# "Live" secondary type for classical

**URL:** <https://community.metabrainz.org/t/live-secondary-type-for-classical/776221>\
**Category:** Classical\
**Created:** [July 25, 2025, 5:08pm UTC](https://community.metabrainz.org/t/live-secondary-type-for-classical/776221 "2025-07-25T17:08:30Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![cmaclaughlin](https://community.metabrainz.org/user_avatar/community.metabrainz.org/cmaclaughlin/32/50352_2.png) [@cmaclaughlin](https://community.metabrainz.org/u/cmaclaughlin)\
**Post date:** [July 25, 2025, 5:08pm UTC](https://community.metabrainz.org/t/live-secondary-type-for-classical/776221/1 "2025-07-25T17:08:30Z")

</div>

I don’t often edit classical releases, so I have a question about release types. I added this [Release “Triadic Memories” by Morton Feldman; Tania Chen, Jon Leidecker - MusicBrainz](https://musicbrainz.org/release/4dfa39aa-41c3-4ea2-99e1-ad94f92a59ed) which was recorded as a live radio broadcast, so I checked the “Live” type. But then I noticed not many classical releases are marked as live even when they are. Is a live recording just the most common type for most classical releases, which makes it redundant to mark it as such?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![yindesu](https://community.metabrainz.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/y/b77776/32.png) [@yindesu](https://community.metabrainz.org/u/yindesu)\
**Post date:** [July 25, 2025, 5:21pm UTC](https://community.metabrainz.org/t/live-secondary-type-for-classical/776221/2 "2025-07-25T17:21:45Z")

</div>

Those other existing release groups are likely wrong. I see no Release Group type guideline within [Style / Classical - MusicBrainz](https://musicbrainz.org/doc/Style/Classical) to override [Secondary types](https://musicbrainz.org/doc/Style/Release_Group#Secondary_types), so [Secondary types](https://musicbrainz.org/doc/Style/Release_Group#Secondary_types) applies to Classical in full.

Keep in mind that “Live” is [intended](https://community.metabrainz.org/t/does-subtype-live-apply-to-live-studio-sessions/268495/6) to be performed to an audience.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![reosarevok](https://community.metabrainz.org/user_avatar/community.metabrainz.org/reosarevok/32/69228_2.png) [@reosarevok](https://community.metabrainz.org/u/reosarevok)\
**Post date:** [July 25, 2025, 5:52pm UTC](https://community.metabrainz.org/t/live-secondary-type-for-classical/776221/3 "2025-07-25T17:52:59Z")

</div>

Yeah, we do mark classical live releases as “live”, although it’s true than in classical that distinction is often somewhat less relevant than elsewhere and so more likely to be missed (in many cases it’s only listed in the small print, while live popular releases usually are defined specifically by their live-beingness). I’d still not say it’s the type for most classical releases - I’d say still a large majority are studio recordings 🙂

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![cmaclaughlin](https://community.metabrainz.org/user_avatar/community.metabrainz.org/cmaclaughlin/32/50352_2.png) [@cmaclaughlin](https://community.metabrainz.org/u/cmaclaughlin)\
**Post date:** [July 25, 2025, 6:41pm UTC](https://community.metabrainz.org/t/live-secondary-type-for-classical/776221/4 "2025-07-25T18:41:30Z")

</div>

> [@yindesu](#):
>
> Keep in mind that “Live” is [intended](https://community.metabrainz.org/t/does-subtype-live-apply-to-live-studio-sessions/268495/6) to be performed to an audience

Thanks for the link: it’s an interesting thread that talks about some edge cases like the Peel Sessions which may not have actually been “live”. The release I added was being broadcast to the radio audience as it happened, so I feel the live designation is probably ok.

> [@reosarevok](#):
>
> I’d still not say it’s the type for most classical releases - I’d say still a large majority are studio recordings

I do not know much about the world of classical music! Most of my experience has been with live performances.