Is artist merch a valid release? What is the format?

[chaban]

(draft from 25 Nov '21)

If an instrument can be a release then I guess so are…

• Open door chimes
• Children toys such as music boxes or karaoke machines
• Pasta timers
• Alarm clocks, electronical or mechanical: Jungshans (video), Colibri
• Phones (they usually come with ringtones and possibly other music)
• Software such as keygens or operating systems
• Cars
• …

[IvanDobsky]

The question comes to when is this just licenced use of Digital Audio tracks, and when are these released for musical reasons.

The classic Nokia Ringtone should probably be in the database under its own right, but not the phone itself. That is just playing the tune like an MP3 player would.

[UltimateRiff]

I swear, I’ve come this close to adding my family’s new dryer or dishwasher to MusicBrainz

recordings of Die Forelle and The Lincolnshire Poacher, respectively