I’d like your feedback on whether the last two should be added as a separate release in the database or not. You see, the first one (which I’ve added on MB) seems to be self-released and has different cover art for tracks 2-5, whereas the second one was released by Bitter Tea Records, which is something that justifies a separate release for it, right? As of the third one, it is streaming the version of the album found on Spotify, Deezer, and iTunes, and has a UPC, unlike the first two. Do you think I should add them or just add the label and the UPC on the existing release? Any feedback would be appreciated.
Personally I wouldn’t add more than one digital release unless there is a clear intent.
The label seems responsible for the cassette only utilizing the feature of Bandcamp to allow downloading it “for convenience”.
Other streaming/download services often don’t support more than one cover art, so “leaving it out” doesn’t look intentional to me either.
The track cover art could be explained by the existence of singles and they were just included “for completeness”
The barcode and ISRC fields on Bandcamp will often be empty if it’s uploaded there first and only later is automatically created by their distributor due to the requirement of other services.
ISRCs are stored at recording level. You can’t add them to one release but not the other without separate recordings. Which should only be done if they really are different recordings.
If we were to go by technical differences wouldn’t releases with animated cover (Apple Music), animated background tracks (Spotify) or music videos (YouTube Music) consequently also need to be separate?
And what about the different bundles? There is a t-shirt bundle in different sizes. Does each one need its own release? I’m also seeing three cassettes:
Cassette & T-Shirt Bundle
Limited Edition Cassette (signed by the artist)
Limited Edition Clear Transparent Cassette
How many releases are that? 3 digital, 2 regular cassettes, 4 digital plus t-shirt in varying size, 4 t-shirt cassettes in varying size
To add on the “label is responsible for physical” argument. Regular physical releases sometimes come with a download code. Usually these aren’t treated as separate releases either from what I’ve seen
I don’t think “includes T-Shirt” is another release. That is just a different shopping basket bundle.
Each cassette that looks different should be a different release.
No real need to note they come with “digital downloads” as every release on Bandcamp does that. It is not a “download code”, it is just how Bandcamp does business.
Sorry, didn’t mean to twist anything. Just typing from experience of using bandcamp. Every CD I have ordered I can still go there today and download a FLAC copy due to my purchase. I have never bothered noting this in the Release Group as part of the CD.
I kinda see that as a “buy one get one free” type of thing? You buy a CD\cassette and get a free digital download in the same basket.
With the T-Shirts, loads of online stores do this. Also outside of Bandcamp Artist’s own websites will often have different shop bundles to entice you to pay more. CD+T-Shirt, CD+LP+T-Shirt, CD on its own, LP on its own, etc. This is just a shop being a shop. Those T-Shirts are not part of the music release.
Now if they made a special box that actually packaged the T-Shirt inside the box with the CD and LP and some marbles then I can see how that is a “collector’s box” and someone would want to make a new Release for it.
I have bought far too many T-Shirts with my albums. I can be a bit of a sucker for new T-Shirts. These always arrive alongside the music, not packaged as part of the music.
-=-=-
The example you gave of “vinyl without digital copy” is a little odd. It is sold out. But you can follow the link on that page to the normal sales page where it then lists the vinyl again and this time with the standard digital copy fgree when you buy it Yellow River Blue | Yu Su
But yeah, I can see how they are doing the “sale tapes as merch” thing. Isn’t that just artist playing around with how the shop works? They are just selling an enticing bundle of items. MB should focus on the music product and not how it is sold.
Or if the record company for whatever reason, assigned a new ISRC to an existing recording that already had one. I believe it’s important to document that.
I can be a bit of a sucker for new T-Shirts. These always arrive alongside the music, not packaged as part of the music.