Note: you are currently viewing a page in the Sandbox area of the wiki. This area is meant for Wiki editors to work on drafts/work-in-progress pages and proposals for standards changes.
Nothing in this part of the wiki should be considered official site policy until it is moved to the public wiki.
Nothing in this part of the wiki should be considered official site policy until it is moved to the public wiki.
Add release information
English «
Users are able to add/correct release information either by first adding a new release or making a release correction.
Because certain types of releases are handled slightly differently by RYM, the first thing you must do when submitting a release is indicate which of the three categories the release you're submitting best fits into.
The File under field is where you indicate on which artist discography pages the release should appear. For many releases you'll only need to enter one artist here, but in cases of split releases, collaborations and classical releases you must enter all the artists that the release should be attributed to.
To add an artist to the file under section, use the Search box on the right to locate the artist. Clicking the [-] button will remove them, clicking the horizontal grey bars lets you re-order them.
The Credited name option indicates whether the artist in question is actually credited on the release or not. Generally this option needs to remain checked, but there are some specific cases where it makes sense for a release to appear on an artist's discography page even though their name is not credited as such on the album artwork. See also Artist name.
For classical releases, the File under section should be used only for the performers (e.g. conductor, soloist(s), orchestra), not for composers. See Classical music for more information.
This determines what should be used for the artist name when displaying this release in collections and elsewhere on the site.
By default RYM will automatically determine the artist name based on the artist(s) you added in the File under section. In many cases this default option is fine and can be left as is.
However if the default name doesn't match the way that the artist name is written on the release artwork you can use this field to customize it. This is often the case for multi-artist releases. Use the following criteria:
Here is where you may select where to "house" the release. If the release is a Primary issue, then select "This entry is the primary issue." If the release is a Secondary issue, then select the Primary issue from the drop-down list. Note that for Secondary issues under Various Artists, you must provide the [AlbumXXXX] link for the primary issue as it will not appear in the drop-down list.
See Release types for more detailed descriptions of the different release types. Pay particular attention to the Compilation type, which has a specific definition on RYM that may differ from the way that term is used elsewhere.
A complete release date is not required and should only be submitted with a reliable source. Please beware the year you may find on the actual release (such as © & ℗, AKA (c) & (p)...) indicates the copyright date of the release and may differ from the actual release date.
Also be wary of sources like online stores (e.g. Amazon.com), these often list "precise" release dates which are very inaccurate. Instead you should look for more direct sources of information, such as the artist/label themselves, or reliable historical information (discography books, etc.)
Classifiers are a way to categorize releases as part of a Series. Generally this field is most useful/necessary for Various Artists releases, but sometimes it is useful for other releases as well.
You can add as many [DescriptorXXXX] links in this section as apply to the release. You may find the list of Classifiers by clicking "open list" next to this field or browsing the classifiers at Various Artists. Please do not use the ..., ..., or ... classifiers as they are being phased out.
This section only applies to Various Artists releases. You must link the release to at least one of the following classifiers below. Note that you may add as many classifiers to the release as applicable.
Here, add the [LabelXXXX] link for the label which issued the release. If the release was issued by two or more labels, you may list them all, separated by commas. Note that this field should not be used for "tributes" to or "best of's" other labels. For example, Best of Sun Records: Volume One is a Compilation of artists/songs from Sun Records, but the releasing label is Pazzazz.
If the release is a tribute to a certain artist, add the [ArtistXXXX] link of the artist being tributed, e.g. In the Aerorate Over Your Music is a tribute to Neutral Milk Hotel.
This is the title of the release. Titles must adhere to the site-wide Capitalization standards.
When necessary, separate subtitles with a colon, :, and secondary subtitles with a dash, -. Note that subtitles may either be explicitly noted on the cover art with punctuation or graphically noted with spaces, font, color, etc.
Always enter the title in the character set as seen on the cover.
Translations should not be added unless they are actually listed on the cover, in which case, list them in parentheses. For example, see 雲にのりたい (Among the Clouds) / 愛がほしいの (Dreamin').
For searching purposes, transliterations for non-Roman languages may be listed in parentheses regardless of whether they appear on the cover art. For example, see 愛しのサンタマリア (Itoshi no Santa Maria) / 波打つ心 (Nami Utsu Kokoro).
This field is only available on non-primary issues. Reissues sometimes have extra information added to the release title to indicate that it is a special version of the release in question. That information, which is not part of the original release title, can be entered in the Addendum field.
Example: 30th Anniversary Edition
This field should only be used when the release is clearly advertised that way, preferably on the cover art itself (e.g. front cover or spine).
This field is only available for classical releases. If the composers of the work are credited in a certain manner or order on the cover art or spine of the release, then use this field to customize the way the composers will be displayed.
If you leave this empty, then RYM will automatically determine how to display the composers. See Classical music for more information on entering classical releases.
Select the format of the release. Note that you currently can only select one format, so select the "main" format of the release. Any additional material must be noted with Release attributes. In the future it will be possible to specify the exact formats and amounts of the release package.
Note: the Vinyl LP format no longer exists as an option here. Instead, if you select Vinyl as format, 12" as size and the release is set to the Standard album then the format will automatically be displayed as Vinyl LP on the release page.
For USB flash drive releases, one of the Digital formats should be selected and USB/Flash Drive should be used as the Package type attribute.
Only applies to formats that are from the Record and Optical Disc format categories. Otherwise leave this to Not set. For CDs and DVDs, only specify the disc size if it deviates from the standard size (e.g. 3" CD), otherwise also leave this to Not set.
Enter the label responsible for this release. Currently the site does not support listing multiple labels for a release (though this is planned for a future site update), until then list the most important/specific label for the release.
The catalog number is one of the most important pieces of information when entering an issue. It often (but not always) uniquely identifies that particular issue. Please take care when entering it, and especially when changing an existing catalog number to something else. You must have a very good reason to change existing catalog numbers.
For detailed information about Catalog numbers, please read Catalog numbers. That page also contains information about some common misconceptions about what Catalog numbers are and aren't.
Here you select places issued for your entry. Choosing a country (resulting in a country flag in the entry's finished profile) is highly suggested. Take note that one country selected does not mean this issue is available ONLY in that country. For more complete assistance, see Countries issued.
Issue attributes describe various details of a specific issue of a release. Please select as many as are applicable to fully describe the issue that you're submitting. For more information about the specific Issue attributes, see Issue attributes.
Track listings are one of the more elaborate pieces of information to be entered, especially for Various Artists and classical music release. Please see Track listings for help adding a track list and see Standards for track listings for the standardization guidelines.
For classical releases, also make sure you've read Classical music and Classical track listing in particular.
This section lets you specify who performed on this release, what they did and on which tracks. For now credits can only be specified on the primary issue of a release, with the exception of a few special credits that can be specified for reissues. The current credits feature is a transitional feature, in the future it will be possible to supply additional (track) credits for reissues as well.
First you must decide whether to create a linked credit using an [ArtistXXX] shortcut or an unlinked plain text credit.
For people who already exist in the database you must always use a linked credit. For people who are not yet present in the database it depends on whether you have enough information to create an artist page for them. Basically, anyone who can be uniquely identified as an individual should have their own artist page and be linked in the credits. If the person doesn't exist yet in the database you should submit them first.
Occasionally, releases will contain credits that are too vague to make it possible to identify who the person in question actually is, e.g. "John, mixing". In those cases, do not create a profile for "John" because it will be impossible to add any information to that profile, and impossible for anyone else to know whether this is the same person as thousands of other people called John. Instead add them as an unlinked plain-text credit. They can always be linked later on if someone figures out who that person is and is able to submit an artist profile for them.
Err on the side of caution, if you are unsure who a person listed in the credits is then it's generally best to just add them as an unlinked credit for now.
To add a person to the credits, use the Search box to the right. Please do your best to ensure you are adding the correct person. Especially with more common names there may be many options to pick from, and the person you're trying to add may not even be one of them. Look at the search hint, artist profile, genre info to help determine whether you have the correct person or not.
If the person you're looking for is not in the database yet you'll need to submit them before you can add them to the credits here (see Artist profiles). In general it's a good idea to verify that all the artists you need are present in the database before you submit credits information to avoid having to burden the corrections queue with multiple corrections for the same release.
In cases where it isn't possible to create a linked credit because the person isn't identifiable, add the credit as a plain text credit by clicking add credit line and entering the name in the Artist field. For example:
Once you've added a person to the credits you must specify at least one valid role for them (the name of the instrument they played or the duty they performed). You can only pick options that are present in the music role list. If a role you want to add is not available you can submit it for consideration (click New Music Role at the top of the music role list page).
If the credit only applies to a specific track (or multiple tracks), you can specify the track numbers or track ranges that it applies to. You can enter single tracks (A1, A3, A4) or track ranges (1-12), but if you enter a range, it can't span sides or media (you can't enter A3-B3, for example - you need to enter a separate range for each side, e.g. A3-A6, B1-B3).
If a person had different roles on different tracks, you must enter multiple credit lines for the same person to record that information. You can use the down-arrow button on the right of a credit line to duplicate it for that artist, which makes this process a bit easier. When the submission has been approved and you view the information on the release page those credits will automatically be combined together and displayed as a single entry.
Credits example:
Certain credit roles have special meanings and functionality attached to them, below is an explanation of what these roles are and when they should be used. Using these credits will add an "appears on" listing to the artist's discography.
When tracks or releases are listed as "feat. Artist" or "featuring Artist" then you can add a featured credit for that artist. If one or more tracks are specified, the artist will automatically be displayed as "feat. Artist" underneath the track title.
Any other cases where an artist is clearly advertised as having collaborated on a track or release as a guest (usually "with Artist") can be listed as guest. If one or more tracks are specified, the artist will automatically be displayed as "with Artist" underneath the track title.
For non-primary issues you can only enter credits to specify guest performers and featured appearances for the track listing, if there are any. All other types of credits can only be specified on the primary issue for now.
See Credits / Featured artists for examples of what these look like.
You can specify the time period during which the release was recorded here, if that information is available somewhere (usually in the liner notes of the release or on the artist's website).
This field can only be set on the primary issue.
These attributes apply to the release as a whole rather than the specific issue. These can only be set on the primary issue.
Here, list the languages of the lyrics contained on this album, in order of prevalence. Only enter a language if the majority of at least one song is in that language.
Here you must provide a source (or sources) which confirm the requested addition/change. For example, if the source is your own copy of the album, please say so. This field is requisite and your correction may be denied if you don't provide any valid sources. If parts of your submission are likely going to cause a moderator to ask you questions, please pre-emptively supply whatever extra sources/information are necessary to help moderators deal with your submission quickly, both for your benefit (your submission will probably get approved much more quickly) as well as the length of the site queues.
See Sources for general information about RYM's sourcing policies.
Contents |
Release category
Because certain types of releases are handled slightly differently by RYM, the first thing you must do when submitting a release is indicate which of the three categories the release you're submitting best fits into.
- Non-classical release
This is the option that should be selected if neither of the below options apply. The majority of releases fit into this category. - Various Artists (non-classical) release
A non-classical release which contains music from multiple artists, but does not belong in the main discography of any of those artists. - Classical music release (in full or part)
A release containing at least one performance of a classical musical work, often filed under the main discographies of multiple performers.
File under
The File under field is where you indicate on which artist discography pages the release should appear. For many releases you'll only need to enter one artist here, but in cases of split releases, collaborations and classical releases you must enter all the artists that the release should be attributed to.
To add an artist to the file under section, use the Search box on the right to locate the artist. Clicking the [-] button will remove them, clicking the horizontal grey bars lets you re-order them.
Credited name
The Credited name option indicates whether the artist in question is actually credited on the release or not. Generally this option needs to remain checked, but there are some specific cases where it makes sense for a release to appear on an artist's discography page even though their name is not credited as such on the album artwork. See also Artist name.
Classical music
For classical releases, the File under section should be used only for the performers (e.g. conductor, soloist(s), orchestra), not for composers. See Classical music for more information.
Artist name
This determines what should be used for the artist name when displaying this release in collections and elsewhere on the site.
By default RYM will automatically determine the artist name based on the artist(s) you added in the File under section. In many cases this default option is fine and can be left as is.
However if the default name doesn't match the way that the artist name is written on the release artwork you can use this field to customize it. This is often the case for multi-artist releases. Use the following criteria:
- If there is only one performer on the release, or if only one artist is featured prominently on the cover or spine, then the Credited name checkbox in the Filed under section of the release page should be checked for that artist.
- If multiple performers are featured prominently on the spine or cover, and the names are separated by a "/", then the Credited name checkbox in the Filed under section should be checked for those artists.
- If multiple performers are featured prominently, and the names are written in another manner, then the name should be entered in the Artist name section. If the name begins with an article or a person's first name, put that in the First name field, and the rest in the Last name field.
Primary issue
Here is where you may select where to "house" the release. If the release is a Primary issue, then select "This entry is the primary issue." If the release is a Secondary issue, then select the Primary issue from the drop-down list. Note that for Secondary issues under Various Artists, you must provide the [AlbumXXXX] link for the primary issue as it will not appear in the drop-down list.
Release type
See Release types for more detailed descriptions of the different release types. Pay particular attention to the Compilation type, which has a specific definition on RYM that may differ from the way that term is used elsewhere.
Release date
A complete release date is not required and should only be submitted with a reliable source. Please beware the year you may find on the actual release (such as © & ℗, AKA (c) & (p)...) indicates the copyright date of the release and may differ from the actual release date.
Also be wary of sources like online stores (e.g. Amazon.com), these often list "precise" release dates which are very inaccurate. Instead you should look for more direct sources of information, such as the artist/label themselves, or reliable historical information (discography books, etc.)
Classifiers
Classifiers are a way to categorize releases as part of a Series. Generally this field is most useful/necessary for Various Artists releases, but sometimes it is useful for other releases as well.
You can add as many [DescriptorXXXX] links in this section as apply to the release. You may find the list of Classifiers by clicking "open list" next to this field or browsing the classifiers at Various Artists. Please do not use the ..., ..., or ... classifiers as they are being phased out.
V/A links
This section only applies to Various Artists releases. You must link the release to at least one of the following classifiers below. Note that you may add as many classifiers to the release as applicable.
Label(s)
Here, add the [LabelXXXX] link for the label which issued the release. If the release was issued by two or more labels, you may list them all, separated by commas. Note that this field should not be used for "tributes" to or "best of's" other labels. For example, Best of Sun Records: Volume One is a Compilation of artists/songs from Sun Records, but the releasing label is Pazzazz.
Tribute(s)
If the release is a tribute to a certain artist, add the [ArtistXXXX] link of the artist being tributed, e.g. In the Aerorate Over Your Music is a tribute to Neutral Milk Hotel.
Title
This is the title of the release. Titles must adhere to the site-wide Capitalization standards.
Subtitles
When necessary, separate subtitles with a colon, :, and secondary subtitles with a dash, -. Note that subtitles may either be explicitly noted on the cover art with punctuation or graphically noted with spaces, font, color, etc.
- Examples:
- Atlantic Rhythm and Blues 1947-1974: Volume 1 - 1947-1952 is a basic example of a title with multiple subtitles.
- Kicking Television: Live in Chicago contains no punctuation in the title on the cover art, however, the different font and color suggests that "Live in Chicago" should be treated as a subtitle.
Titles containing non-Latin characters
Always enter the title in the character set as seen on the cover.
Translations should not be added unless they are actually listed on the cover, in which case, list them in parentheses. For example, see 雲にのりたい (Among the Clouds) / 愛がほしいの (Dreamin').
For searching purposes, transliterations for non-Roman languages may be listed in parentheses regardless of whether they appear on the cover art. For example, see 愛しのサンタマリア (Itoshi no Santa Maria) / 波打つ心 (Nami Utsu Kokoro).
Addendum
This field is only available on non-primary issues. Reissues sometimes have extra information added to the release title to indicate that it is a special version of the release in question. That information, which is not part of the original release title, can be entered in the Addendum field.
Example: 30th Anniversary Edition
This field should only be used when the release is clearly advertised that way, preferably on the cover art itself (e.g. front cover or spine).
Credited composers
This field is only available for classical releases. If the composers of the work are credited in a certain manner or order on the cover art or spine of the release, then use this field to customize the way the composers will be displayed.
If you leave this empty, then RYM will automatically determine how to display the composers. See Classical music for more information on entering classical releases.
Format issued
Select the format of the release. Note that you currently can only select one format, so select the "main" format of the release. Any additional material must be noted with Release attributes. In the future it will be possible to specify the exact formats and amounts of the release package.
Note: the Vinyl LP format no longer exists as an option here. Instead, if you select Vinyl as format, 12" as size and the release is set to the Standard album then the format will automatically be displayed as Vinyl LP on the release page.
Digital
For USB flash drive releases, one of the Digital formats should be selected and USB/Flash Drive should be used as the Package type attribute.
Disc size
Only applies to formats that are from the Record and Optical Disc format categories. Otherwise leave this to Not set. For CDs and DVDs, only specify the disc size if it deviates from the standard size (e.g. 3" CD), otherwise also leave this to Not set.
Label
Enter the label responsible for this release. Currently the site does not support listing multiple labels for a release (though this is planned for a future site update), until then list the most important/specific label for the release.
Catalog number
The catalog number is one of the most important pieces of information when entering an issue. It often (but not always) uniquely identifies that particular issue. Please take care when entering it, and especially when changing an existing catalog number to something else. You must have a very good reason to change existing catalog numbers.
For detailed information about Catalog numbers, please read Catalog numbers. That page also contains information about some common misconceptions about what Catalog numbers are and aren't.
Countries issued
Here you select places issued for your entry. Choosing a country (resulting in a country flag in the entry's finished profile) is highly suggested. Take note that one country selected does not mean this issue is available ONLY in that country. For more complete assistance, see Countries issued.
Issue attributes
Issue attributes describe various details of a specific issue of a release. Please select as many as are applicable to fully describe the issue that you're submitting. For more information about the specific Issue attributes, see Issue attributes.
Track listing
Track listings are one of the more elaborate pieces of information to be entered, especially for Various Artists and classical music release. Please see Track listings for help adding a track list and see Standards for track listings for the standardization guidelines.
For classical releases, also make sure you've read Classical music and Classical track listing in particular.
Credits
This section lets you specify who performed on this release, what they did and on which tracks. For now credits can only be specified on the primary issue of a release, with the exception of a few special credits that can be specified for reissues. The current credits feature is a transitional feature, in the future it will be possible to supply additional (track) credits for reissues as well.
Linked or unlinked?
First you must decide whether to create a linked credit using an [ArtistXXX] shortcut or an unlinked plain text credit.
For people who already exist in the database you must always use a linked credit. For people who are not yet present in the database it depends on whether you have enough information to create an artist page for them. Basically, anyone who can be uniquely identified as an individual should have their own artist page and be linked in the credits. If the person doesn't exist yet in the database you should submit them first.
Occasionally, releases will contain credits that are too vague to make it possible to identify who the person in question actually is, e.g. "John, mixing". In those cases, do not create a profile for "John" because it will be impossible to add any information to that profile, and impossible for anyone else to know whether this is the same person as thousands of other people called John. Instead add them as an unlinked plain-text credit. They can always be linked later on if someone figures out who that person is and is able to submit an artist profile for them.
Err on the side of caution, if you are unsure who a person listed in the credits is then it's generally best to just add them as an unlinked credit for now.
Add linked credit
To add a person to the credits, use the Search box to the right. Please do your best to ensure you are adding the correct person. Especially with more common names there may be many options to pick from, and the person you're trying to add may not even be one of them. Look at the search hint, artist profile, genre info to help determine whether you have the correct person or not.
If the person you're looking for is not in the database yet you'll need to submit them before you can add them to the credits here (see Artist profiles). In general it's a good idea to verify that all the artists you need are present in the database before you submit credits information to avoid having to burden the corrections queue with multiple corrections for the same release.
Add unlinked credit
In cases where it isn't possible to create a linked credit because the person isn't identifiable, add the credit as a plain text credit by clicking add credit line and entering the name in the Artist field. For example:
Roles
Once you've added a person to the credits you must specify at least one valid role for them (the name of the instrument they played or the duty they performed). You can only pick options that are present in the music role list. If a role you want to add is not available you can submit it for consideration (click New Music Role at the top of the music role list page).
Per-track credits
If the credit only applies to a specific track (or multiple tracks), you can specify the track numbers or track ranges that it applies to. You can enter single tracks (A1, A3, A4) or track ranges (1-12), but if you enter a range, it can't span sides or media (you can't enter A3-B3, for example - you need to enter a separate range for each side, e.g. A3-A6, B1-B3).
If a person had different roles on different tracks, you must enter multiple credit lines for the same person to record that information. You can use the down-arrow button on the right of a credit line to duplicate it for that artist, which makes this process a bit easier. When the submission has been approved and you view the information on the release page those credits will automatically be combined together and displayed as a single entry.
Credits example:
Special credits
Certain credit roles have special meanings and functionality attached to them, below is an explanation of what these roles are and when they should be used. Using these credits will add an "appears on" listing to the artist's discography.
Featured
When tracks or releases are listed as "feat. Artist" or "featuring Artist" then you can add a featured credit for that artist. If one or more tracks are specified, the artist will automatically be displayed as "feat. Artist" underneath the track title.
Guest
Any other cases where an artist is clearly advertised as having collaborated on a track or release as a guest (usually "with Artist") can be listed as guest. If one or more tracks are specified, the artist will automatically be displayed as "with Artist" underneath the track title.
Issue credits
For non-primary issues you can only enter credits to specify guest performers and featured appearances for the track listing, if there are any. All other types of credits can only be specified on the primary issue for now.
See Credits / Featured artists for examples of what these look like.
Performance/Recording date
You can specify the time period during which the release was recorded here, if that information is available somewhere (usually in the liner notes of the release or on the artist's website).
This field can only be set on the primary issue.
Performance attributes
These attributes apply to the release as a whole rather than the specific issue. These can only be set on the primary issue.
Languages
Here, list the languages of the lyrics contained on this album, in order of prevalence. Only enter a language if the majority of at least one song is in that language.
Sources
Here you must provide a source (or sources) which confirm the requested addition/change. For example, if the source is your own copy of the album, please say so. This field is requisite and your correction may be denied if you don't provide any valid sources. If parts of your submission are likely going to cause a moderator to ask you questions, please pre-emptively supply whatever extra sources/information are necessary to help moderators deal with your submission quickly, both for your benefit (your submission will probably get approved much more quickly) as well as the length of the site queues.
See Sources for general information about RYM's sourcing policies.