User:Jacobbrett/Release Event Style: Difference between revisions

From MusicBrainz Wiki
Jump to navigationJump to search
No edit summary
(Majorly edited release styles.)
Line 22: Line 22:
| [http://musicbrainz.org/release/82d66789-3ca5-34bc-b9f3-0a08881f7ef4.html Frances the Mute] || CD || 12 || 2005-02-28 || Australia || '''[http://musicbrainz.org/label/590538e9-b183-4163-ab5a-171fb021ed12.html Universal Records]''' || 2103977 || 075021039773
| [http://musicbrainz.org/release/82d66789-3ca5-34bc-b9f3-0a08881f7ef4.html Frances the Mute] || CD || 12 || 2005-02-28 || Australia || '''[http://musicbrainz.org/label/590538e9-b183-4163-ab5a-171fb021ed12.html Universal Records]''' || 2103977 || 075021039773
|}
|}



=Styling Release Fields=
=Styling Release Fields=
==Date==
==Date==
The '''[[Release Date|Date]]''' describes the '''day on which the release was first sold in stores'''. This is ''not necessarily the production year'' (that one which you find on the sleeve as ''(p) 1979''). It can consist of a year only (1980), a month and a year (1980-03), or a specific day (1980-03-20).
The '''[[Release Date|Date]]''' is formatted using the [[wikipedia:ISO_860|ISO 860]] standard ''YYYY-MM-DD''. It may consist of ''year'' only ("1980"), ''year'' and ''month'' ("1980-03"), or a specific day as ''year-month-day'' ("1980-03-20").


==Country==
==Country==
The '''[[Release Country|Country]]''' describes the '''country where the release was available for sale''' on that specific [[Release Date]]. It is ''not the country where the release was produced''. The country is optional (you can set it to "unknown country").
The '''[[Release Country|Country]]''' list is based upon the [http://www.iso.org/iso/english_country_names_and_code_elements ISO 3166] standard "Country Names and Code Elements". In addition, the Country may be set to "[Unknown Country]" or "[Worldwide]".


==Label==
==Label==
The '''[[Label]]''' is selectable from a [http://musicbrainz.org/browse/label list of Labels] entered into MusicBrainz' database. If you are sure a label does not exist (sometimes under a similar name), enter a new [[Label Name]].
The '''[[Label]]''' is either the firm who distributes the release in a certain region, or the rights holder.


==Release Catalog Number==
==Catalog Number==
The '''[[Release Catalog Number]]''' is the label's identification number of a certain release event.
The '''[[Release Catalog Number|Catalog Number]]''' is a usually alphanumeric code found on the back/spine of a physical release. It should be entered as close as possible to what is printed (this includes, for example, spaces " " hyphens "-", and dots ".").


==Barcode==
==Barcode==
The '''[[Barcode]]''' is a machine-readable ID system used by retailers to easily identify and keep stock of items. '''It is usually an [[wikipedia:European Article Number|EAN]] or [[wikipedia:Universal Product Code|UPC]] number found on the back of a CD'''.
The '''[[Barcode]]''' is usually an [[wikipedia:European Article Number|EAN]] or [[wikipedia:Universal Product Code|UPC]] number found on the back of a physical release. It should be entered as a number with no spaces.


==Format==
==Format==
A release may consist of several mediums. For example, a medium could be a CD, cassette or vinyl disc. A Release's mediums may be structured as ''CD (1), CD (2)'' for a two-disc set (displayed as "2xCD"), or in rarer cases as ''CD (1), CD (2), Vinyl (3)'' (displayed as "2xCD + 1xVinyl").
A release may consist of several '''[[Next Generation Schema#Medium|Mediums]]'''. For each medium added, the format is selectable from a list. For example, a medium could be a CD, cassette or vinyl disc. A Release's mediums may be structured as ''CD (1), CD (2)'' for a two-disc set (displayed as "2xCD"), or in rarer cases as ''CD (1), CD (2), Vinyl (3)'' (displayed as "2xCD + 1xVinyl").

==Packaging==
'''[[Next Generation Schema/Release Packaging|Packaging]]''' refers to the type of container a physical release was available in. It is selectable from a list, similar to the Format. For example, release may have been sold in a "Jewel Case" or a "Digipack".

==Status==

==Language==

==Script==


=Determining the Release Country=
=Determining the Release Country=

Revision as of 01:28, 24 March 2010


Status: This page describes an active style guideline proposal and is not official.



Proposal number: RFC-43
Champion: Jacobbrett
Current status: RFC

RFC

Trac ticket # 2145

A Release Event is the event when a Release is first sold on a market. A Release Event consists of a Date, Country, Label, Catalog #, Barcode, and Format field. Each of these fields are optional, though the more complete a release event is, the better. Please note that some independent/unsigned releases may not have a barcode, catalogue number or label.

A standard release event looks like the following:

Frances the Mute by The Mars Volta

Release Format Tracks Date Country Label Catalog# Barcode
Frances the Mute CD 12 2005-02-28 Australia Universal Records 2103977 075021039773


Styling Release Fields

Date

The Date is formatted using the ISO 860 standard YYYY-MM-DD. It may consist of year only ("1980"), year and month ("1980-03"), or a specific day as year-month-day ("1980-03-20").

Country

The Country list is based upon the ISO 3166 standard "Country Names and Code Elements". In addition, the Country may be set to "[Unknown Country]" or "[Worldwide]".

Label

The Label is selectable from a list of Labels entered into MusicBrainz' database. If you are sure a label does not exist (sometimes under a similar name), enter a new Label Name.

Catalog Number

The Catalog Number is a usually alphanumeric code found on the back/spine of a physical release. It should be entered as close as possible to what is printed (this includes, for example, spaces " " hyphens "-", and dots ".").

Barcode

The Barcode is usually an EAN or UPC number found on the back of a physical release. It should be entered as a number with no spaces.

Format

A release may consist of several Mediums. For each medium added, the format is selectable from a list. For example, a medium could be a CD, cassette or vinyl disc. A Release's mediums may be structured as CD (1), CD (2) for a two-disc set (displayed as "2xCD"), or in rarer cases as CD (1), CD (2), Vinyl (3) (displayed as "2xCD + 1xVinyl").

Packaging

Packaging refers to the type of container a physical release was available in. It is selectable from a list, similar to the Format. For example, release may have been sold in a "Jewel Case" or a "Digipack".

Status

Language

Script

Determining the Release Country

The list of countries you can choose from is taken from ISO 3166, which is a widely-used standard list of countries. Please do not use the release country to describe the country in which the release was produced, or from which the artist originates. For each country in which the release was issued, add a new release date, alongside the name of the country.

A 'Release Country' is not the same as a country where the physical medium has been manufactured or the cover printed.

Composite Release Areas

Not all record distributors stick to national boundaries when they define the regions in which they issue a release. Releases are often issued in more than one country at the same time. For example, some releases state that they are distributed in "Australasia" (presumably Australia and New Zealand) or the "Benelux" (Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg). In these cases it is OK to add one release, and simply choose one of the countries to represent the entire release area:

  • Choose the Artist's country of origin. Shihad is a New Zealand band; if they release a release in Australasia, define the ReleaseCountry as New Zealand.
  • Where this information is unknown or ambiguous, choose the country with the largest sales.

Fuzzy Release Areas

MusicBrainz also has some fuzzy release areas:

Unknown Country
To be used when you do not know the release country, but can add other information about the release event.
Worldwide
"Worldwide" is generally used for a release that has been released online on a certain date, available to the worldwide online population.
  • It should not be used for releases through services such as iTunes and Napster, as they usually have multiple release dates on their online store which are country-dependant (usually corresponding with retail release dates).
  • It should also be used where a global distributor does release in most of the world on the same date (which is extremely rare).
Europe
Trade within the European Union is so open that it can be really difficult to figure out in which European country a release was released.
  • If a release cannot be pin-pointed to a particular country, use "Europe".
  • "Europe" may be used if a release is released in a large proportion of the EU countries on the same date.
  • Note that an album might, for example, have one release in the UK, followed by a second wider release that covers the whole of the EU, including the UK.
Do not use this simply because it says "Produced in the EU" on your CD!

Historical Countries

Historical countries (countries that may exist on the back of a release, but do not exist anymore) such as "Yugoslavia (historical, 1918-2003)" are also contained within the Release Country list.

Notes

This proposal, when passed, should replace Release Country Style.