User:LordSputnik/Track System Redesign

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Introduction

Read: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Functional_Requirements_for_Bibliographic_Records

Terminology

Work

A work is an artistic creation. Examples of a work include a song or some form of classical piece. Works are near enough perfect in their current form. They are well defined and already serve the intended purpose.

Performance

A performance is realization of a work. A performance can be a studio recording or a live recording. A performance refers to one or more recording sessions for the same work.

Performances can be merged, but this will usually only happen in rare circumstances, since tracks aren't assigned to performances by default. An editor must make an edit to associate a track with a performance, and this edit is subject to the voting process, like any other non-auto-edit.

Track

A track is the embodiment of a performance. When a release is added, tracks are created, assigned MBIDs, and given titles. The track names are displayed on the release main page. Clicking a track name will take the editor to the track.

Overview

For example, if an EP is added to the DB:

"Some Songs" by "RandomBandom"

  1. An Old Song
  2. A New Song
  3. A Borrowed Song
  4. A Blue Song


Then four tracks will be created:

Add Track

2b54064a-8739-447f-bb05-288462d98f7c

  • Title: An Old Song
  • Release: Some Songs
  • Artist: RandomBandom
Add Track

115898e8-f35c-448c-a376-4f0ee126e49f

  • Title: An Old Song
  • Release: Some Songs
  • Artist: RandomBandom
Add Track

322b7246-5046-4ff8-909c-4fd899790e11

  • Title: An Old Song
  • Release: Some Songs
  • Artist: RandomBandom
Add Track

bd66b032-4391-4c79-8706-f99e6261ddf5

  • Title: An Old Song
  • Release: Some Songs
  • Artist: RandomBandom


The release will store tracks like this:

Position MBID
1 2b54064a-8739-447f-bb05-288462d98f7c
2 115898e8-f35c-448c-a376-4f0ee126e49f
3 322b7246-5046-4ff8-909c-4fd899790e11
4 bd66b032-4391-4c79-8706-f99e6261ddf5


When tracks are reordered on a release, the MBIDs are simply swapped. For example, swapping track 2 with track 3:

Position MBID
1 2b54064a-8739-447f-bb05-288462d98f7c
2 322b7246-5046-4ff8-909c-4fd899790e11
3 115898e8-f35c-448c-a376-4f0ee126e49f
4 bd66b032-4391-4c79-8706-f99e6261ddf5

If a track name is changed in the release, it simply updates the name on the track:

1. An Old Song -> 1. Ye Olde Songe

Edit Track

2b54064a-8739-447f-bb05-288462d98f7c

  • Title: An Old Song | Ye Olde Songe

Track Groups

  • Instead of selecting a recording when adding a release, you select the work. The track is added to the work, which contains a long list of all associated tracks in some non-default tab.
  • The list of tracks is arranged into track groups, which correspond to specific versions of the work. Track groups each have a corresponding artist and optionally a description.
  • All works have a new field, called "original performer". This contains the artist(s) who originally performed the track. The system uses this field to designate some track groups as "covers".
  • When a track is added to a work, it gets put into the default track group for the track artist. The default track group is probably where most tracks on compilations would end up.
  • You can move a track between track groups, and make new track groups. A track group would be made for every significantly different version of a track. This includes notable remasters.
  • Tracks in a group can have varying lengths. The length is unimportant, as long as the portion of audio that is in a track is the same as other audio in the group.

For example:

Song - "Waterloo"

  • Type: Song
  • Lyrics Language: English
  • Original Performer: ABBA

Track Group by ABBA

  • Track 1: 3:20 (from 1974 US vinyl "Ring Ring")
  • Track 2: 3:20 (from 1974 Swedish vinyl "Ring Ring")
  • Track 3: 3:01 (from 1999 CD "Best of the 70s")

Track Group (single) by ABBA

  • Track 1: 2:32 (from 1975 Swedish single "Waterloo")

Track Group "2001 Remaster" by ABBA

  • Track 1: 3:20 (from 2001 CD "Ring Ring")
  • Track 2: 3:21 (from 2002 CD "ABBA: The Complete 2001 Remasters")

Track Group (cover) by Bjorn Again

  • Track 1: 2:19 (from 1995 CD "Rung Rung")

There are no recordings here.

By default, "Waterloo" album tracks by ABBA will go in the top group, which is the default album track group. "Waterloo" tracks from singles by ABBA will go in the second group by default.

You can move tracks and merge tracks in edits after they've been added. Track groups can also be merged, created and split. In this case, the track group "2001 Remaster" by artist "ABBA" has been created by a user, and the two tracks in there have been moved there after they were added. Alternatively, there's an option when adding a release to put tracks in a specific group, to save editing afterwards, and to create a new group for the track. But these options are hidden by default.

The cover by Bjorn Again has its own group. This is the default group for the artist Bjorn Again, and all "Waterloo" tracks by Bjorn Again will go there. This group was automatically labelled cover, because the original performer is listed as ABBA.

A track group is a group of tracks.