Adding Writer (Composer, Lyricist, etc.) to releases

I’m not really new to the site, just new to adding information. I’ve added a release group/release to Kim Mitchell, and am having issue with trying to add the writer (composer, lyricist, etc). I just don’t know what I’m doing wrong.

I suspect you are talking about this release?

Writing credits are normally added to works. So the first step is to create new works (or find existing ones), then link them to the recordings associated with each track.

Then you can add composer, lyricist, etc. credits to those works.

All of this is typically done in the release’s relationship editor, which shows all the recordings at once and allows you to link works, create new ones, add relations to works and recordings, etc – select the “Edit Relationships” tab at the top of the release page.

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Yes, this is the release I added. I’m adding cover art now, waiting for it to upload.

I guess my biggest problem with adding info, is the terminology used, where is the location of insertion.

From the RELEASE page, hit that EDIT RELATIONSHIPS tab
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Then you want to add WORKS on the right hand side. Search first, or use the Bulk Add Works.


It is the WORK that is to be seen like the sheet music. This is where the writer credits go.

As these works don’t exist, you can bulk add them all (tick everything on the left, then click Batch Create New Works). Set type to SONG and language to ENGLISH.

Once created, you can tick everything on the Right and Batch-add a relationship to Works. This then lets you quickly set the same writer to all the tracks.

Look at WORKS as the piece of paper with the music and lyrics on. This is what is listed on the right of that page. And a RECORDING is when the artist walks into a studio and puts a track down on tape. It is the RECORDINGS on the left of that page.

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Thank You so much :100: Ivan Dobsky, that was so much easier to understand, than trying to figure it out on my own. You should create a topic and write up some tutorials on how to add info!!!

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I always believe a picture says a thousand words. Thanks to the Snipping Tool to grab the hints required. There is a manual, but it can also be a bit overwhelming initially.

The language here can seem odd, but after a while you see the logic to the madness. Best way is to wade in on a small artist and make lots of mistakes, that way you learn more when trying to fix the mess.

And you’ll usually find someone to help here in the forum. :grin:

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Believe me, I’ve made my share of mistakes, that I’ve caught on my own and had to take back and few others that have been pointed out to me.

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There are so many levels of this database you can dig into. For example, on that same Edit Relationships page you can add the vocalists, instruments, recording locations, producers, etc on the left hand side. Attaching them to the Recordings.

With your example it is easier as you are making all new WORKS in this case. If you go and edit one of the Greatest Hits releases for Kim you can now use the “Add Related Work” links you see in the middle of the page to link the WORKS you have just created to the RECORDINGS already in that Release.

A Greatest Hits Release is good to play around with as then you get the idea that TRACKs are what are on listed a CD, but they can share the RECORDINGS of an original Release. And a RECORDING is a performance of a WORK. So you will also get a separate Live Recording at a concert linking to the same work.

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have a few more questions…please be patient with me, I’m trying to get my act together.

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It’s only taken me four years to make sense of this place - so ask anything you like and one of us will help.

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I’ve been able to add Kim Mitchell, do I have to add other names like Maurell Baxter etc. separately, also when I did try to add Maurell Baxter as a writer, it wouldn’t let me add. I’m guessing because they are not in the database as an artist.

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Click the little magnifying glass to search for him. Maurell is here: https://musicbrainz.org/artist/6c022bf6-9fd5-4b18-95d4-290dcd696939

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Yeah, lol, I’m the one that added it, I figured that much out, so far.

Haha - was just noticing the edit history.

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Couple of notes about those (live) tracks.

1\ you should put (live) in lower case on the track names.

2\ when adding a WORK you never put the (live) in the title. The WORK is the sheet music, not the performance. Leave (live) to the TRACK list.

3\ Click on the RECORDING OF text
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Now you can tick LIVE to show this is a live Recording of that Work.

Yeah - it is a little misleading, but that text in brackets there is really about the Recording on the Left hand side but gets written next to the Work on the Right.

And finally, for bonus points - Rocklandworldaland already existed as a Work so you could have searched for that and linked it. So this gives you and excuse to do your first MERGE. Go to the Kim page and click on the WORKS tab and you’ll see that Work is listed twice.
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Tick em both, hit the button to MERGE them, and then target the better detailed \ older Work (i.e. the other one which doesn’t say (Live))

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It’s dinner time here in Texas, so I read everything you wrote thoroughly and do the edits in a little while.

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I’m in the UK, its 1am… time for bed :zzz:

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It’s almost 7pm here, we’re running behind tonight on dinner, but that’s ok, cause it’s Chinese food night.

@IvanDobsky, goodnight, thanks for all your help. I did the edits, I hope I did them correctly.

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All looks good from this side of the pond. Glad to help with the quick training session. :slight_smile: