nik wrote:

This post will attempt to list any changes made to the Submission Guidelines. No discussion or comment will be permitted in this thread, please start a thread in the Discogs General forum for any issues that arise.

----------------------------------

29th August 2008 http://www.discogs.com/help/submissio...to_include - Do not paste the same review to multiple versions of the same release. Only enter your review once (to the version that you own or are reviewing).

25th June 2008 Small update to http://www.discogs.com/help/submissio...title.html - "For double A-sided releases with no overall title, or more than one equally-featured title, use both titles separated by a slash."

2nd June 2008 http://www.discogs.com/help/submissio...rules.html has been slightly altered to allow some non-audio items into the database that are on audio formats and have a label / catalog number.

2nd June 2008 Small addition to the wording at The_Join_Field_And_Artist_Collaboration

14th May 2008 Removed Podcast restriction from http://www.discogs.com/help/submissio...html#Files

9th April 2008 Remove release guidelines added at http://www.discogs.com/help/submissio...lease.html and the voting guidelines updated http://www.discogs.com/help/voting-guidelines.html

10th March 2008 The guideline review is now live, most pages have been reviewed for clarity, and rules have been altered as per the discussions. please see the main news post for the full summary.

28th January 2008 Added some new territories to the country dropdown list.

10th January 2008 - Removed the line "The release is not available on any physical medium (it has to be MP3-exclusive)." from http://www.discogs.com/help/submissio...ormat.html - The MP3 guidelines are being worked on more at http://wiki.discogs.com/index.php/Dis...To_Discogs

30th December 2007 - Removed the rule forbidding spaces in track numbers, simplified the requirements for unusual track numbering.

27th Nov 2007 - Added to submission-guidelines-release-country - NCB = Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, Lithuania, Estonia - also written as "n©b".

20th November 2007 - Added an explanation regarding "In Groups" entry to http://www.discogs.com/help/submissio...rtist.html - "Each group must be entered on a separate line. They will be put automatically in a row in alphabetical order."

16th November 2007 - Updated the definition for the credit role Directed By - Can be used for all types of music or non-music (radio plays etc) Director roles, but not to be used for video roles.

30th October 2007 - Entering Credits That Does Not Appear On The Release guidelines added.

10th October 2007 - Added a section regarding crediting non-specific groups http://www.discogs.com/help/submissio...tist.html.

2nd October 2007 Updated the Release Title Guidelines to explain how to enter titles with Introductory words.

18th September 2007 - Allowing all Unique Releases, please see link for further information.

20th September 2007 - Updated the http://www.discogs.com/help/submissio...title.html page - added in a guideline regarding scare quotes.

14th September 2007 - Added to the image guidelines - "Images should be static, no animated GIFs please."

30th August 2007 - Added a new section regarding eponymous artists

2nd August 2007 - Removed the 'DJ Mix must have Various as main artist' rule, and compacted the guidelines for other required credits.

26th July 2007 - Errors and Conflicting Information - Describes how we should enter, correct, and explain errors and conflicting information.

22 June 2007 - Updated the guidelines to explain the new submission limit.

21st June 2007 - Added some new styles.

19th June 2007 - Updated guidelines for the introduction of Classical music.

28th May 2007 - New version of the credit list is now live at http://www.discogs.com/help/creditslist. This list is 'active' in the sense that it is now tied in with the error checking routine, so new roles will be accepted once added. The display of this list will be worked on to make it easier to use. The whole of the guidelines have also been swept for broken links, and undated as needed.

22 may 2007 - http://help.discogs.com/wiki/Bugs updated for new bug reporting method. Google help section search box added to help section (Google needs to update it's cache for this to be effective, I guess it will do so in the next week or thereabouts).

19th April 2007 - Updated the rules regarding the compilation tag - "This tag should only be used where it is clear the item was released as such, for example it is explicitly mentioned on the release, or by the label, artist, or other reliable source." - http://help.discogs.com/wiki/Submissi...inesFormat

16th April 2007 - Updated for clarity the guidelines on Album, EP, Single etc tags. http://help.discogs.com/wiki/Submissi...inesFormat

5th march 2007 - Spacing made explicit in the allowed ANV rules - "Variations in punctuation, spelling, spacing etc are allowed, providing they exist on the release." http://help.discogs.com/wiki/Submissi...inesArtist

5th March 2007 - Removed "Note that in no case is "featuring" suitable for the Join Field, it belongs to Credits" from http://help.discogs.com/wiki/SubmissionGuidelines and , as this is not true any more with the recent change of guidelines.

26th Feb - 'Presents' guideline clarified, so it is clear this only needs to be added as a credit in the absence of any other credits.

23rd Feb - Updated 'Memory Stick' definition: "Memory Stick - Used at Discogs as a generic term, mostly found as USB 'flash drive'."

22nd Feb - Added a section regarding the validity of physical releases for inclusion to the database.

19th Feb - Featuring and Presents rules have been changed to allow these to be used as main artist joins. Please see link for full details.

15th Feb - Updated the Release Notes Guideline to remove reference to items that are now in the format field (white labels etc).

13th Feb - Updated the image guidelines to make the rules regarding height clear - "Images taller than 600 pixels and shorter than 150 pixels are acceptable as long as they are relevant to the release / artist / label, and follow the other image rules."

9th Feb Format Guidelines - Added a definition for the White label tag, updated the Sampler tag definition to include multiple releases being made into a sampler.

5th Feb Updated the format guidelines relating to Album, Mini-Album, EP, Maxi-Single, and Single tags. If there is doubt, these fields should not be used. Do not guess at or attempt to apply your own standard to these tags.

2 Feb 2006 Added a written-by vs written by section to the credits page and the credit list page. This updates the Written By rule by adding "If the full name of the artist is displayed on the release you must use the linked Written-By credit, but can also use the unlinked credit if the formatting is of significance."

25th January - Added new roles to the credit list.

24th January - Clarified some text on the Tracklisting page.

15th January - Updated the format guideline page regarding eligibility of video releases.

9th Jan - Updated http://help.discogs.com/wiki/BrowsingSearching - added in Unicode help, tidied up the text.

8th Jan 2007 - added "Using the date of the original release is incorrect, but it is beneficial to add "Originally released in XXXX" to the Release Notes." to the Released guidelines.

3 Jan 2007 - Added clarification for the 'Other' credit, and added some guidelines for "Thank you" type lists

30 Nov 2006 - Updated the left hand sidebar links on all guideline pages to add Format, Image, and Credit List links, removed the 'Mixed' section and appended the instruction to the format page - http://help.discogs.com/ticket/2205.

30 Nov 2006 - Updated the rule regarding the 'Limited Edition' format description

27 Nov 2006 - Updated the Label / Catalog number section.

nik wrote:

http://help.discogs.com/wiki/Submissi...lCatNumber

=======================
NEW
=======================

Label

If the required label is not in Discogs yet, it will be created when you submit and made live after the first related release is accepted. Please check (using the search function) that the label is not already present under a slightly different name to that printed on your release. Releases which are not on a label should be listed under the Not On Label meta-label, or if appropriate, one of the sub-labels that have been created on Discogs to manage themed groups of Not On Label entries.

Catalog Number

If the label already has releases in Discogs, please confirm on the label page that the supplied catalog number follows the correct format. Where no catalog number exists, you must enter "none" into the catalog number field (note the lower case n). In some cases it may be necessary to manipulate the catalog number to ensure the logical sorting of releases on the label page. If any such manipulation is required, be sure to mention this in both the Moderator Notes and the Release Notes.

Label country names and different labels with the same name

For label names, the country in brackets should only be used to distinguish national branches of the same company, as is the case for many major labels. For labels that share the same name, a number in brackets should be used, for example "LabelName", "LabelName (2), "LabelName (3)" etc.

Multiple labels and catalog numbers

It is possible to list more than one label on a release. This is only to be used in the case of a joint release between two or more labels or where an individual release has multiple catalog numbers on one label. e.g. 2 labels release something and each give their own catalog number to the release. This is not to be used for the same release being re-issued by a different label – this would require a unique Discogs entry. If a release has both sub-label and parent label catalog numbers, they should all be listed, in order to complete the relevant discographies. If it was released on multiple labels but one label was more involved in the release, list that label first.

For each label field that is added a catalog number field will also be added. These must be completed, not left empty. The sequence of catalog numbers should match the sequence of label fields (e.g. if 3 labels are listed the catalogue number assigned by the label in the 3rd label field should be added to the 3rd catalog number field. If all labels used the same catalog number this should be added to all catalog number fields.

Where an individual release has multiple catalog numbers on one label, the first catalog number field should contain the catalogue number that best matches the label’s catalog system.



=======================
OLD
=======================

Label

If the required label is not in Discogs yet, it will be created when you submit and made live after the first related release is accepted. Please check (using the search function) that the label is not already present under a slightly different name to that printed on your release. Releases which are not on a label should be listed under the Not On Label meta-label, or if appropriate, one of the sub-labels that have been created on Discogs to manage themed groups of Not On Label entries.

Catalog Number

If the label already has releases in Discogs, please confirm on the label page that the supplied catalog number follows the correct format. Where no catalog number exists, you must enter "none" into the catalog number field (note the lower case n). In some cases it may be necessary to manipulate the catalog number to ensure the logical sorting of releases on the label page. If any such manipulation is required, be sure to mention this in both the Moderator Notes and the Release Notes.

Label country names and different labels with the same name

For label names, the country in brackets should only be used to distinguish national branches of the same company, as is the case for many major labels. For labels that share the same name, a number in brackets should be used, for example "LabelName", "LabelName (2), "LabelName (3)" etc.

Multiple labels and catalog numbers

It is possible to list more than one label on a release. This is only to be used in the case of a joint release between two or more labels or where an individual release has multiple catalog numbers on one label. e.g. 2 labels release something and each give their own catalog number to the release. This is not to be used for the same release being re-issued by a different label – this would require a unique Discogs entry. If a release has both sub-label and parent label catalog numbers, they should all be listed, in order to complete the relevant discographies. If it was released on multiple labels but one label was more involved in the release, list that label first.

For each label field that is added a catalog number field will also be added. These must be completed, not left empty. The sequence of catalog numbers should match the sequence of label fields (e.g. if 3 labels are listed the catalogue number assigned by the label in the 3rd label field should be added to the 3rd catalog number field. If all labels used the same catalog number this should be added to all catalog number fields.

Where an individual release has multiple catalog numbers on one label, the first catalog number field should contain the catalogue number that best matches the label’s catalog system.

nik wrote:

http://help.discogs.com/wiki/Submissi...inesFormat

NEW:

Only items that have this printed on them somewhere (stickers etc), or were originally marketed by the label as such, should be tagged as 'Limited Edition'.

OLD:

This should only be used when the release itself states it is a limited edition AND we need to distinguish it from a regular version in the database.

nik wrote:

http://help.discogs.com/wiki/Submissi...CreditList

Other - for other roles credited on the release that are not musical or technical, and should not be linked, for example, catering personel, managers, drivers etc

http://help.discogs.com/wiki/Submissi...nesCredits

Thanks - "Thank you" type lists should only be added to the credits if it is clear the person/s or group/s had direct involvment with the creation of the recording. General thanks, shout outs, hello's etc should not be added to the credit section, and can be added to the notes if required.

nik wrote:

http://help.discogs.com/wiki/BrowsingSearching

NEW PAGE

Browse

Discogs is organized around artists, labels, and releases.

* An artist page lists all of the releases from that artist
* A label page lists all of the releases from that label
* A release page lists details of that release (year releases, tracklisting, etc).

You can browse a list of all artists or labels by the letter that they begin with. For example, all artists beginning with "A". Go to the home page and under the "Browse" section, click the letter of the artist or label you want to browse by.
Unicode

Discogs allows and encourages the correct use of Unicode characters for data entry. Sometimes, your computer or browser will not be able to display these characters unless you have set up your computer to do so. For those that can't see some of the Unicode characters, this article describes what to do for most browsers and operating systems.
Search

The search option is located in the upper left hand part of every Discogs page. Simply enter the word(s) you would like to search for and click Search. This will search all releases, artists, and labels. There is also a drop down which you can use to restrict your search to releases, artists, or labels only.

If there is an artist or label which matches your search query exactly, it will be listed at the top under "Exact Matches".

If the search returns only one result you will automatically redirected to that page.

You can download a Discogs search extent ion for Mozilla here!

NOTE: The search engine cannot find single character words. Single character words are ignored, so searching for "A-Sides" is essentially the same as searching for "Sides".

NOTE: The Discogs search engine is updated once per day so new additions will not appear in the search results immediately.
Search Options

You can add various options to your searches to get more precise results. Examples:

* Phrase Search - "one two" - will find all pages with "one" and "two" next to each other.

* Boolean Search - one AND two - will find all pages containing the words "one" and "two".

* force/restrict words - one -two - will find all pages containing "one" but without "two". one two +three - will find all pages containing three, and possibly containing one or two
Search within fields

You can add a field name to your query to restrict the search to certain release fields. format: "field:word". The following fields can be used: catno:, format:, artist:, label:, country:, track:, style:
Example Searches
Search will find...
classics style:techno all releases with artist, title or label containing "classics" and style of techno
delano style:"tech house" all releases with artist, title or label containing "delano" and style of "tech house"
label:svek AND 1997 finds all releases with label Svek and containing the word 1997
artist:afx AND country:UK finds all releases with artist afx and country UK
format:7 -country:US find all releases with format containing 7 (7") and not released in the US
track:"high society" find tracks with the phrase "high society"
artist:tricky AND style:downtempo find all releases with artist tricky and having style downtempo.
Search Shortcuts

The following shortcuts are available to quickly jump to a specific page:
Type Syntax Example Will take you to...
Release r:xxxx r:1234 http://www.discogs.com/release/1234
User u:xxxx u:teo http://www.discogs.com/user/teo
Change Request c:xxxx c:1234 http://www.discogs.com/changereq?id=1234
Ticket t:xxxx t:555 http://help.discogs.com/ticket/555


==============================
OLD PAGE:
------------------------------
Browsing and Searching Discogs

Browse

Discogs is organized around artists, labels, and releases. * An artist page lists all of the releases from that artist * A label page lists all of the releases from that label * A release page lists details of that release (year releases, tracklisting, etc). You can browse a list of all artists or labels by the letter that they begin with. For example, all artists beginning with "A". Go to the home page and under the "Browse" section, click the letter of the artist or label you want to browse by.
Search

The search option is located in the upper left hand part of every Discogs page. Simply enter the word(s) you would like to search for and click Search. This will search all releases, artists, and labels. There is also a dropdown which you can use to restict your search to releases, artists, labels, or catalog numbers only.

If there is an artist or label which matches your search query exactly, it will be listed at the top under "Exact Matches".

If your search returns only one result you will automatically redirected to that page.
Search Options

You can add various options to your searches to get more precise results. Examples:

* Phrase Search - "one two" - will find all pages with "one" and "two" next to each other.

* Boolean Search - one AND two - will find all pages containing the words "one" and "two".

* force/restrict words - one -two - will find all pages containing "one" but without "two". one two +three - will find all pages containing three, and possibly containing one or two

Search withing fields

You can add a field name to your query to restrict the search to certain release fields. format: "field:word". The following fields can be used: catno:, format:, artist:, label:, country:, track:, style:
Example Searches

* label:svek AND 1997 - finds all releases with label Svek and containing the word 1997

* artist:afx AND country:UK - finds all releases with artist afx and country UK

* format:7 -country:US - find all releases with format containing 7 (7") and not released in the US

* track:"high society" - find tracks with the phrase "high society"

* artist:tricky AND style:downtempo - find all releases with artist tricky and having style downtempo.

Search Shortcuts

The following shortcuts are available to quickly jump to a specific page:
Type Syntax Example Will take you to...
Release r:xxxx r:1234 http://www.discogs.com/release/1234
User u:xxxx u:teo http://www.discogs.com/user/teo
Change Request c:xxxx c:1234 http://www.discogs.com/changereq?id=1234
Ticket t:xxxx t:555 http://help.discogs.com/ticket/555

nik wrote:

http://help.discogs.com/wiki/Submissi...inesFormat

Added




Removed

nik wrote:

Clarified some text on the Tracklisting page.

http://help.discogs.com/wiki/Submissi...acklisting

NEW

By default, four tracks are entered. Should you need more, use the "Add Tracks" button, or the "Insert Track" link. Should you need less, remove empty tracks with the "Delete Track" link. Do not leave empty tracks behind. Only add as many as you need.
Position

The position numbering of the track on the release. Do not use spaces in the track position. Standard positions encountered at Discogs are:

Without sides - CD etc:

1
2...

With sides - LP, 12", 7", cassette etc:

A1
A2...
B1
B2...

For multiple 12", LP, etc, just continue the letters: ...C1, C2, D1, D2 etc. Side specification is mandatory.
If the release is a one-sided vinyl or cassette (or is a set containing such an item) you must mention it in the Release Notes.

Multiple CDs etc:

1.01
1.02...
2.01
2.02...

On multi-disc CD releases any format which differentiates each disc is accepted (CD1-01, 1.01, CD1.01, etc). Prefixing positions with zeroes is not required.

For Enhanced CDs containing Video material, use Video (or Video1, Video2 etc with no space between Video and the number) in the TrackPosition field. Enter the Video tracks after the audio material. In the Release Notes, mention any specific software included in order to view the Video material and/or the technology required to view the Video material (e.g. "Video material viewable on PC and Mac. Videos launched automatically in a new Window")

For vinyl releases with a single track per side, trailing numbers are not required (e.g. you can use A instead of A1), but they are acceptable. Preference goes to the way it's listed on the physical release.

It is not unusual for vinyl albums to list tracks sequentially, regardless of sides (e.g. A1, A2, B3, B4, C5, C6, D7, D8): this is fine but should be clarified in Release Notes.

Some labels use lowercase letters, or list the sides in some other way (calling the sides X and Y, for example); this is fine. Submit in a way that is consistent with the label's practice. Keep in mind that the aim is that the user be able to easily match what the release reads with what Discogs reads.

More creative track positions such as "Up, Down" (for example) are acceptable if under fifteen characters long, and were listed like that on the release. However, track positions such as this can only be used if they distinguish the sides clearly enough. For this reason, position names such as "This Side, That Side" are NOT a good candidate for this field. In this case, please use the standard positions, and mention the special position numbering in the notes.

Normal capitalization rules apply.

Artist

The artist for this track. It is also possible to use more than one artist and join fields by clicking the "+" button. The same guidelines apply as to the main artist. This field should not be filled in, nor even added, if all of the tracks are by the same artist.

Title

The title of the track. Discogs requires full track titles, and the standard format is: "Name Of Track (Version)". Where versions of tracks are included which have the same track title but do not have version titles, mention this in Release Notes. Abbreviations and case follow the usual rules.

All tracks on a release must be listed, including locked grooves, short bonus tracks and so on. Detail special features (locked grooves, double concentric groove, hidden tracks, inside-out cut, etc.) in Release Notes, not in the track listing. Additional information on hidden tracks should be added to Release Notes. An untitled locked groove should be "Untitled" and Release Notes mention "Track xx is a locked groove".

Extra Artist

The extra artist for this track. It is also possible to use more than one artist by clicking the "+" button. The same guidelines apply as to the Credits. This field should not be filled in, nor even added, if no extra artist is present on a track.

Duration

Track durations are optional, yet should be entered whenever available. The only accepted format is "0:00". Durations have to be entered for all tracks or none, not for a selection of tracks. When submitting track durations for non-digital formats (e.g. vinyl, cassette etc.), please mention in Moderator Notes and if appropriate Release Notes from where the durations were derived.

Index Tracks

Index Tracks are used to denote groups of tracks (for example: movements in a musical piece, or where a range of tracks are given a collective title).

Index tracks should never be used 'on their own', they should always refer to a group of audio tracks directly below.

Index Tracks should only be used only when the release itself divides the tracks into named sections in some way. Index Tracks should not be used for denoting the sides, track positions, or separate media of a release (the track numbers are used for this), or for adding incidental information (e.g. bonus tracks) which belongs in the Release Notes.

For Index Tracks that only apply to some tracks in the middle of an otherwise normal list of tracks, it is necessary to add a blank Index Track containing a single dash (-) between the last track in the group and above the subsequent tracks which are not part of the group.


OLD

By default, four tracks are entered. Should you need more, use the "Add Tracks" button, or the "ins" button. Should you need less, remove empty tracks with the "del" button. Do not leave empty tracks behind. Only add as many as you need.
Position

The position numbering of the track on the release. Do not use spaces in the track position. Standard positions encountered at Discogs are:

Without sides - CD etc:

1
2...

With sides - LP, 12", 7", cassette etc:

A1
A2...
B1
B2...

For multiple 12", LP, etc, just continue the letters: ...C1, C2, D1, D2 etc. Side specification is mandatory.
If the release is a one-sided vinyl or cassette (or is a set containing such an item) you must mention it in the Release Notes.

Multiple CDs etc:

1.01
1.02...
2.01
2.02...

On multi-disc CD releases any format which differentiates each disc is accepted (CD1-01, 1.01, CD1.01, etc). Prefixing positions with zeroes is not required.

For Enhanced CDs containing Video material, use Video (or Video1, Video2 etc with no space between Video and the number) in the TrackPosition field. Enter the Video tracks after the audio material. In the Release Notes, mention any specific software included in order to view the Video material and/or the technology required to view the Video material (e.g. "Video material viewable on PC and Mac. Videos launched automatically in a new Window")

For single track per side vinyl, trailing numbers are not required (e.g. you can use A instead of A1), but they are acceptable. Preference goes to the way it's listed on the physical release.
It is not unusual for vinyl albums to list tracks sequentially, regardless of sides (e.g. A1, A2, B3, B4, C5, C6, D7, D8): this is fine.

Some labels use lowercase letters, or list the sides in some other way (calling the sides X and Y, for example); this is fine. Submit in a way that is consistent with the label's practice. Keep in mind that the aim is that the user be able to easily match what the release reads with what Discogs reads.

More creative track positions such as "Up, Down" (for example) are acceptable if under fifteen characters long, and were listed like that on the release. However, track positions such as this can only be used if they distinguish the sides clearly enough. For this reason, position names such as "This Side, That Side" are NOT a good candidate for this field. In this case, please use the standard positions, and mention the special position numbering in the notes.

Normal capitalization rules apply.
Artist

The artist for this track. It is also possible to use more than one artist and join fields by clicking the "+" button. The same guidelines apply as to the main artist. This field should not be filled in, nor even added, if all of the tracks are by the same artist.
Title

The title of the track. Discogs requires full track titles, and the standard format is: "Name Of Track (Version)". Abbreviations and case follow the usual rules.

All tracks need being listed, including locked grooves, short bonus tracks and so on. Mention special pressing (locked grooves, double concentric groove, inside-out cut, ...) in thenotes field, not in track listing.

An untitled locked groove should be named "Untitled" and "Track xx is a locked groove" should be added to the notes.
Extra Artist

The extra artist for this track. It is also possible to use more than one artist by clicking the "+" button. The same guidelines apply as to the Credits. This field should not be filled in, nor even added, if no extra artist is present on a track.
Duration

Track durations are optional, yet should be entered whenever available. The only accepted format is "0:00". Durations have to be entered for all tracks or none, not for a selection of tracks.
Index Tracks

Index Tracks are used to denote groups of tracks (for example: movements in a musical piece, or where a range of tracks are given a collective title).

Index tracks should never be used 'on their own', they should always refer to a group of audio tracks directly below.

Index Tracks should only be used only when the release itself divides the tracks into named sections in some way. Index Tracks should not be used for denoting the sides, track positions, or separate media of a release (the track numbers are used for this), or for adding incidental information which belongs in the Release Notes.

For Index Tracks that only apply to some tracks in the middle of an otherwise normal list of tracks, it is necessary to add a blank Index Track containing a single dash (-) between the last track in the group and above the subsequent tracks which are not part of the group.

nik wrote:

ADDED ROLES

http://help.discogs.com/wiki/Submissi...CreditList

To the top of the page - "Rather than searching this list manually, you can use the 'Find' feature in your browser to look for the roles you need ("Ctrl + F" on windows machines)."

Charango - A small South American stringed instrument of the lute family, about 66 cm long, traditionally made with the shell of the back of an armadillo

Conch - Conch shells are made into crude bugles by removing the small tip of the shell to form a mouthpiece. Most shells will only naturally play one note, but with pitch manipulations, multiple sounds can be achieved.

Erfu - Chinese violin type instrument

Rainstick - A long, hollow tube which is filled with small baubles such as beads or beans and has small pins arranged helically on its inside surface. When the stick is upended, the beads fall to the other end of the tube, making a sound reminiscent of a rainstorm as they bounce off the pins. The rainstick is generally used to create atmospheric sound effects or as a percussion instrument.

Udu - a water jug with one more hole, usually made of clay.

Biwa - A Japanese short-necked fretted lute, and a close variant of the Chinese pipa.

Tom Tom - a cylindrical drum with no snare.

Handclaps

Huqin - a family of bowed string instruments used in Chinese music. The most common huqin are the erhu (essentially a Chinese violin, also spelt Urhu), zhonghu (Chinese viola), and gaohu (a higher pitched instrument commonly used in Cantonese music.) Over thirty types of huqin instruments have been documented.

Chorus Master

Loops

Washboard - The washboard and frottoir are used as a percussion instrument, employing the ribbed metal surface of the cleaning device as a rhythm instrument. It is played primarily by tapping and, but also scraping, the washboard with thimbles.

Jug - A jug (usually made of glass or stoneware) played with the mouth. With an embouchure like that used for a brass instrument, the musician holds the mouth of the jug about an inch from his or her mouth and emits a blast of sound, made by a "buzzing" of the lips, directly into it. The jug does not touch the musician's mouth, but serves as a resonating chamber to amplify and enrich the sound made by the musician's lips. Changes in pitch are controlled by loosening or tightening the lips, and an accomplished jugplayer might have a two octave range.

Accompanied By - Generic credit for backing musicians. Specific roles should be used instead if known.

Instrumentation By

Bombarde - A folk musical instrument from Brittany and Cornwall that is a cross between an oboe and a conical-bored pipe chanter

Lur - The more recent type is made of wood and was in use in Scandinavia during the Middle Ages. The older type, named after the more recent type, is made of bronze, dates to the Bronze Age and was often found in pairs, deposited in bogs, mainly in Denmark.

Surbahar - A plucked string instrument used in the Hindustani classical music of North India. It is related to the better-known sitar but has a lower tone.

Rattle

Tamburitza - A Balkan stringed instrument similar to a mandolin in shape and sound. Variants include samica (three double strings), bisernica (two double strings and two single strings; four tones), prim (one double string and three single strings; four tones), bas-prim or brač (instrument) (two double strings and two single strings; four tones), čelović (two double strings and two single strings; four tones), čelo (four strings), bas or berda (four strings), and the bugarija or kontra (one double string and three single strings; four tones).

Lyre - A stringed musical instrument well known for its use in Classical Antiquity. The recitations of the Ancient Greeks were accompanied by lyre playing. The lyre is a member of the zither family, and was ordinarily played by strumming with a plectrum, like a guitar, rather than being plucked, like a harp.

Cajón - (Spanish for 'crate', 'drawer', or 'box', pronounced 'ka.HONE') is a kind of box drum played by slapping the front face (generally thin plywood) with the hands.

Strum Stick - A musically a distant cousin of the Appalachian dulcimer (fretted dulcimer). Like the dulcimer, the strings are tuned in a drone relationship (octaves and fifth). The frets are arranged to give a major scale.

Scraper - A percussion instrument

Tonkori - A plucked string instrument played by the Ainu people of Hokkaido, northern Japan and Sakhalin. It is unfretted and has between three and five strings which are not stopped but instead played "open."

Repinique - a two-headed Brazilian drum used in samba baterias (percussion ensembles)

Caixa - A brazilian snare drum

Dumbeg should be added as another variation of the Goblet Drum. -> Done

nik wrote:

http://help.discogs.com/wiki/Submissi...nesCredits and http://help.discogs.com/wiki/Submissi...er_musical

ADDED:

Written By vs. Written-By

Written-By - This version of the Written By credit is linked. It is used in the same way as all other linked credits. Note the dash between the words: '-'; it is vital that the credit is entered in exactly this way.

Written By - This is a special unlinked role that can be used to group all credited writers of the music and display their names as formatted on the release. e.g. Lennon/McCartney. If the full name of the artist is displayed on the release you must use the linked Written-By credit, but can also use the unlinked credit if the formatting is of significance. The Artist Name Variation function should also be considered when deciding which credit should be used.

nik wrote:

http://help.discogs.com/wiki/Submissi...inesFormat

Album, Mini-Album, EP, Maxi-Single and Single tags should only be used where it is clear that is what the release is, for example it is explicitly mentioned on the release, or by the label or artist. If there is doubt, these fields should not be used. Do not guess at or attempt to apply your own standard to these tags.

Album - Originally, an album was a collection of 78's packaged in a book (much like a photo album). The term was adopted to mean any reasonably sizeable collection of material however packaged. According to the rules of the UK Charts, a recording counts as an album if either it has at least four tracks or lasts more than 20 minutes.

Mini Album - Somewhat between an EP and a full Album, also called a Mini-LP. Not in common usage.

EP - Too long to be called singles but too short to qualify as albums. Usually, an album has eight or more tracks (anywhere between 25–80 minutes), a single has one to three (5–15 minutes), and an EP four to seven (or around 15–25 minutes).

Maxi-Single - An extended single with two or more tracks, somewhat between a single and an EP. Tends to focus more on remixes and extended versions of the main track. This term is not common in all countries, and should only be applied when the item was called this on release.

Single - Usually comprises two tracks, of which one (the 'A side') is the main track.

nik wrote:

9th Feb Format Guidelines - Added a definition for the White label tag, updated the Sampler tag definition to include multiple releases being made into a sampler.

nik wrote:

15th Feb

Release Notes

New Guideline



Old Guideline

nik wrote:

Featuring and presents rule changed http://www.discogs.com/forums/topic?topic_id=126506

nik wrote:

Added to http://help.discogs.com/wiki/Submissi...inesFormat :

nik wrote:

Updated Guideline





Old Guideline

nik wrote:

Updated Guideline

http://help.discogs.com/wiki/Submissi...inesFormat

Album, Mini-Album, EP, Maxi-Single and Single tags should only be used where it is clear the item was released as such, for example it is explicitly mentioned on the release, or by the label, artist, or other reliable source.

If there is doubt, these fields should not be used. Do not guess at or attempt to apply ANY standard to these tags.

The following are examples of the general usage of these tags. This is for basic information only. NEVER attempt to strictly apply these vague definitions to any release at Discogs!

Album - Originally, an album was a collection of 78's packaged in a book (much like a photo album). The term was adopted to mean any reasonably sizeable collection of material however packaged. According to the rules of the UK Charts, a recording counts as an album if either it has at least four tracks or lasts more than 20 minutes.

Mini Album - Somewhat between an EP and a full Album, also called a Mini-LP. Not in common usage.

EP - Too long to be called singles but too short to qualify as albums. Usually, an album has eight or more tracks (anywhere between 25–80 minutes), a single has one to three (5–15 minutes), and an EP four to seven (or around 15–25 minutes).

Maxi-Single - An extended single with two or more tracks, somewhat between a single and an EP. Tends to focus more on remixes and extended versions of the main track. This term is not common in all countries, and should only be applied when the item was called this on release.

Single - Usually comprises two tracks, of which one (the 'A side') is the main track.

nik wrote:

Added to http://help.discogs.com/wiki/Submissi...inesArtist

Classical music artist credits

On Classical releases, or releases in a similar vein, all composers, orchestras, conductors, soloists, and others MUST get the relevant credit in the credit sections of the release. It is common that these roles may not be explicitly credited as such on the release, as a lot of Classical releases assume the listener will know. Discogs therefore must also assume that the submitter knows and can enter this information. If in doubt, please ask in the Adding & Updating forum http://www.discogs.com/forums/board?forum_id=17.

For the Main Artist fields, the submitter should attempt to reflect what is printed on the release as closely as possible. Commas should be used in the join field if no other join is used on the release.

---------------------------------------------------------------
Added to http://help.discogs.com/wiki/Submissi...neralRules

Releases In Multiple Languages:

Some releases may be presented in multiple languages. At the moment, Discogs only allows for one language to be entered, so we must decide which to use. Please use the following rules to decide which to use:

1. Use the primary language on the release (probably the same language that is used in the small print). If there is no clear primary language then...

2. Use the English version. If there is no English version then...

3. Use the language version that the releasing labels primary country uses.

nik wrote:

Added new styles:

Electronic:

Dubstep
Jumpstyle
Drone
Darkwave
Dub Techno
New Age
Dark Ambient

Jazz / Funk:

Afrobeat

Hip Hop:

Crunk
Horrorcore
Hyphy
Grime
Britcore

Pop:

Bollywood

nik wrote:

Updated the guidelines for the new submission limits http://help.discogs.com/wiki/SubmissionLimit :

nik wrote:

http://help.discogs.com/wiki/Submissi...neralRules

New section:

Errors and Conflicting Information

The general principle of entering information into Discogs is to reflect what is written on the release as much as possible. However, sometimes what is written is incorrect in some way, or is written in conflicting ways on different parts of the release.

For track titles and release titles, they must be entered as they appear on the release, except where there is a proven error that deviates from the intent of the artist. For example, if there was an Elvis Presley release with a track title of "A1 - Pound Dog", and we could verify that the track was in fact "Hound Dog", the error should be corrected, and a note made in the release notes stating "Track A1 is written incorrectly on the release as 'Pound Dog'". Reasonable proof must be provided to the moderators for the error correction to be accepted (for example, that you hold the release, and have checked the audio content). We require that the mislabelled track is 100% verifiable as an unaltered copy of the original track in order to allow a name correction. If the track was an altered or alternate version in any way, the altered / different name should apply unless it can be proven otherwise.

For artist names, if the credited artist is totally incorrect, it should be changed to the correct artist, and the correction explained in the release notes. Spelling and other errors in artist names must not be corrected, but instead be entered using the Artist Name variation function. The suspected artist name spelling error can be explained in the release notes if the submitter wants, but this isn't mandatory.

For incorrect tracklists, the entry can be changed to reflect what is really on the release, but again the errors that have been corrected must be entered into the notes.

For conflicting information printed on different parts of the release, for example the release title is different on the cover, on the spine, and on the CD itself, the most complete and correct version should be chosen. If it is not apparent which is the most complete and correct, the boldest version should be chosen (for example, the artist name on the cover of the release, the tracklist on the rear of the release etc). Again, any differences must be explained in the release notes.

In general, at all times it is important to communicate the errors and nature of the correction with other users and with moderators, using the release notes and the submission notes. Any doubts should be discussed in the Adding and Updating forum. If the doubt remains, the release should not be updated, but the doubt can be noted in the release notes, for example "Track A1 - 'Pound Dog' may be a spelling mistake, it should possibly be 'Hound Dog', but this cannot be confirmed".

nik wrote:

I have looked at the guidelines in order to change the DJ Mix rule, and ended up changing a lot more than that, including removing a lot of words (but not the guidelines themselves - just compacting stuff!).

The only change here is allowing DJ Mix artists to be main artists, but I ended up trying to simplify and reduce the text of a lot of the artist guidelines.

+++++++++++++++++++++++

ADD:


http://help.discogs.com/wiki/Submissi...inesArtist





===============================================

REMOVE:

http://help.discogs.com/wiki/Submissi...nesCredits






http://help.discogs.com/wiki/Submissi...inesArtist








====================================

CHANGE:





TO:

nik wrote:

Added a new section at http://help.discogs.com/wiki/Submissi...inesArtist :

nik wrote:

Guidelines - Title

Use this field to enter the main title of the release.

If the release has no title you can opt to use 'Untitled' or enter in the main track or up to two track names as the main title of the release. If you are going to use two track names in the titles please make sure you separate them with a slash and a space on either side of the slash as this helps the search function properly, i.e. ABC Song / XYZ Song.

Sometimes the title is different on the cover, on the spine etc. It is best to use the title on the cover, but also consider what is going to be most useful to other users, so the most complete title is better if it is on the spine. You should use the notes field to mention any important differences.

Please do not use any quotation marks in the main release title field, as this additional punctuation is not necessary. Scare quotes are the only exception to this, but are a rare occurrence.

nik wrote:

Added to http://www.discogs.com/help/submissio...title.html

nik wrote:

Added to http://www.discogs.com/help/submissio...rtist.html

Crediting non-specific groups.

If a group of people are credited that aren't specific (for example: tribes, nations etc), credit them as an artist, and place the following in the artist profile:

Discogs notice: This artist does not refer to a specific group of named individuals (such as a band or musical group) but rather defines the collective term for [details of group].

Please use this "artist" name (or any language variation thereof, via an ANV) for the [group name].

The 'In Groups' function can be used if the non-specific group is a subset of a larger non-specific group, but specific artists and groups cannot be linked as part of a non-specific group

nik wrote:

http://www.discogs.com/help/submissio...rules.html

nik wrote:

20th November 2007 - Added an explanation regarding "In Groups" entry to http://www.discogs.com/help/submissio...rtist.html - "Each group must be entered on a separate line. They will be put automatically in a row in alphabetical order."

nik wrote:

Added to http://www.discogs.com/help/submissio...untry.html

nik wrote:

http://www.discogs.com/help/submissio...ition.html

Removed:




Spaces are now allowed in track positions.

Changed:




To:

nik wrote:

1. General Rules For Adding Information To Discogs (inc submission notes)

guidelines
wiki
discussion

There have been a lot of clarifications made to this page, and sections have been moved here from other guideline pages:

* Primary source of information is the physical release. Explanation about the validity of secondary sources of information and how to relate this to the physical release and enter the information correctly to Discogs.
* "Eligible formats" moved from the formats page - this has more to do with the overall adding of information than with how to add specific format fields.
* MP3 etc guidelines - Brought this more in line with physical media. Removed the 'one or more' list of requirements.
* Dictionary of Abbreviations has been removed - we should go by what is on the release + apply our usual caps rules, no need to list these out and require them any more. Section allowing lower case vs. and /w added to capitalization guidelines.
* Artist name capitalization exception made for when there is "proof that the artist uses that spelling consistently and intentionally"
* Guidelines clarified regarding how to enter multiple language releases
* "Hound Dog" examples removed from Errors and Conflicting Information. Text rearranged and tidied up.
* Any title error that is corrected should be mentioned in the notes.
* 'Entering Credits Not On The Release" has been changed to "Entering Information From External Sources"
* Guidelines added for how to deal with credits for splitting items already in the database into unique releases
* Submission Notes has been moved here from it's own page
* Added "Conduct Whilst Using The Database" section for some pointers for everyone


2. Artist (inc ANV and joins)

guidelines
wiki
discussion

This page has been extensively reworked to provide more clarity.

* Added a new summary section describing the different fields and how they are used
* Main artist described as "This is considered to be the artist or artists named on the front cover of the release, or otherwise billed as such."
* Transfered all the ANV, and join field guidelines to this page
* Special Artists - added Traditional and Anonymous to the list


3. Title

guidelines
wiki
discussion

* Outlined the 'as on release' philosophy for this. Link to caps etc guidelines.
* Firmed up when to use 'untitled' on a release.

4. Label / Catalog Number

guidelines
wiki
discussion

* Applied the 'as on release' philosophy for both label and cat#
* Allow record companies to be listed in the label field
* Described Matrix codes, and when they could be used as catalog numbers (unless a dedicated Matrix field is added).
* Describe how to know what is a matrix number (different for each side)
* Removed "For label names, the country in brackets should only be used to distinguish national branches of the same company, as is the case for many major labels." - the information should now be verbatim as on the release, false country divisions are not allowed.
* Described Amazon.com codes (prefix: B000) and how they could indicate a websubmission.
* How to enter multiple catalog numbers for one label and how to list one catalog number for multiple labels
* Expanded the 'Not On Label' explanation


5. Format

guidelines
wiki
discussion

* CDr vs CD - added in a description and some images
* MP3, ogg-vorbis, and other file based formats - guidelines totally reviewed. Old requirement list taken away, computer file based formats follow the same basic rules as for physical media.
* 'special packaging' now explicitly allowed in the free text format field


6. Country

guidelines
wiki
discussion

* No change


7. Release Date

guidelines
wiki
discussion

* Added "Items can be submitted before the official street release date, but you must always have the physical copy in your possession when submitting"
* Added: The release date can be listed as the year, month and year, or the specific day of release, or left empty. Approximate release dates or conflicting information can be placed in the release notes.


8. Genres / Styles

guidelines
wiki
discussion

* Added link to wiki style guide


9. Credits

guidelines
wiki
discussion

* Added a section on how to credit samples
* Clarified how to enter non-musical credits as per http://www.discogs.com/groups/topic/155578
* Inserted "How to display information on cover versions" as per http://wiki.discogs.com/index.php/Edi...r_versions
* Removed "The main Credits section must be used for credits that apply to every track on the release, otherwise please enter the credit in either the main Credits section, or the ExtraArtist section, as you see fit."

10. Release Notes

guidelines
wiki
discussion

* Sections for recommended content and forbidden content added
* Excessive HTML forbidden
* "Standard copyright text" should not be entered


11. Tracklisting (inc all tracklisting field rules)

guidelines
wiki
discussion

* Combined all tracklisting guideline pages
* Clarified the 'all or nothing' rule for duration
* Listed the legitimate formats for duration
* Describe the process for adding corrected durations.
* How to list sub tracks per track


12. Images

guidelines
wiki
discussion

* Added artist and label image order and primary image guidelines
* Added guidelines for Suitable artist images, required no images of artists out with their being an artist (tabloid / sensationalist shots)
* Added request for exact images, and reminder to check cat#
* Added image order guidelines for new functionality
* Merged and consolidated image size guidelines


13. Updating An Artist Profile

guidelines
wiki
discussion

* Updated the profile section to be more specific about what is acceptable for this section. Increased the maximum recommended profile length to 500 words. Removed "Normally, 3-5 lines of profile text is fine. Long, detailed biographies should be avoided, particularly when that information is available via official web sites, fan sites etc. Artists' contact info can also be submitted here as there is no dedicated place for it on artist pages. Please format this so it is clearly displayed"
* Redone merge and rename guidelines


14. Updating A Label Profile

guidelines
wiki
discussion

* Updated the profile section in the same way that the artists profile section is worded
* Redone merge and rename guidelines


15. Reviews

guidelines
wiki
discussion

* A little rewording has taken place to clarify the text.


Voting Guidelines

Moderator guidelines replaced with voting guidelines

nik wrote:

Changed submission-guidelines-release-format.html#Files

NEW




OLD




Following this discussion http://www.discogs.com/help/forums/to...06#2097708

nik wrote:

http://www.discogs.com/help/submissio...laboration

Small update to clarify that the join field can be used for separators as well:

OLD




NEW

nik wrote:

http://www.discogs.com/help/submissio...rules.html

This has been slightly altered to allow some non-audio items into the database that are on audio formats and have a label / catalog number:

From http://www.discogs.com/help/submissio...nformation section 2:

OLD:




NEW:




ADDED:

nik wrote:

I have updated the guidelines at http://www.discogs.com/help/submissio...title.html from:

"For double A-sided releases, use both names separated by a slash."

to:

"For double A-sided releases with no overall title, more than one equally-featured title, use both titles separated by a slash."

From this discussion http://www.discogs.com/help/forums/to...38#2132507

nik wrote:

http://www.discogs.com/help/submissio...to_include

Added a new guideline - "Do not paste the same review to multiple versions of the same release. Only enter your review once (to the version that you own or are reviewing)."