id="AcoustID">[[AcoustID]]</span>
:an acoustic [[#fingerprint|fingerprint]] system built entirely on open-source technology.
:Can refer to
;Advanced Relationship (or AR)
:#an acoustic [[#fingerprint|fingerprint]] system built entirely on open-source technology, currently used by MusicBrainz.
:#a single alpha-numeric identifier used by that system to identify a set of matching fingerprints.
::Example: [http://musicbrainz.org/recording/770cc467-8dde-4d22-bc4c-a42f91e7515e/fingerprints 12ec629c-dd1c-422a-9e3b-90f12280ea35]

!!!;<span id="AR">Advanced Relationship (or ''AR'')</span>
:See: [[#relationship|Relationship]]
:See: [[#relationship|Relationship]]

;[[Aliases|Alias]]
!!!;<span id="alias">[[Aliases|alias]]</span>
:Name variants, originally used to improve search results. They have since been enhanced to facilitate internationalization.
:Aliases are name variants for a given [[#entity]]. Their main use has been to improve search results (e.g. a search for "Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky" will find "[[Artist:9ddd7abc-9e1b-471d-8031-583bc6bc8be9|Пётр Ильич Чайковский]]").
;[[Annotation]]
:In May, 2012 new features were added to aliases, inlcuding alias-type, -locale, and -sortname.
:A text field used to store information that doesn't fit into the strict structural data schema of MusicBrainz.

;[[Artist]]
!!!;<span id="annotation">[[Annotation|annotation]]</span>
:A text field used to store information that doesn't fit elsewhere in MusicBrainz. Most [#entity|entities] (if they store much information at all) have an annotation field.

!!!;<span id="artist">[[Artist|artist]]</span>
:Generally, any individual (or group of individuals) contributing to the works described in the MusicBrainz Database.
:Generally, any individual (or group of individuals) contributing to the works described in the MusicBrainz Database.
:Why "generally"? Because the Artist entity developed out of a one-artist-per-name approach rather than a one-artist-per-physical-person/group approach.
:Why "generally"? Because the Artist entity developed out of a one-artist-per-name approach rather than a one-artist-per-physical-person/group approach.
:See: guidelines for [[Style/Artist/With_multiple_names|Artists with multiple names]].
:See: guidelines for [[Style/Artist/With_multiple_names|Artists with multiple names]].

;[[Artist Credit|Artist credit]] (or AC)
!!!;<span id="artist_credit">[[Artist Credit|artist credit]] (or ''AC'')</span>
:An artist's name as it appears on a particular release, generally used to display minor name variations (not "performance names") and collaborations, although there are no specific Style guidelines currently in place.
:A MusicBrainz feature making it possible to:
;[[Artist/Type|Artist type]]
:#display an artist's name as it appears on a particular release, generally used for minor name variations (not "performance names") although there are no specific Style guidelines currently in place.
:Indicates whether a particular artist is a (for example) an individual or a group.
:#add two or more artists to an artist field, joined by a "join phrase" such as "&" or "feat.".
;[[Relationship_Attribute|Attribute, "Relationship Attribute"]]
:See: [[How to Use Artist Credits]]

!!!;<span id="attribute">[[Relationship_Attribute|attribute]] (or ''relationship attribute'')</span>
:Casually, "[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attribute_%28computing%29 attribute]" is sometimes used interchangeably with "property". Used in that sense, "gender" might be called either an attribute or a property of an "artist".
:Casually, "[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attribute_%28computing%29 attribute]" is sometimes used interchangeably with "property". Used in that sense, "gender" might be called either an attribute or a property of an "artist".
:Specific to MusicBrainz, an attribute is information that further describes or modifies a relationship.
:Specific to MusicBrainz, an attribute is information that further describes or modifies a relationship.
:Example: "live" is one of the possible attributes of a performance relationship.
:Example: "live" is one of the possible attributes of a performance relationship.
:The way they are implemented in the database makes them much more flexible than "properties".
:The way they are implemented in the database makes them much more flexible than "properties".

;<span id="automod">[[Editor#Auto-editors|Auto-editor]] (or ''Automod'')</span>
!!!;<span id="auto-editor">[[Editor#Auto-editors|auto-editor]] (or ''automod'')</span>
:An experienced MusicBrainz editor who has been given certain elevated privleges.
:An experienced MusicBrainz editor who has been given certain elevated privleges.

;<span id="bot">[[Bot]]</span>
!!!;<span id="bot">[[Bot|bot]]</span>
:An automated process, often controlled by an editor, that submits edits to the database.
:An automated process, often controlled by an editor, that submits edits to the database.
:Editor-controlled bots are subject to the [[Bots/Code_of_Conduct|Bot CoC]].
:Editor-controlled bots are subject to the [[Bots/Code_of_Conduct|Bot CoC]].

;[[CD Stub|CD stub]]
!!!;<span id="CD_stub">[[CD_Stub|CD stub]]</span>
:a release submitted anonymously, stored outside the main database.
:A release submitted anonymously, stored outside the main database.
;[[Disambiguation Comment|Comment]] (or "Disambiguation comment")

!!!;<span id="comment">[[Disambiguation_Comment|comment]] (or ''disambiguation comment'')</span>
:used to help distinguish (disambiguate) artists (or other MB entities) with similar names. The contents of the "comment" field will appear as a parenthetical phrase beside the entity's name on the MusicBrainz site.
:used to help distinguish (disambiguate) artists (or other MB entities) with similar names. The contents of the "comment" field will appear as a parenthetical phrase beside the entity's name on the MusicBrainz site.
:Note, this is meant as a human-readable aid. Within the database, of course, the MBID uniquely identifies an entity.
:Note, this is meant as a human-readable aid. Within the database, of course, the MBID uniquely identifies an entity.
====================================================================
;[[Style/Classical|CSG]]
!!!;<span id="csg">[[Style/Classical|CSG]]</span>
:The Classical Style Guide, as set of guidelines for entering classical releases in MusicBrainz
:The Classical Style Guide, as set of guidelines for entering classical releases in MusicBrainz

;[[Disc ID]]
!!!;<span id="discid">[[Disc_ID]]</span>
:A (nearly) unique identifier for optical discs calculated from the TOC, represented as a string of ascii characters
:A (nearly) unique identifier for optical discs calculated from the TOC, represented as a string of ascii characters
:Example: [http://musicbrainz.org/cdtoc/XzPS7vW.HPHsYemQh0HBUGr8vuU- XzPS7vW.HPHsYemQh0HBUGr8vuU-]
:Example: [http://musicbrainz.org/cdtoc/XzPS7vW.HPHsYemQh0HBUGr8vuU- XzPS7vW.HPHsYemQh0HBUGr8vuU-]

;Dynamic [[Relationship_Attribute|Attribute]]
!!!;<span id="dynamic_attribute">[[Dynamic Attribute]]</span>
:A proposed enhancement to the current implementation of attributes.
:A proposed enhancement to the current implementation of attributes.

;<span id="edit">[[Edit]]</span>
!!!;<span id="edit">[[Edit]]</span>
:An individual change made to the data stored by MusicBrainz
:An individual change made to the data stored by MusicBrainz

;[[Edit Note|Edit note]]
!!!;<span id="edit_note">[[Edit Note|Edit note]]</span>
:A comment attached to an edit by an editor or by ModBot
:A comment attached to an edit by an editor or by ModBot.
;[[Editor]]
:see: [[How_to_Write_Edit_Notes]]

!!!;<span id="editor">[[Editor]]</span>
:A contributor to the MusicBrainz database (or to the wiki)
:A contributor to the MusicBrainz database (or to the wiki)
;Entity
;Entity
:An "object" in the database (such as an Artist or Release), which can be linked to other entities using [[#relationship|relationships]]
:An "object" in the database (such as an Artist or Release), which can be linked to other entities using [[#relationship|relationships]]

;<span id="fingerprint">Fingerprint</span>
!!!;<span id="fingerprint">Fingerprint</span>
:A unique identifier for a recording, generated from the content of the recording itself.
:A unique identifier for a recording, generated from the content of the recording itself.
:See also: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acoustic_fingerprint Acoustic fingerprint]
:See also: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acoustic_fingerprint Acoustic fingerprint]

;<span id="frbr">[[FRBR]]</span>
!!!;<span id="frbr">[[FRBR]]</span>
:The Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records, a model for bibliographic data, proposed by the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions
:The Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records, a model for bibliographic data, proposed by the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions

;[[Internationalization|Internationalization]] (or "i18n")
!!!;<span id="i18n">[[Internationalization|Internationalization]] (or ''i18n'')</span>
:The process of developing a less English-centric system, in favor of a language-neutral one.
:The process of developing a less English-centric system, in favor of a language-neutral one.
: Abbreviated "i18n", from "i[eighteen more letters]n".
: Abbreviated "i18n", from "i[eighteen more letters]n".

;Imprint
!!!;<span id="imprint">Imprint</span>
:A logo used by record companies to "brand" a particular release.
:May refer to:
:#A logo used by record companies to "brand" a particular release, or
:#The record company itself.
:Distributors, parent corporations and other parties might also put their logo on a release. Determining which logo is the "label" can be tricky. See [[How_To_Identify_Labels|How to identify labels]].
:Distributors, parent corporations and other parties might also put their logo on a release. Determining which logo is the "label" can be tricky. See [[How_To_Identify_Labels|How to identify labels]].

;[[ISRC]]
!!!;<span id="Intertwingle">Intertwingle</span>
:

!!!;<span id="IPI">[[IPI]]</span>
:The "Interested Parties Information" Code, an identifying number assigned in the [[wikipedia:Confédération_Internationale_des_Sociétés_d´Auteurs_et_Compositeurs|CISAC]] database to each ''interested party'' in musical rights management.

!!!;<span id="isrc">[[ISRC]]</span>
:International Standard Recording Code, a unique identifier for recordings, encoded into a digital recordings as a fingerprint, represented as a string of alpha-numeric characters.
:International Standard Recording Code, a unique identifier for recordings, encoded into a digital recordings as a fingerprint, represented as a string of alpha-numeric characters.
:Example: [http://musicbrainz.org/recording/cb857989-ee7b-49af-963e-d84acffbe7fb GBAJC0002983]
:Example: [http://musicbrainz.org/recording/cb857989-ee7b-49af-963e-d84acffbe7fb GBAJC0002983]

;[[ISWC]]
!!!;<span id="iswc">[[ISWC]]</span>
:International Standard Work Code, a unique identifier for compositions, represented as a string of alpha-numeric characters.
:International Standard Work Code, a unique identifier for compositions, represented as a string of alpha-numeric characters.
:Example: [http://musicbrainz.org/work/8ff78190-4664-35e6-9961-0945a15944b8 T-070.181.551-1]
:Example: [http://musicbrainz.org/work/8ff78190-4664-35e6-9961-0945a15944b8 T-070.181.551-1]

;[[Label]]
!!!;<span id="label">[[Label]]</span>
:Usually a MusicBrainz "label" corresponds to an imprint/logo. However, the "label" entity can also be used to store information about the companies and corporations that control those imprints.
:Usually a MusicBrainz "label" corresponds to an imprint/logo. However, the "label" entity can also be used to store information about the companies and corporations that control those imprints.
:So for example, a "holding company" will be stored in MusicBrainz using a "label" entity, but will generally not have its own catalog.
:So for example, a "holding company" will be stored in MusicBrainz using a "label" entity, but will generally not have its own catalog.
;[[Label/Label Code|Label Code]]
;[[Label/Label Code|Label Code]]
:A code sometimes printed on a release, which uniquely identifies a record company or label, usually formatted as "LC-xxxx" (where "xxxx" is a four or five digit number)
:A code sometimes printed on a release, which uniquely identifies a record company or label, usually formatted as "LC-xxxx" (where "xxxx" is a four or five digit number)

;[[MusicBrainz Identifier|MBID]]
!!!;<span id="mbid">[[MusicBrainz Identifier|MBID]]</span>
:MusicBrainz Identifier, a unique identifier assigned to each entity in the database when it is created.
:MusicBrainz IDentifier, a unique identifier assigned to each entity in the MusicBrainz database.
:Example: [http://musicbrainz.org/artist/66c662b6-6e2f-4930-8610-912e24c63ed1 66c662b6-6e2f-4930-8610-912e24c63ed1]
:Example: [http://musicbrainz.org/artist/66c662b6-6e2f-4930-8610-912e24c63ed1 66c662b6-6e2f-4930-8610-912e24c63ed1]
;[[Medium]]
;[[Medium]]
Line 79: Line 133:
:*A position (e.g. "Disc Two")
:*A position (e.g. "Disc Two")
:*A tracklist
:*A tracklist
!!!;<span id="">[wikipedia:Metadata]</span>
;[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metadata Metadata]
:This can refer either to "descriptive metadata" (i.e. information about information) or to "structural medatata" (i.e. information about how information is stored). The contents of the MusicBrainz database are primarily "descriptive metadata".
:This can refer either to "descriptive metadata" (i.e. information about information) or to "structural medatata" (i.e. information about how information is stored). The contents of the MusicBrainz database are primarily "descriptive metadata".

;[[ModBot]]
!!!;<span id="">[[ModBot]]</span>
:A [[#bot|bot]] used by the MusicBrainz Server to perform a variety of automated functions
:A [[#bot|bot]] used by the MusicBrainz Server to perform a variety of automated functions

;Moderator
!!!;<span id="">Moderator</span>
:An older MusicBrainz term for [[#editor|Editor]]. cf. [[#automod|automod]]
:An older MusicBrainz term for [[#editor|Editor]].
;NGS

;<span id="NGS">NGS</span>
:"Next Generation Schema" refers to the updated [[MusicBrainz_Database/Schema|database schema]] released on 18 May 2011.
:"Next Generation Schema" refers to the updated [[MusicBrainz_Database/Schema|database schema]] released on 18 May 2011.


:The update, with a corresponding revision of the [[Style|style guidelines]], was considered a major milestone in the development of Musicbrainz. Hence, it's not uncommon to describe certain relationships, style-related practices and UI elements as being either "pre-" or "post-NGS".
:The update, with a corresponding revision of the [[Style|style guidelines]], was considered a major milestone in the development of Musicbrainz. Hence, it's not uncommon to describe certain aspects of MusicBrainz as being either "pre-" or "post-NGS".


:See also: [[History:Next_Generation_Schema/History|NGS (History)]], [[History:Next_Generation_Schema/Roadmap|NGS Roadmap]], [[History:Preparing_For_NGS|Preparing for NGS]], [http://blog.musicbrainz.org/?p=873 Release Announcement], [[Server_Release_Notes/20110516|Release Notes]]
:See also: [[History:Next_Generation_Schema/History|NGS (History)]], [[History:Next_Generation_Schema/Roadmap|NGS Roadmap]], [[History:Preparing_For_NGS|Preparing for NGS]], [http://blog.musicbrainz.org/?p=873 Release Announcement], [[Server_Release_Notes/20110516|Release Notes]]

;Non-Album Track (or NAT)
!!!;<span id="">Non-Album Track (or ''NAT'')</span>
:The pre-NGS precursor to [[#StandaloneRecording|Standalone recordings]].
:The pre-NGS precursor to [[#sar|Standalone recordings]].
;[[Artist/Name/Performance Name|Performance name]]

!!!;<span id="">[[Artist/Name/Performance Name|Performance name]]</span>
:An assumed name used by an artist, such as a "pen name", "stage name", "alter ego" or the like. A pseudonym.
:An assumed name used by an artist, such as a "pen name", "stage name", "alter ego" or the like. A pseudonym.

;<span id="proposals">[[Proposals]]</span>
;<span id="Picard">[[MusicBrainz_Picard|Picard]]</span>
:The official MusicBrainz tagger, named for Captain Jean-Luc Picard from the TV series ''Star Trek: The Next Generation''.

!!!;<span id="proposals">[[Proposals]]</span>
:Ideas for improving MusicBrainz, submitted for community approval.
:Ideas for improving MusicBrainz, submitted for community approval.

;[[PUID]]
!!!;<span id="">[[PUID]]</span>
:"Portable Unique IDentifier", an audio fingerprint. Use of PUIDs in MusicBrainz is now deprecated in favor of AcoustIDs.
:"Portable Unique IDentifier", an audio fingerprint. Use of PUIDs in MusicBrainz is now deprecated in favor of AcoustIDs.

;[[Recording]]
!!!;<span id="">[[Recording]]</span>
:For the purposes of MusicBrainz, a "recording" is maybe closer to a "mix" than to a "master".
:For the purposes of MusicBrainz, a "recording" is maybe closer to a "mix" than to a "master".
:Think of it as an abstract container that holds information about a piece of recorded audio. It might not have a perfect 1:1 correspondence with a real-world "thing", although in a perfect world it would correspond 1:1 with an ISRC.
:Think of it as an abstract container that holds information about a piece of recorded audio. It might not have a perfect 1:1 correspondence with a real-world "thing", although in a perfect world it would correspond 1:1 with an ISRC.

;<span id="relationship">[[Advanced Relationship|Relationship]]</span>
!!!;<span id="relationship">[[Advanced Relationship|relationship]]</span>
:Originally referred to as "Advanced Relationships".
:Originally referred to as "Advanced Relationships".
:A relationship is a link between two entities in a database.
:A relationship is a connection between two entities in a database.
:They can be thought of, loosely, as the "verb phrases" in a Subject-Verb-Object statement.
;[[Release]]
::Example:

!!!;<span id="Release">[[Release|release]]</span>
:Casually, "release" is often used interchangeably with "album", as in "Hey! The New Originals have a new release out!"
:Casually, "release" is often used interchangeably with "album", as in "Hey! The New Originals have a new release out!"
:But for the purposes of MusicBrainz, a "release" is a specific printing/pressing/issue sold in a specific locale. While MB doesn't have an "album" entity ''per se'', the "release group" entity is close.
:But for the purposes of MusicBrainz, a "release" is a specific printing/pressing/issue sold in a specific locale. While MB doesn't have an "album" entity ''per se'', the "release group" entity is close.

;[[Release/Date|Release date]]
;<span id="Release_Date">[[Release/Date|release date]]</span>
:The date that a release was ''released'' in a particular region. Not the date on which the release was recorded or performed, and not the copyright date.
:The date that a release was <em>released</em> in a particular region. It is <underline>not</underline> the date on which the release was recorded or performed, and it is not the copyright date.
;[[Release Group]]

:A "container" used to group an original release with its variants and reissues.
!!!;<span id="Release_Group">[[Release_Group|release group]]</span>
:Each release belongs to one and only one release group.
:A "container" used to <em>group together</em> all the various versions and reissues of a release. This is the closest thing MusicBrainz has to an "album" entity.
;RFC
::Example: the release group for [[ReleaseGroup:8e8a594f-2175-38c7-a871-abb68ec363e7|Kind of Blue]] by Miles Davis
:"Request for Comment", the first step in the [[#proposals|proposal]] process, a 7 day (minimum) discussion period.

;RFV
;<span id="RFC">RFC</span>
:"Request for Veto", the second step in the [[#proposals|proposal]] process, a 2 day window in which a prosal can be vetoed.
:"Request for Comment", the first stage in the [[#proposals|proposal]] process, a 7 day (minimum) discussion period.
;[[Sort Name|Sort name]]

:A re-formatting of an artist's name, used to facilitate alphabetically ordered lists.
;<span id="StandaloneRecording">[[Standalone Recording|Standalone recording]] (or SAR)</span>
;<span id="RFV">RFV</span>
:"Request for Veto", the second stage in the [[#proposals|proposal]] process, a 2 day window in which a prosal can be vetoed.
:A [[recording]] which does not appear on a [[release]]. Before NGS, these were "Non-album Tracks" or NATs.

;Tags
;<span id="Script">script</span>
:1. Commonly refers to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ID3 ID3] tags, which are metadata embedded in an audio file.
:In the context of MusicBrainz, "script" might mean
:2. May also refer to "[[Folksonomy_Tagging|folksonomy tagging]]", a system for collaboratively describing or classifying things.
:#A particular writing system or alphabet, such as "Latin", "Katakana" or "Cyrillic".
;TOC
:#A [[wikipedia:Greasemonkey|Greasemonkey]] script used to extend the functionality of the MusicBrainz website.
:#:See: [http://userscripts.org/tags/musicbrainz?page=1 userscripts.org]
:#A script for customizing file names in [[#Picard|Picard]].
:#:See: [[Picard_Scripting|Picard scripting]]

;<span id="Sort_Name">[[Sort Name|sort name]]</span>
:A re-ordered form of a name, used to facilitate alphabetically ordered lists, generally by family name rather than given name.
::Example: if an artist's name is "John Smith", then his sort name is "Smith, John".

;<span id="Standalone_Recording">[[Standalone_Recording|standalone recording]] (or ''SAR'')</span>
:A [[#Recording|recording]] which does not appear on a [[#Release|release]]. Prior to [[#NGS|NGS]], these were referred to as "[[#NAT|Non-album Tracks]]" (aka NATs).

;<span id="Tag">tag</span>
:As commonly used in MusicBrainz, a "tag" may refer to
:# Metadata embedded in an audio file, such as [[wikipedia:ID3|ID3]] or [[wikipedia:Vorbis_comment|Vorbis comments]] (aka "Flac tags").
:::See also: [[Picard_Tag_Mapping|Picard tag mapping]]
:# "[[Folksonomy_Tagging|Folksonomy tags]]", a system for collaborative description and classification.
:::See also: [[MusicBrainz_Picard/Documentation/Plugins/Lastfmplus|Extended Picard Tagging]]

;<span id="TOC">[[wikipedia:Table_of_Contents_(CD)|TOC]]</span>
:"Table of Contents", the area of an optical disc that describes the tracklist in terms of track durations.
:"Table of Contents", the area of an optical disc that describes the tracklist in terms of track durations.

;[[Work]]
;<span id="UUID">[[wikipedia:UUID|UUID]]</span>
:The [[#frbr|FRBR]] defines the work entity as "a distinct intellectual or artistic creation".
:"Universal Unique IDentifier", a 128-bit identifier, commonly in the form of a 32-digit hexadecimal string.
:[[#mbid|MBIDs]] and [[#acoustid|AcoustIDs]] are examples of UUIDs.


;<span id="Work">[[Work|work]]</span>
:A "work" in MusicBrainz is based on the [[#frbr|FRBR]] defintion, "a distinct intellectual or artistic creation".

Revision as of 16:18, 17 September 2012


Status: Work in Progress

Template:Icon


!!!;AcoustID

Can refer to
  1. an acoustic fingerprint system built entirely on open-source technology, currently used by MusicBrainz.
  2. a single alpha-numeric identifier used by that system to identify a set of matching fingerprints.
Example: 12ec629c-dd1c-422a-9e3b-90f12280ea35

!!!;Advanced Relationship (or AR)

See: Relationship

!!!;alias

Aliases are name variants for a given #entity. Their main use has been to improve search results (e.g. a search for "Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky" will find "Пётр Ильич Чайковский").
In May, 2012 new features were added to aliases, inlcuding alias-type, -locale, and -sortname.

!!!;annotation

A text field used to store information that doesn't fit elsewhere in MusicBrainz. Most [#entity|entities] (if they store much information at all) have an annotation field.

!!!;artist

Generally, any individual (or group of individuals) contributing to the works described in the MusicBrainz Database.
Why "generally"? Because the Artist entity developed out of a one-artist-per-name approach rather than a one-artist-per-physical-person/group approach.
See: guidelines for Artists with multiple names.

!!!;artist credit (or AC)

A MusicBrainz feature making it possible to:
  1. display an artist's name as it appears on a particular release, generally used for minor name variations (not "performance names") although there are no specific Style guidelines currently in place.
  2. add two or more artists to an artist field, joined by a "join phrase" such as "&" or "feat.".
See: How to Use Artist Credits

!!!;attribute (or relationship attribute)

Casually, "attribute" is sometimes used interchangeably with "property". Used in that sense, "gender" might be called either an attribute or a property of an "artist".
Specific to MusicBrainz, an attribute is information that further describes or modifies a relationship.
Example: "live" is one of the possible attributes of a performance relationship.
The way they are implemented in the database makes them much more flexible than "properties".

!!!;auto-editor (or automod)

An experienced MusicBrainz editor who has been given certain elevated privleges.

!!!;bot

An automated process, often controlled by an editor, that submits edits to the database.
Editor-controlled bots are subject to the Bot CoC.

!!!;CD stub

A release submitted anonymously, stored outside the main database.

!!!;comment (or disambiguation comment)

used to help distinguish (disambiguate) artists (or other MB entities) with similar names. The contents of the "comment" field will appear as a parenthetical phrase beside the entity's name on the MusicBrainz site.
Note, this is meant as a human-readable aid. Within the database, of course, the MBID uniquely identifies an entity.
========================================================

!!!;CSG

The Classical Style Guide, as set of guidelines for entering classical releases in MusicBrainz

!!!;Disc_ID

A (nearly) unique identifier for optical discs calculated from the TOC, represented as a string of ascii characters
Example: XzPS7vW.HPHsYemQh0HBUGr8vuU-

!!!;Dynamic Attribute

A proposed enhancement to the current implementation of attributes.

!!!;Edit

An individual change made to the data stored by MusicBrainz

!!!;Edit note

A comment attached to an edit by an editor or by ModBot.
see: How_to_Write_Edit_Notes

!!!;Editor

A contributor to the MusicBrainz database (or to the wiki)
Entity
An "object" in the database (such as an Artist or Release), which can be linked to other entities using relationships

!!!;Fingerprint

A unique identifier for a recording, generated from the content of the recording itself.
See also: Acoustic fingerprint

!!!;FRBR

The Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records, a model for bibliographic data, proposed by the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions

!!!;Internationalization (or i18n)

The process of developing a less English-centric system, in favor of a language-neutral one.
Abbreviated "i18n", from "i[eighteen more letters]n".

!!!;Imprint

May refer to:
  1. A logo used by record companies to "brand" a particular release, or
  2. The record company itself.
Distributors, parent corporations and other parties might also put their logo on a release. Determining which logo is the "label" can be tricky. See How to identify labels.

!!!;Intertwingle

!!!;IPI

The "Interested Parties Information" Code, an identifying number assigned in the CISAC database to each interested party in musical rights management.

!!!;ISRC

International Standard Recording Code, a unique identifier for recordings, encoded into a digital recordings as a fingerprint, represented as a string of alpha-numeric characters.
Example: GBAJC0002983

!!!;ISWC

International Standard Work Code, a unique identifier for compositions, represented as a string of alpha-numeric characters.
Example: T-070.181.551-1

!!!;Label

Usually a MusicBrainz "label" corresponds to an imprint/logo. However, the "label" entity can also be used to store information about the companies and corporations that control those imprints.
So for example, a "holding company" will be stored in MusicBrainz using a "label" entity, but will generally not have its own catalog.
Label Code
A code sometimes printed on a release, which uniquely identifies a record company or label, usually formatted as "LC-xxxx" (where "xxxx" is a four or five digit number)

!!!;MBID

MusicBrainz IDentifier, a unique identifier assigned to each entity in the MusicBrainz database.
Example: 66c662b6-6e2f-4930-8610-912e24c63ed1
Medium
The physical means by which a release is transmitted/distributed, such as a CD. Each physical disc in a set is considered a separate medium.
Each medium has
  • A title
  • A format (e.g. "Compact Disc" or "12 inch vinyl")
  • A position (e.g. "Disc Two")
  • A tracklist

!!!;[wikipedia:Metadata]

This can refer either to "descriptive metadata" (i.e. information about information) or to "structural medatata" (i.e. information about how information is stored). The contents of the MusicBrainz database are primarily "descriptive metadata".

!!!;ModBot

A bot used by the MusicBrainz Server to perform a variety of automated functions

!!!;Moderator

An older MusicBrainz term for Editor.
NGS
"Next Generation Schema" refers to the updated database schema released on 18 May 2011.
The update, with a corresponding revision of the style guidelines, was considered a major milestone in the development of Musicbrainz. Hence, it's not uncommon to describe certain aspects of MusicBrainz as being either "pre-" or "post-NGS".
See also: NGS (History), NGS Roadmap, Preparing for NGS, Release Announcement, Release Notes

!!!;Non-Album Track (or NAT)

The pre-NGS precursor to Standalone recordings.

!!!;Performance name

An assumed name used by an artist, such as a "pen name", "stage name", "alter ego" or the like. A pseudonym.
Picard
The official MusicBrainz tagger, named for Captain Jean-Luc Picard from the TV series Star Trek: The Next Generation.

!!!;Proposals

Ideas for improving MusicBrainz, submitted for community approval.

!!!;PUID

"Portable Unique IDentifier", an audio fingerprint. Use of PUIDs in MusicBrainz is now deprecated in favor of AcoustIDs.

!!!;Recording

For the purposes of MusicBrainz, a "recording" is maybe closer to a "mix" than to a "master".
Think of it as an abstract container that holds information about a piece of recorded audio. It might not have a perfect 1:1 correspondence with a real-world "thing", although in a perfect world it would correspond 1:1 with an ISRC.

!!!;relationship

Originally referred to as "Advanced Relationships".
A relationship is a connection between two entities in a database.
They can be thought of, loosely, as the "verb phrases" in a Subject-Verb-Object statement.
Example:

!!!;release

Casually, "release" is often used interchangeably with "album", as in "Hey! The New Originals have a new release out!"
But for the purposes of MusicBrainz, a "release" is a specific printing/pressing/issue sold in a specific locale. While MB doesn't have an "album" entity per se, the "release group" entity is close.
release date
The date that a release was released in a particular region. It is <underline>not</underline> the date on which the release was recorded or performed, and it is not the copyright date.

!!!;release group

A "container" used to group together all the various versions and reissues of a release. This is the closest thing MusicBrainz has to an "album" entity.
Example: the release group for Kind of Blue by Miles Davis
RFC
"Request for Comment", the first stage in the proposal process, a 7 day (minimum) discussion period.
RFV
"Request for Veto", the second stage in the proposal process, a 2 day window in which a prosal can be vetoed.
script
In the context of MusicBrainz, "script" might mean
  1. A particular writing system or alphabet, such as "Latin", "Katakana" or "Cyrillic".
  2. A Greasemonkey script used to extend the functionality of the MusicBrainz website.
    See: userscripts.org
  3. A script for customizing file names in Picard.
    See: Picard scripting
sort name
A re-ordered form of a name, used to facilitate alphabetically ordered lists, generally by family name rather than given name.
Example: if an artist's name is "John Smith", then his sort name is "Smith, John".
standalone recording (or SAR)
A recording which does not appear on a release. Prior to NGS, these were referred to as "Non-album Tracks" (aka NATs).
tag
As commonly used in MusicBrainz, a "tag" may refer to
  1. Metadata embedded in an audio file, such as ID3 or Vorbis comments (aka "Flac tags").
See also: Picard tag mapping
  1. "Folksonomy tags", a system for collaborative description and classification.
See also: Extended Picard Tagging
TOC
"Table of Contents", the area of an optical disc that describes the tracklist in terms of track durations.
UUID
"Universal Unique IDentifier", a 128-bit identifier, commonly in the form of a 32-digit hexadecimal string.
MBIDs and AcoustIDs are examples of UUIDs.


work
A "work" in MusicBrainz is based on the FRBR defintion, "a distinct intellectual or artistic creation".