The Submission Form is designed to capture all sorts of information, a lot of which is required to identify a release as unique, but some of which can be hard to find if you're new to contributing.
This guide will show you where to find all the information you need to make complete and correct Cassette submissions.
Obviously the records you're contributing will have some differences to the examples provided below. If you ever get stuck just do the best you can, add some images to your submission, and ask for help from an experienced contributor.
Before starting, please note that some fields are required for all submissions and some are optional (unless they're the key difference between yours and another similar version already in the Database). If you're new to submitting stick to the required fields only. You can see which ones they are in this Quick Start Guide For New Contributors.
The following numbers will be indicated on the images below to show you where to find them:
- Title
- Artist
- Label
- Catalog Number
- Companies / Recording Locations (Optional)
- Credits (Optional)
- Encoding Method (optional)
- Track Durations (Optional)
- Track Titles
- Barcode (optional)
- Format Tag: Single (optional)
Example 1: J-Card, Front
For the cassette example, we are using two different packaging types. The first is a standard ‘J-Card’ style insert that is issued in a plastic case. On the left side of the image, you will find the Label (3), Track Titles (9) and Track Durations (8). Moving to the right of the image, we have the Catalog Number (4) and Artist (2). In the middle of the image, you will see the Title (1).
The second is a cardboard sleeve that was issued with a cassette single. For the J-Card example, the full, unfolded card has been scanned so that as much information as possible can be shown in a single image. The Label (3) can be found on the left side of the image. Title (1), Artist (2), Recording Location (5), Credits (6), Track Durations (8) and Track Titles (9) can all be found on the right side of the image.
Note that the label name on the back differs slightly from how it is formatted on the front. Please see the guidelines in these cases.
Example 2: J-Card, Back
Example 3: Cassette Single, Front
Here, starting at the top left of the image and working our way clockwise, we have Label (3), Format Tag (11), Catalog Number (4), Label (3), Title (1), and the Artist name (2) runs up the left side of the image.
Example 4: Cassette Single, Back
This example is a little more information heavy than the j-card and has much more optional information. Here, we also have some information about the encoding method for the tape. This information can be added to the format’s free text field if desired. This release also identifies itself as a single, which can be added to the format as well. Please refer to the guidelines before adding the single, maxi-single, album, or related tags.
At the top of the image, we have Track Titles (9), Format Tag (11) and Credits (6). Towards the bottom, Label (3), Barcode (10) and Recording Locations (5). Along the spine on the right side of the image, one can find the Title (1), Artist (2), Label (3) and Catalog Number (4).
Example 5: Tape Shell
The tape shell may also provide some additional information which may help your submission or other information not featured on these examples. Cassettes should be submitted to the database using A1, A2..B1, B2 style track positions.
In this image, starting at the top right and moving clockwise, we have Track Titles (9), Catalog Number (4), Artist (2), Recording Location (3) and Label (5).