cover Art Sites

This page outlines websites that MusicBrainz can use to retrieve cover art.

There are a number of times that cover art isn't available on Amazon, either due to customer-submitted images or to an absence of a release. Also Amazon does not stock a lot of indie music that other smaller retailers on the net sell.

In order for MusicBrainz to deep link (link directly to a JPEG file on the retailers site) MusicBrainz needs permission from the retailer. Each retailer should be contacted to ask for permission to deep link to their site and MusicBrainz should NOT link to a retailer if no permission has been granted.

Proposed Web Sites

• When adding a site, please include an example release and a direct link to its cover.
• Please also place the sites alphabetically.

Site	Example release	Cover URL	Contacted	Permission URL	Support in MB Server
Apparement.fr (Georges Brassens discography)	Example	Cover	Yes	permission (via archive.org)	Yes (via archive.org)
ArkivMusic	Example	Cover	No	-	No
cake.ography (CAKE discography)	Example	Cover	Yes	permission (via archive.org)	Yes (via archive.org)
CD Baby	Example	Cover	Yes	permission	Yes
cdRoots	Example	Cover	No	-	No
CD Universe	Example	Cover	No	-	No
cede.ch	Example	Cover	Yes	(none yet)	No
Discogs	Example	Cover	No	-	No
Ekleipsi	Example	Cover	Yes	permission (via archive.org)	Yes (via archive.org)
eMusic	Example	Cover	No	-	No
Encyclopaedia Metallum	Example	Cover	Yes	permission (via archive.org)	Yes (via archive.org)
Encyclopédisque (French 7")	Example	Cover	Yes	permission	Yes
Fresh Poulp Records	Example	Cover	No	-	No
Gospel.nl	Example	Cover	Yes	(None yet)	No
HMV.co.uk	Example	Cover	No	-	No
HMV.co.jp	Example	Cover	No	-	No
Homegrown Music Network	Example	Cover	No	-	No
iClassics	Example	Cover	No	-	No
Internet Archive	Example	Cover	Yes	(none yet)	Yes
Jamendo	Example	Cover	Yes	permission	Yes
Juno Records	Example	Cover	No	-	No
Last.fm	Example	Cover	No	-	No
Lokpest (LOK discography)	Example	Cover	Yes	permission (via archive.org)	Yes (via archive.org)
Magnatune	Example	Cover	Yes	permission	Yes
Modern Sky (摩登天空) (MB entry)	Example	Cover	Yes	permission (via archive.org)	Yes (via archive.org)
MusicPlug	Example	Cover	No	-	No
The Movie Music Store (aka SoundtrackINFO)	Example	Cover	No	-	No
Muziekarchief.be (Belgian encyclopedia for discography)	Example	Cover	Yes	In negotiation	No
Ozon.ru (large russian e-store)	Example	Cover	Yes	Affiliate, support included in 10/14/2007 release	Yes
Painful Convictions (Nine Inch Nails fan site)	Example	Cover	Yes	permission (via archive.org)	Yes (via archive.org)
Rate Your Music	Example	Cover	No	-	No
Thåström (Joakim Thåström site)	Example	Cover	Yes	permission	Yes
Universal Poplab (Universal Poplab site)	Example	Cover	Yes	permission	Yes
Wikipedia	Example	Cover	No	-	No
Yalp.it	Example	Cover	No	-	No
YesAsia.com	Example	Cover	No	Possible affiliate?	No
Zvuki.ru (an online russian music encyclopedia)	Example	Cover	No	Embeds logo into coverart (a no-go?)	No

Specific permissions for individual releases is tracked on the Permission For Artwork page.

Supported Web Sites

So far we support the above green-highlighted cover art sites. To create a new cover art link, follow these steps:

• Go to the release you'd like to add cover art to.
• Click on Relate to URL
• Select the has coverart at link type
• For Jamendo and CD Baby enter the URL of the release page, e.g. http://www.jamendo.com/album/1003/ or http://cdbaby.com/cd/esposthumus
• For other sites enter the URL to the image itself (i.e. ends in .jpg or .JPG)
  • archive.org

• For CD Baby and Jamendo, you're done. For archive.org, proceed to the next step
• Since archive.org does not have a consistent scheme for music URLs and coverart URLs, you need to add a separate get the music link to the music page. (e.g. http://www.archive.org/details/xgn017_-_dissident). You can choose any of the 4 get the music' link sub-types.

That should link in the cover art and make sure the Info link below the cover art goes to the right place.

Ruoak has said that links to art on artist's own website may be linked to, but only if written permission to do so is requested and received from the artist or their representative. In such a case, that written permission must be published here in the wiki. -- BrianFreud [2007-05-10:4:33EST]

Using Archive.org's Wayback Machine

Upon a consultation with our IP attorney Ed Cavazos, linking to images in the Wayback machine is OK. You may link any type of album cover in the wayback machine, including bootlegs. However, if we receive a request to remove a link to a Wayback machine image from a copyright owner, we will comply and remove that link.

If you believe that MusicBrainz violates your copyright by linking to a Wayback machine image, please see CopyrightViolationNotice for details on how to report a copyright violation to MusicBrainz.

Contact

This section should contain form letters that volunteers could use to ask for permission. Please volunteer to write such a letter!

References

Discussion on MB-Users: http://www.nabble.com/Proposal%3A-URL-based-cover-art-tf2817425s2885.html#a7863760