User:Derat/ReleaseGroupingGuidelines: Difference between revisions
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This page contained proposed additions to [[mb:doc/Style/Release|Style/Release]] based on [[discourse:t/proposed-unofficial-digital-media-guidelines/626807|my proposed digital media guidelines]]. |
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The additions were added to the official style guide on 2023-05-04, so I've deleted them here to avoid confusion. |
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== What should be added as a single release? == |
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For physical media, most differences will mean a different release (see the section below). Whether different CD matrix info should always be separated is an open question; for now, do not merge them if another editor has made the effort to split them. |
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For digital media, which is very often made available from multiple online sources, don't create a new release when the only differences appear in the following list: |
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* '''Different streaming services or digital storefronts.''' The services offering a release should instead be linked via [[Style/Relationships/URLs|URL relationships]]. |
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* '''Differences in available regions that are not due to artist or label intent.''' Different services operate in different countries, and availability is often further limited due to geopolitics or legal requirements. |
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* '''Minor differences in artist name, release title, or track titles.''' Most services impose their own metadata rules, and minor differences are rarely due to artist intent. Typographical errors are frequently introduced during data entry, and [[Style/Titles/Extra title information|extra title information]] may be displayed in different ways. [[Style/Principle/Error correction and artist intent|Artist intent]], the [[Style|official style guidelines]], and the way that the release is presented on other platforms should all be considered when determining what to enter into MusicBrainz. |
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* '''Different audio formats (e.g. MP3, FLAC, AAC, ALAC) or bitrates or “hi-res” releases.''' Digital media can easily be converted from one format to another, and lossless formats like FLAC and ALAC are sometimes used to re-encode files that were previously encoded in lossy formats like MP3 and AAC. |
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* '''Service-specific mastering, e.g. Apple Digital Masters or Tidal Masters.''' |
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== What should be added as multiple releases? == |
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For physical media, most differences will mean a different release. Specifically, any difference in artwork requires a different release. This includes differences in the legal text on the back cover, even if everything else is the same. An exception should be made for releases where every cover will necessarily be different (like hand-printed, hand-made or even knit covers): in this case, it can be assumed that all the different versions are equivalent and qualify as just copies of the same release, unless a difference is explicitly made by the artist or label. Whether different CD matrix info should always be separated is an open question; for now, do not merge them if another editor has made the effort to split them. Different pressing plants require different relationships and as such different releases. |
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For digital media releases, only add a new release to MusicBrainz when there was clear intent by the artist or label to create multiple releases. This requirement can be satisfied by the following: |
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* '''Different recordings in the tracklist.''' For example, separate releases should be created for the clean and explicit versions of an album. |
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* '''Different song ordering, or songs being included or excluded.''' For example, a deluxe edition containing bonus tracks should be represented by a separate release. If additional tracks are added to an already-released album, a new release should be created with the new tracklist. |
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* '''Differing [[Barcode|barcodes]].''' Not all services list releases’ barcodes, however, so do not automatically assume that no barcode being visible means a new release must be added. |
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* '''Differing [[Label|labels]] responsible for the release.''' Note that online services are often inconsistent or unreliable in how they credit labels, so only split these if you're sure. |
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* '''Different [[Cover Art|cover art]].''' Any differences beyond size/quality changes and minor color differences justify multiple releases. |
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== Date == |
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The [[Release/Date|release date]] is the day when ''this specific release'' was first made available. It should not be used to store the performance/recording date, the copyright date or the import date. |
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For a reissue of an earlier release, this is the date when the reissue was released (for example, do not use the original vinyl date for a CD reissue). |
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For digital music, note that online platforms often do not display release dates, or will display the release date from an earlier physical release instead (which may sometimes be even earlier than the date the platform itself was launched). In cases where you are not certain that a release date is correct, it’s better to not enter a date at all, or to indicate it in the annotation only while listing your misgivings about it. |
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Latest revision as of 17:55, 6 May 2023
This page contained proposed additions to Style/Release based on my proposed digital media guidelines.
The additions were added to the official style guide on 2023-05-04, so I've deleted them here to avoid confusion.
