Database Glossary

Add Release Form - This is how the data is added and updated for the release information in the Discogs Database. The Add Release Form is at the heart of the Database, as Artist and Label pages are also created from the information entered into this form.

Alias - A name that an artist goes under, used when an artist has two or more names, including 'stage names'. An artist's real name(s) is sometimes listed as an 'Alias' of a more commonly-known stage name. See also ANV. Please find the full guidelines here.

ANV - Short for 'Artist Name Variation', a special field where we can put variations in an artist's name, such as spelling variations, shortened names, nicknames, initials and different language variations. This feature is objective and indicates exactly what is printed on the release, including misspellings. ANV is for minor variations (for example, John Smith, J. Smith, John S., etc.), whereas Alias is used for fundamentally different names (for example, John Smith, John Doe). Please find the full guidelines here.

API - Application Programming Interface - Please see here.

Artist - Any single person or group of people that present themselves as a musician, composer, writer or other actively involved party in the creative process of making a release. All artists get their own Artist page on Discogs. More information is available in the guidelines, in the Artist Section and the Updating An Artist Profile section.

Artist Name Variation -- (See ANV).

Artist Page - Is a page containing the releases that form the discography of the artist, plus additional biography and artist images. More information is available in the guidelines, in the Artist Section and the Updating An Artist Profile section.

BaOI - Barcodes and Other Identifiers - Please see Database Guidelines 5. Barcodes & Identifiers for more information.

CIP - Contributor Improvement Program - Please see Database Guidelines 21. Contributor Improvement for more information.

Editor - A former role on Discogs, an Editor was given more powers than Moderators to vote on more complicated or far reaching submissions such as Merge Releases. Editors retained all the powers they had when they were Moderators and could continue in this role concurrently with their role as an Editor. Editors are now Voters.

EI - Entirely Incorrect vote - Please find the full guidelines here.

Forum - Discuss & ask questions here.

Field - Any text input box on site. For example, the box at the top of this page is the "search field" and the area where you enter the artist name on the Add Release Form is the "artist field".

Format Definitions & Other Abbreviations - Some formats in the Database are displayed abbreviated on certain pages. These are listed here. It's also worth noting that any text in a format's free text field will be abbreviated to the first three letters. These can be revealed by looking at the Release page.

Group - User create and run discussion pages here.

Guidelines - Also referred to as the 'Release Submission Guide' or 'RSG', this part of the help documentation attempts to outline best practice for entering information into the Discogs Database -Please find the full guidelines here.

Help Is Here section - The section linked at the bottom of every page, contains links to the the help documentation including the Database Guidelines, help for Marketplace users, links to the forums and other general feature information.

Key Release - The release that best represents the title and image for all the releases in the Master release. The Key Release data is displayed on the Master Release page. Please find full guidelines here

LCCN - The "Label, Company, Catalog Number, Etc." section of the Submission Form. Please find the full guidelines here.

Label - Any entity or branding that is associated with the releasing of audio content. Labels get their own page on Discogs, where we can list their biography and discography. The term can be tricky to define, especially where multiple businesses or brands are involved in the release. Please find the full guidelines here.

Label Page - Contains the list of releases that form the discography of the label, plus additional label information and label images.

Master Release - Master release is a display function that gathers two or more matching releases together. It can be thought of as a folder that holds two or more Discogs releases. An example would be gathering several versions of an album, such as Michael Jackson - Off The Wall. Please find the full guidelines here.

Matrix Number - This is a number etched into the runout groove of a vinyl record that is used during the manufacturing process to identify the acetates and stampers used in making the record. Commonly, the matrix number is the catalog number modified with an 'A' and 'B' or '1' and '2' afterwards. However, the matrix number can also have no relation to the catalog number. Also, the run out groove information can contain other numbers that are not the matrix number. Ask in the Submission Help Forum if you need help in interpreting a specific example.

Merge Release - A function that merges two releases which are the same (duplicate entries), into just the single release page. Please find the full guidelines here.

Moderation - The former process by which a release is checked through by Moderators, to see if any errors are present, as prescribed by the guidelines. This process still happens on the site, although the term 'voting' is used instead, as the Moderators were turned into Voters.

Moderator - A former role where a trusted User is given the power to vote on submissions. Moderators are now Voters.

NMC - Needs Major Changes vote - Please find the full guidelines here.

NmC - Needs minor Changes vote - Please find the full guidelines here.

Page - Discogs has pages for artists (Artist page), releases (Release page) and labels (Label page). Additional non-Database pages exist for other functions, such as the home page, forum pages and the Help Center.

PAN - Short for 'Primary Artist Name', this is the main 'root' name of an artist in the Database. For example, Lee Perry is a Primary Artist Name, whereas Lee "Scratch" Perry is an Artist Name Variation of the Primary Artist Name Lee Perry.

Primary Artist Name - (See PAN).

Rank - A number that is calculated based on the amount of submissions and edits a User has done.

Rankhunter - A term used for users who submit many minor updates, inferring that they do this simply to increase their Rank.

Release - When release information is submitted to the Database, it becomes a release. 'Release' is also a broad term for any audio product that is made for general public consumption, this is the fundamental thing that Discogs catalogs using Release pages.

Release ID - It’s a unique number associated with each release present in the Database and it’s generated automatically when you upload a release. It must be a number. For example, a value of “123" means you will be selling a copy of http://www.discogs.com/release/123.

Release Page - A page containing the information for a release. To see an example click here

Release Submission Guide - (See Guidelines).

RSG - (See Guidelines).

Submission - When a user enters data into Discogs, it is called a submission.

Submissions Folder - The display showing a users submissions - (note it is titled simply 'Submissions').

Submitter - When a user enters a release or edit, they are termed a submitter.

Track - An individual musical work or piece of audio that is separated from other works on a release in some way. On Discogs, this generally means each individual numbered / lettered track listed on a releases sleeve.

Tracklist - A selection of tracks listed together in a list. Specifically on Discogs, is the list of tracks that feature on a release.

User - Anyone who uses the site.

User Account - An account a user who uses the site has signed-up for on Discogs. All accounts are free. See the User Account help section for more information.

Voter - The current role for users who have been trusted to check and rate submissions based on their correctness. Voters replaced Editors and Moderators during the Version 4 changes. The Editors and Moderators formed the starting group of Voters, which are now augmented by automatically selected new Voters - Read more information in the Voting Guidelines.

Voting - When a Voter checks new information entered to the Database, they can vote on the correctness of the information.

Websubmitter - A term used when a user is suspected of submitting items from another internet site, rather than having the item in their hands. Discogs only allows submissions made from the real item, for the sake of accuracy. Please find the full guidelines here.

                                                                                                                                               

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