I’m pretty sure I know the answer to this, but just in case…
Is there any way, via the web ui, to search MB for a Discogs ID?
Yes, on the search page you can enter the Discogs URL in the URL field and search for it.
The URL should be in the normalized format https://www.discogs.com/release/{id}, like https://www.discogs.com/release/29111278
See also this discussion for searching by Spotify URL:
7 Likes
Ahh, good, thanks. I didn’t think of that.
1 Like
Related question: would it be reasonable for URLs to be automatically normalized (using the same logic that applies when they’re added) when a search is being performed? I spend a lot of time deleting artist names from the ends of Discogs URLs when I’m checking to see if they’re in MB (using a custom https://beta.musicbrainz.org/otherlookup/url?other-lookup.url=%s search engine shortcut that I’ve added to Chrome).
2 Likes
It would be great, indeed!
I didn’t remember this URL search (I use another, external)!
That it would normalise URL before search for us would be so great!
Ideally it would be also possible to deactivate the normalising in case we want to search a certain specific URL that was added before the (new) normalisation.
I couldn’t find a ticket already requesting this, so I created one:
3 Likes
I recommend installing the Discogs import tool. This covers Discogs pages in little pink dots that link back to MusicBrainz. Personally I tend to use the Discogs search more often as it takes anything, but then click back to MusicBrainz via the pink dots.
Those pink dots are generally relying on there being Discogs links in place on the MB side. It is quite a powerful feature as these links between the two databases are really useful.
As a Vivaldi user I have “d” set to a Discogs search. So I can just type “d 5018791600472” in the address bar and fast search it… Then jump across to the MB site. I know at least one other editor in this thread knows how powerful that Vivaldi feature is.
3 Likes
Are we the only 2 Vivaldi users, here?
Custom searches are great!
You can make a direct release barcode custom search too, if you want to skip Discogs:
https://musicbrainz.org/search?type=release&method=advanced&query=barcode%3A%s
Vivaldi on every device… but then I also paid for the original Opera back in the previous century. 
I’m used to customising a browser and find it hard borrowing other people’s computers.
I have that direct MusicBrainz barcode search, but it is barcode only. (Notices I am also in that thread and almost certainly copied it from there…) I’d need too many different quick searches to cover everything. So only have ma, mb, mr
The Discogs search lets me slap in any old text - cat nos, artists, matrixes - and it finds something. MB’s search has a few too many categories to faff with.
For example - I am on Ebay looking at something. I’ll highlight a chunk of text and quick search via Discogs, but click through to MusicBrainz.
Discogs is my MusicBrainz advanced search 
3 Likes
Oh yes, I should have read more carefully before adding my of topic post!
That’s very smart, in fact! 
1 Like
I do have the Discogs import tool, and I agree, Discogs’ search is much more useful than MB’s. I use Vivaldi, but I haven’t explored a lot of its unique features, like the custom searches you mentioned. I’ll take a look at that when I have time.
Some custom searches I have added
d ==> https://www.discogs.com/search/?q=%25s&type=all
ma ==> https://musicbrainz.org/search?query=%s&type=artist&method=indexed
mr ==> https://musicbrainz.org/search?query=%s&type=release&method=indexed
mb ==> https://musicbrainz.org/search?type=release&method=advanced&query=barcode%3A%s
You can see the idea… the %s is where your search phrase goes.
I also have others that are useful for research. YouTube, BandCamp, Wikipedia, etc.
Anytime you see a search box, RIGHT CLICK in Vivaldi and “Add Seach Engine…” A feature really useful when you are doing research for a site like MB. Now all you need to do is highlight some text, and “Search With…” to pick any search engine in your list.
And if you assign a keyword like d for the Discogs search, and you have the barcode or anything else in your clipboard, you can also type:
F8(focus address bar)d [space](Discogs search keyword, then a space)Ctrl+Shift+v(paste and go)
1 Like
Don’t need “paste and go”, just enter is enough
It’s direct. Just add Shift to the paste shortcut.
And furthermore, when you have a URL in your clipboard or you just want to use the default search, you can paste and go, without even need to focus the address bar.
I always use it.
There are a lot of niche features in Vivaldi, like it was in Opera 12-, everyone has their little habits or customisations. It’s kind of like foobar2000 in another area.
1 Like
Oh - sorry. See what you are doing there now.
1 Like