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Description

The work title is the name given to a music creation. MetaMusic makes a distinction between the work title (Work – Title *) and the title of the recording of that work (Track – Title *).

Use

This is a mandatory field. The creators of the work are linked to this field. Many formats only use the title of the track, for example the ID3/MP3 format [#TIT2 Title/songname/content description], but indicating the title of the work separately allows for the level of accuracy that has become necessary.

Entry rules

Articles are placed last when entering the work title. The data is entered in uppercase characters without accents. Thus, the title of the work Un beau grand bateau will be entered as BEAU GRAND BATEAU UN.

This method of entering a work title complies with the format of the large SOCAN database. Note: the track title must be entered differently, see Track – Title *.

Description

The International Standard Work Code (ISWC) allows the identification of music works. It is the ISO 15707:2001 standard (TC 46/SC 9 assignment subcommittee). ISO is the International Standard Organisation whose mission is to develop and publish international standards for all sectors.

It is also an identifier managed by CISAC. The industry has made considerable efforts to connect the ISWC with the ISRC to better link musical works to their recordings.

Use

This is a mandatory field. The code is used when SOCAN communicates with other similar Collective Management Organizations in Canada and abroad as well as other third parties such as music publishers: http://www.iswc.org/en/faq.html.

Entry rules

The ISWC code consists of the letter “T” followed by nine digits and one final numeric check digit. For example: T-012345678-1 (a total of 11 characters). The use of hyphens depends on the various metadata entry software and interfaces available on the market. We recommend not using them.

Description

When a musical work contains lyrics, this field is used to enter the full text.

Entry rules

This is a mandatory field. We have reproduced the lyrics guidelines for delivery to the iTunes platform.

• Spacing and Structure

All lyric lines, verse and chorus, should be single spaced.

A double space should separate each lyrical section or stanza.

Do not include text that is not audible, like section headers or the name of the singer. For example: do not include section headers such as Intro, Verse, Chorus, Hook or Outro.

Repeated lines and choruses must be transcribed. For example: do not indicate repeated choruses by using “Chorux 2x.”

• Capitalization (Uppercase letters)

All lyric lines must begin with a capital letter.

Proper nouns must be capitalized.

Any indicator of significant rise in volume of an artist's voice in a song (exclamations) should be capitalized.

• Punctuation and formatting

There should be no periods or commas at the end of any lyric line.

Exclamation points, question marks and quotation marks should be the only end-line punctuation, and should be included as needed.

Do not use italics or bold text. Background vocals and "hushed" vocal content should be formatted in parentheses and should only be transcribed if they add to the content of the song.

When words repeat to the end or fade out of a song, ellipses may be used to represent this fade out.

• Slang and censored words

All explicit language must be transcribed as it is heard in the audio. When words are partially or fully censored, use asterisks to represent the censored audio.

Use contractions and slang words as they are heard in the audio. For example: words such as ‘bout, ‘til, ‘cause, fallin’, walkin’, etc.

• Numbers

Numbers must be transcribed phonetically except those that are commonly written as numbers. For example: “Summer 69", "007", etc.

Years must be transcribed as numbers. For example: "1979".

• Spoken words and non-word vocal sounds

Spoken words such as sampled dialogue must be transcribed.

Sampled content, including vocals other than song lyrics, should be transcribed if it supports the lyrical content of the song.

Descriptions, sound effects in lyrics or screams should not be transcribed.

Description

Languages are registered in compliance with the ISO-639-2 code. The ISO-639-2 code refers to a standardized list of languages where you will find a three-letter code for each indexed language. For example, the code for French is fra and the code for English is eng. All the codes are available here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ISO_639-2_codes.

ISO is the International Standard Organisation whose mission is to develop and publish international standards for all sectors.

Use

This field allows multiple entries.

Entry rules

Three letters. You will be able to use various dropdown menus with multiple choices: fra (French), eng (English), und (undetermined or other), mul (multilingual).

Description

Percentage of the languages indexed according to the ISO-639-2 code. The ISO-639-2 code refers to a standardized list of languages where you will find a three-letter code for each indexed language. For example, the code for French is fra and the code for English is eng. All the codes are available here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

ISO is the International Standard Organisation whose mission is to develop and publish international standards for all sectors.

Use

Percentage of each language present in the field’s multiple entries Work – Lyrics (Language) – (Multiple entries). The percentage of each language used in a work is prorated from the total number of words. The criteria to determine the work’s main language is: 50%+1 of the words in the original work.

Entry rules

Two digits, like 19 to indicate 19%.

Description

The Surname field is used to enter a person's legal surname, but it is also used to enter the name of a Brand, for example the name of a band, or an artist who uses a stage name. The name of a legal entity whose syntax is similar to that of a natural person is entered only in this field. Thus, the stage name Marie-Mai (sometimes spelled Marie Mai) will be entered fully in the surname field. You must not separate Marie and Mai in the first name and surname fields nor should you use the first name field to write Marie-Mai or simply Marie.

This field is used specifically to enter the surname (family name) of the authors. It is a generic and inclusive technological term for the various roles associated with the creation of a work and which are specified in the fields that follow.

In compliance with the practice of the ISNI agency for the English language, we use the term Surname rather than Last name for family names. The term author generally designates the contributors associated with the creation of a work. The author can be a lyricist, a composer, a songwriter, an arranger, an adapter or a translator.

Use

This is a mandatory field. This field allows multiple entries. A role has to be specified for each author entered, for example author, arranger, etc. Collective Management Organizations have established a standardized list of roles indicating, for example, that an author is designated by the letter A. To see this list, see fields:

• Work – Author – Role – Lyricist (A) *;
• Work – Author – Role – Composer (C) *;
• Work – Author – Role – Songwriter (AC) *;
• Work – Author – Role – Adapter (AD) *;
• Work – Author – Role – Arranger (AR) *;
• Work – Author – Role – Translator (TR) *.

Entry rules

First names and surnames are entered in separate fields. We comply with the use of an uppercase letter prescribed by the language used. Accents, hyphens and apostrophes are allowed when necessary.

Description

This field is used to enter the first name of the authors in field Work – Author (Multiple entries) – Surname *. It is strictly used for a person's legal first name.

Use

This is a mandatory field. This field allows multiple entries. The metadata entry software and interfaces available on the market will process its addition to the surname field when the metadata is delivered.The proposed model of data entry for authors implies the entry of several names to which a role will be associated according to a standardized list created by Collective Management Organizations. For example, an author will have the role A and the composer will have the role C. See fields:

• Work – Author – Role – Lyricist (A) *;
• Work – Author – Role – Composer (C) *;
• Work – Author – Role – Songwriter (AC) *;
• Work – Author – Role – Adapter (AD) *;
• Work – Author – Role – Arranger (AR) *;
• Work – Author – Role – Translator (TR) *.

Entry rules

First names and surnames are entered in separate fields. We comply with the use of an uppercase letter prescribed by the language used.

Description

Author of the lyrics of a song, the libretto of an opera, or a musical.

Use

This is a mandatory field. This field is left empty if the work does not have lyrics. The lyricist is the specific author of a song’s lyrics. Each songwriter entered in the Work – Author (Multiple entries) – Surname * field has to be assigned the code A.

Warning: as several platforms and services (notably Apple) use the ID3 field #TCOM Composer to enter the names of lyricists and composers indistinctly, we need to point out that using the composer field for lyricists and songwriters is sometimes recommanded when it is time to send your data to certain recipients.

Entry rules

A

Description

Composer(s) of a musical work.

Use

This is a mandatory field. Pursuant to the standards established by the Collective Management Organizations, each composer entered in the Work – Author (Multiple entries) – Surname * field has to be assigned the code C.

Entry rules

C

Description

Use when the composer and lyricist of a work are the same person.

Use

This is a mandatory field when the author and composer are the same person, and it replaces the separate author and composer fields. Each songwriter entered in the Work – Author (Multiple entries) – Surname * field has to be assigned the code AC.

Warning: as several platforms and services (notably Apple) use the ID3 field #TCOM Composer to enter the names of lyricists and composers indisctinctly, we need to point out that using the composer field for lyricists and songwriters is sometimes recommanded when it is time to send your data to certain recipients.

Entry rules

AC

Description

Person who adapts a literary text into song lyrics.

Use

This field is mandatory when there has been an adaptation. Each adapter entered in the Work – Author (Multiple entries) – Surname * field has to be assigned the code AD.

Entry rules

AD

Description

Arranger of an existing composition.

Use

This field is mandatory when there has been an arrangement. Each arranger entered in the Work – Author (Multiple entries) – Surname * field has to be assigned the code AR.

Entry rules

AR

Description

Translator of the lyrics of a song, the libretto of an opera, or a musical.

Use

This field is mandatory when there has been a translation. Each translator entered in the Work – Author (Multiple entries) – Surname * field has to be assigned the code TR.

Entry rules

TR

Description

The Interested Parties Information (IPI) code is CISAC’s proprietary identifier administered by the Swiss collective SUISA.

Use

It is used to identify authors and publishers. We recommend consulting your profile on your collective’s web site [SOCAN, SACEM, etc.] to find your IPI and use it for all your future communications and indexing endeavours. You can also find it in the ISWC database by entering the title of one of your previously registered works.

The IPI is a multi-level (2) identifier and can be of two types: a Base or a Name. A Base IPI number is unique and associated to a legal entity or a natural person. A Name is a number that can be associated to an alias and will be linked to a Base. A Base can have many Name associated to it.

Entry rules

It has the pattern H-NNNNNNNNN-C, where H is a header, N is a nine-digits identification number, C is a single number check digit. (Wikipedia).

Description

The International Standard Name Identifier (ISNI) is the ISO 27729:2012 standard (TC 46/SC 9 assignment subcommittee). ISO is the International Standard Organisation whose mission is to develop and publish international standards for all sectors.

The ISNI is a unique and public identifier for a contributor to a creative work. It can be for the main artist, or for a composer, but it can also be for any other legal or natural entity (e.g., a sound engineer or a record label). The purpose of the ISNI identifier is to become a standard bridge identifier that allows the creation of a stable hub between various databases (for example between Wikidata, VIAF and MusicBrainz). The ISNI database is free and crowdsourced. Ultimately, an ISNI is a permalink to an identity on the web of data. See for example http://isni.org/isni/000000011... .

Use

You should retrieve your ISNI if you already have been assigned one by visiting the site http://www.isni.org/search

In Québec and other francophone regions, metaD.media is responsible for assigning ISNI for the music industry http://isnimusique.ca

Entry rules

The ISNI code consists of four sequences of four characters for a total of 16. We do not use spaces or hyphens.

Description

It is understood that the name of the publisher will always be a legal entity. The name of a legal entity whose syntax is similar to that of a natural person is entered only in this field. Thus, the stage name Marie-Mai who acts as a publisher will be entered fully in this field.

The music publisher is responsible for the administration of the revenues and/or publishing of musical works, in this case here, that is the subject of a fixation. The publisher whose name is entered in this field is the one who owns the rights to the work at the time of entering the data.

Use

It is a generic and inclusive technological term. This is a mandatory field. This field allows multiple entries. Contrary to a practice that is commonplace in many countries, this field must not be used for the record label. MetaMusic is currently not planning to add an EndDate to this field.

Entry rules

Free text entered as it should to be read. Make sure to enter this information in a constant manner, always using the same format and spelling. If there is no publisher, enter “unpublished”.

Description

The Interested Parties Information (IPI) code is CISAC’s proprietary identifier administered by the Swiss collective SUISA.

Use

It is used to identify authors and publishers. We recommend consulting your profile on your collective’s web site [SOCAN, SACEM, etc.] to find your IPI and use it for all your future communications and indexing endeavours. You can also find it in the ISWC database by entering the title of one of your previously registered works.

The IPI is a multi-level (2) identifier and can be of two types: a Base or a Name. A Base IPI number is unique and associated to a legal entity or a natural person. A Name is a number that can be associated to an alias and will be linked to a Base. A Base can have many Name associated to it.

Entry rules

It has the pattern H-NNNNNNNNN-C, where H is a header, N is a nine-digits identification number, C is a single number check digit. (Wikipedia).

Description

The International Standard Name Identifier (ISNI) is the ISO 27729:2012 standard (TC 46/SC 9 assignment subcommittee). ISO is the International Standard Organisation whose mission is to develop and publish international standards for all sectors.

The ISNI is a unique and public identifier for a contributor to a creative work. It can be for the main artist or for a composer, but it can also be for any other legal or natural entity (for example, a sound engineer or a record label). The purpose of the ISNI identifier is to become a standard bridge identifier that allows the creation of a stable hub between various databases (for example between Wikidata, VIAF and MusicBrainz). The ISNI database is free and crowdsourced. Ultimately, an ISNI is a permalink to an identity on the web of data. See for example http://isni.org/isni/000000011... .

Use

You should retrieve your ISNI if one has already been assigned to you by visiting the site http://www.isni.org/search

In Québec and other francophone regions, metaD.media is responsible for assigning ISNI for the music industry http://isnimusique.ca

Entry rules

The ISNI code consists of four sequences of four characters for a total of 16. We do not use spaces or hyphens.

Description

The various “origin” type fields are used to identify content from Québec for purposes of discoverability, regulations and statistics.

This identification is partly based on the origin of the work’s creators (authors and composers) as determined in the current field.

The criteria used to determine the Québec origin of a track were elaborated by professional music associations (ADISQ, APEM, GMMQ, SPACQ and UDA). The creation of a validation process is being considered but does not exist yet. To be considered from Québec, a track must meet a combination of criteria entered pursuant to the fields of the MetaMusic model:

• Work – Author – Identification of Québécois Author and Composer (Yes/No)
• Work – Publisher – Identification of a Québécois Publisher (see Origin and Industry elements)
• Track – Main Artist – Identification as an Artist from Québec
• Track – First Maker – Identification as a Maker from Québec
• Track – Initial Record Label - Identification as a Record Label from Québec

Theses fields are aggregated to determine the origin in field Track – Aggregated Origin Identification According to Components Calculation.

2 out of 3 artistic elements must be from Québec

• author (lyrics) Work – Author – Identification of Québécois Author and Composer (Yes/No)
• composer (music) Work – Author – Identification of Québécois Author and Composer (Yes/No)
• main artist Track – Main Artist – Identification as an Artist from Québec

AND

2 out of 3 industry elements must be from Québec

• first maker Track – First Maker – Identification as a Maker from Québec
• publisher Work – Publisher – Identification of a Québécois Publisher (see Origin and Industry elements)
• record label Track – Initial Record Label - Identification as a Record Label from Québec

There are two exceptions to the rules established by the associations: if the work is public domain or a jazz standard, the work will be considered from Québec for the author and composer (artistic) and publisher (industry) elements.

When more than one individual is part of the same element (for example, if there are several composers), the Québec status is granted if at least one of individual among them is considered Québécois.

The attribution of the Québec origin status to individuals who are considered creators (artist or artistic collective) is qualitative and is based on basic criteria:

• place of birth;
• place where their career started,
• place of residence;
• if their artistic talent was developed specifically and/or mainly on the territory of Québec;
• if, generally speaking, the creator identifies as Québécois in the media and in their marketing, etc.;
• if the creator is considered as Québecois by the media and other explicit and credible sources.

For example: Céline Dion, Leonard Cohen, Diane Tell, Arcade Fire, Barr Brothers are considered Québecois. Daniel Lanois and Mylène Farmer are not, despite being born in Québec. Daran, who has lived in Québec for several years and has integrated the local artistic scene, could now be considered Québécois.

Industry elements (⅔): First maker / Publisher / Record label

If an element has more than one company (for example, if there are more than one maker), the Québec status is granted to that element if there is at least one company among them is considered Québécois.

A corporation must have, at the time of the fixation of the sound recording:

• capital stock and be incorporated under federal or provincial laws;
• Quebecers holding the beneficial ownership or the direct or indirect control;
• At least 50% plus one of the issued and outstanding voting shares, except for the shares held only as security;
• Its head office (place of establishment) must be in Québec.

The city where the company's head office is located will be used as the descriptive field for the attribution of this status. This field will be linked to a UN/LOCODE.

If the author or composer is not represented by a publisher, they are considered to be their own publisher.

Use

Identifying content from Québec.

Entry rules

Yes/No or depending on the various metadata entry software and interfaces available on the market.

Description

The country of residence or citizenship of authors whose roles are lyricist Work – Author – Role – Lyricist (A) *, composer Work – Author – Role – Composer (C) * or songwriter Work – Author – Role – Songwriter (AC) * is used to determine the MAPL status.

Various fields define a geographical location and MetaMusic recommends using the UN/LOCODE identifier. However, in rare cases such as this one, we recommend using the standard two-letter ISO3166-1 alpha-2 code. ISO is the International Standard Organisation whose mission is to develop and publish international standards for all sectors.

Use

The words "citizen" and "resident" are used here as generic and inclusive technological terms.

To find the code for the country you wish to enter, we recommend consulting Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

ISO3166-1 alpha-2 code is CA.

Entry rules

The ISO3166-1 alpha-2 consists of two letters.

Description

Various fields define a geographic location, for example the place of fixation (for a recording session), the city where an artist was born, the head office of a legal entity, a company, etc. MetaMusic recommends using the UN/LOCODE identifier. The UN/LOCODE provides city-wide accuracy for all cities around the world. It then allows to automatically extract the country or territory concerned, for example Canada or a province like Québec.

The UN/LOCODE (United Nations Code for Trade and Transport Locations) is a code developed and managed by the United Nations to identify locations. It defines codes for geographic locations everywhere in the world (notably, countries, cities, villages). Those UN/LOCODE are also linked to a table of geographic coordinates (GPS coordinates).

Use

To find the location code you wish to enter, you need to use the UN/LOCODE reference table. You must then click on your country’s tab and use the search engine to find your city. https://www.unece.org/cefact/l...

The INSI international agency uses the UN/LOCODE as do most public libraries.

Entry rules

The UN/LOCODE consists of five characters.

The first two are letters to identify the country using the standard ISO 3166-1 list of the International Standard Organisation. The S3166-2 standard that would allow the addition of Canadian provinces is no longer kept up to date by ISO.

The country code is followed by a space and then three letters to identify the city.

For example, the UN/LOCODE for Montréal (QC) Canada is CA MTR.

Description

Various fields define a geographic location, for example the place of fixation (for a recording session), the city where an artist was born, the head office of a legal entity, a company, etc. MetaMusic recommends using the UN/LOCODE identifier. The UN/LOCODE provides city-wide accuracy for all cities around the world. It then allows to automatically extract the country or territory concerned, for example Canada or a province like Québec.

The UN/LOCODE (United Nations Code for Trade and Transport Locations) is a code developed and managed by the United Nations to identify locations.It defines codes for geographic locations everywhere in the world (notably, countries, cities, villages). Those UN/LOCODE are also linked to a table of geographic coordinates (GPS coordinates).

Use

To find the location code you wish to enter, you need to use the UN/LOCODE reference table. You must then click on your country’s tab and use the search engine to find your city. https://www.unece.org/cefact/l...

The INSI international agency uses the UN/LOCODE as do most public libraries.

Entry rules

The UN/LOCODE consists of five characters.

The first two are letters to identify the country using the standardized ISO 3166-1 list of the International Standard Organisation. The 3166-2 standard that would allow the addition of Canadian provinces is no longer kept up to date by ISO.

The country code is followed by a space and then three letters to identify the city.

For example, the UN/LOCODE for Montréal (QC). Canada is CA MTR.

Description

The various “origin” type fields are used to identify content from Québec for puposes of discoverability, regulations and statistics.

This identification is partly based on the origin of the publishers of the work as determined in the current field.

The criteria used to determine the Québec origin of a track were elaborated by professional music associations (ADISQ, APEM, GMMQ, SPACQ and UDA). The creation of a validation process is being considered but does not exist yet. To be considered from Québec, a track must meet a combination of criteria entered pursuant to the fields of the MetaMusic model:

• Work – Author – Identification of Québécois Author and Composer (Yes/No)
• Work – Publisher – Identification of a Québécois Publisher (see Origin and Industry elements)
• Track – Main Artist – Identification as an Artist from Québec
• Track – First Maker – Identification as a Maker from Québec
• Track – Initial Record Label - Identification as a Record Label from Québec

Theses fields are aggregated to determine the origin in field Track – Aggregated Origin Identification According to Components Calculation.

2 out of 3 artistic elements must be from Québec

• author (lyrics) Work – Author – Identification of Québécois Author and Composer (Yes/No)
• composer (music) Work – Author – Identification of Québécois Author and Composer (Yes/No)
• main artist Track – Main Artist – Identification as an Artist from Québec

AND

2 out of 3 industry elements must be from Québec

• first maker Track – First Maker – Identification as a Maker from Québec
• publisher Work – Publisher – Identification of a Québécois Publisher (see Origin and Industry elements)
• record label Track – Initial Record Label - Identification as a Record Label from Québec

There are two exceptions to the rules established by the associations: if the work is public domain or a jazz standard, it will be considered from Québec for the author and composer elements (artistic) and publishers (industry).

When more than one individual is part of the same element (for example, if there are several composers), the Québec status is granted if at least one individual among them is considered Québécois.

The attribution of the Québec origin status to individuals who are considered creators (artist or artistic collective) is qualitative and is based on basic criteria:

• Place of birth;
• Place where their career started;
• Place of residence;
• If their artistic talent was developed specifically and/or mainly on the territory of Québec;
• If, generally speaking, the creator identifies as Québécois in the media and for marketing goals, etc.;
• If the creator is considered Québécois by the media and other explicit and credible sources.

For example: Céline Dion, Leonard Cohen, Diane Tell, Arcade Fire, Barr Brothers are considered Québecois. Daniel Lanois and Mylène Farmer are not, despite being born in Québec. Daran, who has lived in Québec for several years and has integrated the local artistic scene, could now be considered Québécois.

Industry elements (⅔): First Maker / Publisher / Record label

If an element has more than one company (for example, if there are more than one maker), the Québec status is granted to that element if there at least one company among them is considered Québécois.

A corporation must have, at the time of the fixation of the sound recording:

• capital stock and be incorporated under federal or provincial laws;
• Quebecers holding the beneficial ownership or the direct or indirect control;
• At least 50% plus one of the issued and outstanding voting shares, except for the shares held only as security;
• Its head office (place of establishment) must be in Québec.

Use

The city where the company's head office is located will be used as the descriptive field for the attribution of this status. This field will be linked to a UN/LOCODE.

If the author or composer is not represented by a publisher, they are considered to be their own publisher.

Entry rules

Yes/No or depending on the various metadata entry software and interfaces available on the market.

Description

The track title is the name given to a sound recording. Do not look any further, it is indeed the title of a track!

Use

This is a mandatory field. The track title must not include details about the version because there is another specific field for this information (for example if the track is a live version or if it is featuring a guest artist).

Entry rules

The track title must be entered as you would like it to be displayed by a music player. We comply with the use of an uppercase letter prescribed by the language used.

Description

This field is used to specify the version of a track, whether it is the original version or if it has been modified (remix, re-recording, etc.).

Use

This is a mandatory field. When there is no specific version, you must enter “Original”. This field is very important for distinguishing very similar tracks: original version, live version, radio edit, remix, etc. This field is NOT the one used for guest artists (featuring).

Entry rules

Free text entered as it should be read. Make sure you enter this information in a constant manner, always using the same format and spelling.

It is recommended to enter the information about the version in the same language as the track’s lyrics. The most frequently used terms are: Live, Remix, Radio edit.

Description

Several digitized objects (such as Tracks and Products) can use the DOI identifier to allow them to be tracked on the data web.

Use

At the time of MetaMusic’s first publication, this field is included for information only and its use will be defined in a future update.

Entry rules

Upcoming.

Description

It is understood that the name of the studio will always be a legal entity. The name of a legal entity whose syntax is similar to that of a natural person is entered only in this field. Thus, the stage name Marie-Mai who acts as a studio will be entered in this field.

This is the name of the studio or studios used for the sound recording, the mixing or the mastering.

Use

This field allows multiple entries.

Entry rules

Free text entered as it should be read. Make sure to enter this information in a constant manner, always using the same format and spelling.

Description

This field is used for the determination of the MAPL status. This field is used to determine the place of fixation of a track, its performance, its sound recording.

Various fields define a geographic location, for example the place of fixation (for a recording session), the city where an artist was born, the head office of a legal entity, a company, etc. MetaMusic recommends using the UN/LOCODE identifier. The UN/LOCODE provides city-wide accuracy for all cities around the world. It then allows to automatically extract the country or territory in question, for example Canada or a province like Québec.

The UN/LOCODE (United Nations Code for Trade and Transport Locations) is a code developed and managed by the United Nations to identify locations.It defines codes for geographic locations everywhere in the world (notably, countries, cities, villages). Those UN/LOCODE are also linked to a table of geographic coordinates (GPS coordinates).

Use

This is a mandatory field. To find the location code you wish to enter, you need to use the UN/LOCODE reference table. You must then click on your country’s tab and use the search engine to find your city. https://www.unece.org/cefact/l...

The INSI international agency uses the UN/LOCODE as do most public libraries.

Entry rules

The UN/LOCODE consists of five characters.

The first two are letters to identify the country using the standard ISO 3166-1 list of the International Standard Organisation. The standard 3166-2 that would allow the addition of Canadian provinces is no longer kept up to date by ISO.

The country code is followed by a space and then three letters to identify the city.

For example, the UN/LOCODE for Montréal (QC) Canada is CA MTR.

Description

This is the start date of the recording sessions in question (BeginDate).

This field, associated to the tracking sessions (TrackingSession), is the official year of fixation required by certain recipients.

Use

This is a mandatory field. Each field 20047 to 20050 (date and session types) is associated to a field Track – Studio - Name (multiple entries).

Entry rules

The format must be YYYY-MM-JJ (Year/Month/Day). The month and day are optional and do not have to be entered. You can enter 2013 or 2013-01.

Description

Field used to describe the type of session associated to a studio and a date.

Use

Corresponds to the DDEX-RIN field: TrackingSession. Each field 20047 to 20050 (date and session types) is associated to a field Track – Studio - Name (multiple entries).

Entry rules

Tracking

Description

Field used to describe the type of session associated to a studio and a date.

Use

Corresponds to the DDEX-RIN field: MixingSession. Each field 20047 to 20050 (date and session types) is associated to a field Track – Studio - Name (multiple entries).

Entry rules

Mixing

Description

Field used to describe the type of session associated to a studio and a date.

Use

Corresponds to the DDEX-RIN field: MasteringSession. Each field 20047 to 20050 (date and session types) is associated to a field Track – Studio - Name (multiple entries).

Entry rules

Mastering

Description

The International Standard Recording Code (ISRC) is the ISO 3901:2019 standard (TC 46/SC 9 assignment subcommittee). ISO is the International Standard Organisation whose mission is to develop and publish international standards for all sectors.

The ISRC is used to identify sound recordings (tracks).

The Registrant Code is a prerequisite for the ISRC and is used to identify and distinguish the first owner. It consists of three alphanumerical characters that follow the two-character country code. Using this code, first owners can henceforth create their own ISRC codes.

Use

In the model proposed by MetaMusic, the ISRC code is mandatory. It will also be mandatory when declaring your repertoire to Soproq. It is, however, not mandatory when you declare your repertoire to Artisti.

To obtain your three-character Registrant Code, contact Soproq (Québec) or get a manager access from SCPP (France).

It is a best practice to always use your Registrant Code when assigning IRSCs to your recordings, rather than relying on a third party.

Each owner is responsible for keeping a list of all their ISRC codes and provide them when needed.

Any new sound recording (track) must have a unique ISRC. The ISRC of a sound recording must never be modified. In the following cases, a new ISRC should be assigned:

• Remix (e.g., Radio Edit);
• Re-recording;
• Modification to the duration of a recording;
• Use of part of a recording;
• Restoration of historical recordings;
• Compilation using modified recordings.

The ISRC must be encoded on the recording medium during the mastering and supplied when delivered to digital platforms. It's a mandatory prerequisite for the exploitation a track.

Entry rules

Each owner creates their own 12-digit ISRC using their Registrant Code. The pattern of the ISRC is as follows: CA-Y01-13-02401 (12 characters) – Country (CA) – First owner (Y01) – Year of release (13) – Sequence of five digits (02401).

Depending on the various metadata entry software and interfaces available on the market, the 12 characters are usually entered without spaces or hyphens.

Description

The Parental Advisory (in French: Avertissement parental) is written above Explicit Content (formerly Explicit Lyrics). This advisory was created in the United States in 1985 by the Recording Industry Association of America following lobbying by the Parents Music Resource Center. (source Wikipedia)

Use

This is a mandatory field. However, this is subjective information that is often used for marketing purposes, in particular to mark the radical nature of a project. There is no formal legal obligation relating to this mention and many independent record labels choose to ignore it. It is, however, required by certain platforms or aggregators.

Entry rules

1 for YES and 0 for NO or depending on the data entry software.

Description

MetaMusic has ruled on an indicative list of music genres. This list is the same as the one used by RIDEAU, an arts presenters association. It also complies with the uses of most platforms.

Use

Here is MetaMusic’s list of music genres:

1. Popular
2. Folk
3. Song (Pop)
4. Rock, Alternative
5. Country & Western
6. Jazz
7. Blues
8. Hip-Hop, rap, urban
9. R&B, Soul
10. Reggae
11. Latino
12. EDM, Dance
13. Avant-garde (experimental, electroacoustic, contemporary)
14. Classical
15. Contemporary classical
16. Traditional World Music (subgenre strongly recommended)
17. Christmas
18. Youth
19. Screen and stage music
20. Religious
21. Orality, humour
22. Audiobook (non-musical)

Entry rules

Controlled vocabulary and drop-down menu. In MetaMusic's model, it is possible to add subgenres for tracks, but not for products.

Description

The subgenre is used to specify a genre.

Use

In MetaMusic's model, it is possible to add subgenres for tracks, but not for products. Unlike the genre, the subgenre offers greater flexibility. With some exceptions, you can use the subgenre of your choice.

It is recommended to use the indicative list of genres to specify a genre that proves difficult to establish under the same indicative list. For example, in the case of uncertainty between pop and rock, use one as the genre and the other as the subgenre.

In the specific case of the World Traditions genre, it is strongly recommended to use a subgenre to specify the country or territory of origin.

Entry rules

Usually in free text as it should to be read. Make sure to enter this information in a constant manner, always using the same format and spelling.

Description

This field allows the entry of various languages for the lyrics heard on the track. Its content may therefore differ from the language of the work.

Use

This field allows for multiple entries. The languages are determined by what is heard and not what might be documented in relation to the track, such as the word count of the original text.

Entry rules

Three letters. French: FRA / English: ENG

Description

Percentage of each language identified in the field’s multiple entries Track – Lyrics (Language) – (Multiple entries).

Use

The languages and their percentage of use on the track are determined on the basis of the timing of what is heard with regard to all the parts sung.

Entry rules

Two digits, like 19 to indicate 19%.

Description

The various “origin” type fields are used to identify content from Québec for purposes of discoverability, regulations and statistics.

This identification is based on several fields as defined below. The criteria used to determine the Québec origin of a track were elaborated by professional music associations (ADISQ, APEM, GMMQ, SPACQ and UDA). The creation of a validation process is being considered but does not exist yet. Two out of three artistic elements must be from Québec.

To be considered from Québec, a track must meet a combination of criteria entered pursuant to the fields of the MetaMusic model:

• Work – Author – Identification of Québécois Author and Composer (Yes/No)
• Work – Publisher – Identification of a Québécois Publisher (see Origin and Industry elements)
• Track – Main Artist – Identification as an Artist from Québec
• Track – First Maker – Identification as a Maker from Québec
• Track – Initial Record Label - Identification as a Record Label from Québec

Theses fields are aggregated to determine the origin in the current field 20084.

2 out of 3 artistic elements must be from Québec

• author (lyrics) Work – Author – Identification of Québécois Author and Composer (Yes/No)
• composer (music) Work – Author – Identification of Québécois Author and Composer (Yes/No)
• main artist Track – Main Artist – Identification as an Artist from Québec

AND

2 out of 3 industry elements must be from Québec

• first maker Track – First Maker – Identification as a Maker from Québec
• publisher Work – Publisher – Identification of a Québécois Publisher (see Origin and Industry elements)
• record label Track – Initial Record Label - Identification as a Record Label from Québec

There are two exceptions to the rules established by the associations: if the work is public domain or is a jazz standard, it will be considered from Québec for the author and composer elements (artistic) and publishers (industry).

When more than one individual is part of the same element (for example, if there are several composers), the Québec status is granted if at least one individual among them is considered Québécois.

The attribution of a Québec origin status to individuals considered creators (artist or artistic collective) is qualitative and is based on basic criteria:

• Place of birth;
• Place where their career started;
• Place of residence;
• If their artistic talent was developed specifically and/or mainly on the territory of Québec;
• If, generally speaking, the creator identifies as Québécois in the media and in their marketing, etc.;
• If the creator is considered as Québecois by the media and other explicit and credible sources.

For example: Céline Dion, Leonard Cohen, Diane Tell, Arcade Fire, Barr Brothers are considered Québecois. Daniel Lanois and Mylène Farmer are not, despite being born in Québec. Daran, who has lived in Québec for several years and has integrated the local artistic scene, could now be considered Québécois.

Industry elements (⅔): Maker / Publisher / Record label

If an element has more than one company(for example, if there are more than one maker), the Québec status is granted to that element if at least one company among them is considered Québécois.

A corporation must have, at the time of the fixation of the sound recording:

• capital stock and be incorporated under federal or provincial laws;
• Quebecers holding the beneficial ownership or the direct or indirect control;
• At least 50% plus one of the issued and outstanding voting shares, except for the shares held only as security;
• Its head office (place of establishment) must be in Québec.

The city where the company's head office is located will be used as the descriptive field for the attribution of this status. This field will be linked to a UN/LOCODE.

If the author or composer is not represented by a publisher, they are considered to be their own publisher.

Use

Identifying content from Québec for purposes of discoverability, regulations and statistics.

Entry rules

Yes/No or depending on the various metadata entry software and interfaces available on the market.

Description

The MAPL system was established by the CRTC to determine the Canadian origin of a content.

It stands for Music (music) / Performer (main performer) / Production (place of recording) / Lyrics (lyrics) and determines if the content originates from Canada when two out of the four criteria are met.

Use

This field is the result of the calculation in determining the MAPL status, as established by the fields of place of establishement, citizen or residence, for the creators of the music and lyrics (author, composer, songwriter) (Work – Author – Citizen or Resident – Country (ISO-3166-1)), for the main artist (Track – Main Artist – Citizen or Resident – Country (ISO-3166-1)) and for the studio (Track – Studio - Address (place of fixation) (UN/LOCODE) *).

Entry rules

1 for YES and 0 for NO or depending on the various metadata entry software and interfaces available on the market.

Description

The surname field is used to enter a person's legal surname, but it is also used to enter the name of a Brand, for example the name of a band, or an artist who uses a stage name. The name of a legal entity whose syntax is similar to that of a natural person is entered only in this field. Thus, the stage name Marie-Mai (sometimes spelled Marie Mai) will be entered fully in the surname field. You must not separate Marie and Mai in the first name and surname fields nor should you use the first name field to write Marie-Mai or simply Marie.

This is the family name (surname) of the main artist, their stage name, if they use one, or the name of the band. For the latter two examples, there is no need to enter a first name. This field corresponds to the various English synonyms: Lead Performer, Soloist, Performing Group, Main Artist, Main Performer, Main Performing Artist, Primary Artist.

Use

This is a mandatory field. This field allows multiple entries. This is a generic and inclusive technological term.

It allows for multiple entries so that more than one main artist may be entered in this field, when they believe they are a playing a role of significant and equal value. In the case of a guest performer who plays a less significant role, we will use the fields Track – Guest Artist (feat.) – Surname – (multiple entries) */Track – Guest Artist (feat.) – First name – (multiple entries) * – featuring.

Entry rules

When the main artist identifies publicly by their real first name and surname, this field is reserved for their surname. The entry must respect the exact spelling, including uppercase letters, hyphens and apostrophes.

When the main artist uses a stage name or is a group, it must by entered fully in this field, as you would like it to be displayed by a music player: Les Cowboys Fringants, Marie-Mai, Les Denis Drolet, Mononc’ Serge.

The name of the main artist must not include any additional information (role, instrument or other).

When the product is a compilation, the various metadata entry software or interfaces available on the market should allow to enter the main artist as defined here as well as the term “multiple artists”.

Description

Used strictly for the first name of a natural person who is the main artist and who identifies publicly by their real first name and surname.

Use

This is a mandatory field. This field allows multiple entries. The metadata entry software and interfaces available on the market will process its addition to the surname field when the metadata is delivered.

Entry rules

This field must only be used when the main artist identifies publicly by their real first name and surname. Free text entered as it should be read. Make sure to enter this information in a constant manner, always using the same format and spelling.

Description

This is a field that allows the main artist to be associated with one or more musical instruments. When the main artist is a band, each member will be entered in the musician and background vocalist fields and their instrument will be associated with the fields provided for this purpose.

Use

This field allows multiple entries. This field is optional.

Entry rules

The various metadata entry software and interfaces available on the market may process this field differently. However, the one you chose should allow the names of musical instruments to be entered in full and offer the possibility of entering multiple instruments for each name listed in the field Track – Main Artist – Surname (multiple entries) *.

Description

The surname field is used to enter a person's legal surname, but it is also used to enter the name of a Brand, for example the name of a band, or an artist who uses a stage name. The name of a legal entity whose syntax is similar to that of a natural person is entered only in this field. Thus, the stage name Marie-Mai (sometimes spelled Marie Mai) will be entered fully in the surname field. You must not separate Marie and Mai in the first name and surname fields nor should you use the first name field to write Marie-Mai or simply Marie.

This is a specific field used to enter the featuring made popular by hip-hop culture. It is one or more guest performers who are added to the main artist.

Use

It is a mandatory field when applicable. This is a generic and inclusive technological term. This field allows multiple entries.

Entry rules

Enter this information as you would for the surname of the main artist. Do not use words With, feat. or Featuring. The various metadata entry software and interfaces available on the market should, when required, add these terms for the recipients who need it.

Description

Used strictly for the name of a natural person who is the guest artist and who identifies publicly by their real first name and surname.

Use

The metadata entry software and interfaces available on the market will process its addition to the surname field when the metadata is delivered.

Entry rules

This field must only be used when the guest artist identifies publicly by their real first name and surname. Free text entered as it should be read. Do not add descriptive text such as feat., featuring, special guest, etc.

Description

The first maker is the person who carries out the operations required for the initial fixation of sounds, such as signing contracts with the performing artists, financing and technical services. The first maker assumes this financial risk. It can be a natural person, a legal entity or a brand.

Use

This is a mandatory field. This is a generic and inclusive technological term. This field allows for multiple entries in the case of a co-production.

Entry rules

Enter it as it should be read whether it is a natural person, a legal entity or a brand. Make sure to enter this information in a constant manner, always using the same format and spelling.

Description

In the case of performing musicians and background vocalists, the rights management imperatives suggest that the form of a natural person be systematically adopted. The surname field must contain the surname of that natural person. In compliance with the practice of the ISNI agency for the English language, we use the term Surname rather than Lastname to designate family names.Here, it is possible to credit either the musicians involved in the recording of a specific track or the individual members of a band.

Use

Musician and background vocalists are generic and inclusive technological terms. This field allows multiple entries. This is a mandatory field for the first six musicians and background vocalists. It is optional for the musicians and background vocalists exceeding this number and who must be entered in fields Track - Musician or Background Vocalist (multiple entries) (7 or +) – Surname and Track - Musician or Background Vocalists (multiple entries) (7 or +) – First name.

This partially mandatory approach was adopted so as not to overload the data entry for a track when a large number of musicians are involved. However, it is strongly recommended to complete the list of musicians and background vocalists in fields Track - Musician or Background Vocalist (multiple entries) (7 or +) – Surname and Track - Musician or Background Vocalists (multiple entries) (7 or +) – First name.

Entry rules

Surname as it should be read. The first names and surnames of musicians and background vocalists are entered in separate fields. Make sure to enter this information in a constant manner, always using the same format and spelling.

Description

This is the first name of the musicians and background vocalists in field Track – Musician or Background Vocalist (multiple entries) (6 or -) – Surname *. It is strictly used for the first name of a natural person.

Use

This is a mandatory field for the first six musicians and background vocalists. It is optional for the musicians and background vocalists exceeding this number and who must be entered in fields 25037 and 25038. This partially mandatory approach was adopted so as not to overload the data entry when a track with a large number of musicians are involved. However, it is strongly recommended to complete the list of musicians and background vocalists in fields Track - Musician or Background Vocalist (multiple entries) (7 or +) – Surname and Track - Musician or Background Vocalists (multiple entries) (7 or +) – First name.

The metadata entry software and interfaces available on the market will process its addition to the surname field when the metadata is delivered.

Entry rules

First name as it should be read. Make sure to enter this information in a constant manner, always using the same format and spelling.

Description

This field is used to enter the year of birth of the main artist.

Since the adoption in Europe of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), it is no longer possible to require the full date of birth of a person. Thus databases now only use the year of birth.

Use

This field is optional. The year of birth is essentially used to distinguish homonyms and facilitate the distribution of royalties.

Entry rules

Four digits.

Description

The International Performer Number (IPN) is a proprietary identifier for performers under SCAPR and recorded in the International Performers Database [IPD]. It is mainly used for internal administrative tasks of Collective Management Organizations for performers. It is possible that its use will become more widespread in the future.

Use

To obtain your IPN, you must regsister as a member with a Collective Management Organization for performers who is a member of SCAPR, such as Artisti.

Entry rules

The IPN consists of eight digits (01234567) without spaces or hyphens.

Description

The International Performer Number (IPN) is a proprietary identifier for performers under SCAPR and recorded in the International Performers Database [IPD]. It is mainly used for internal administrative tasks of Collective Management Organizations for performers. It is possible that its use will become more widespread in the future.

Use

To obtain your IPN, you must register as a member with a Collective Management Organization for performers who is a member of SCAPR, such as Artisti

Entry rules

The IPN is consists of eight digits (01234567) without spaces or hyphens.

Description

The International Performer Number (IPN) is a proprietary identifier for performers under SCAPR and recorded in the International Performers Database [IPD]. It is mainly used for internal administrative tasks of Collective Management Organizations for performers. It is possible that its use will become more widespread in the future.

Use

To obtain your IPN, you must register as a member with a Collective Management Organization for performers who is a member of SCAPR, such as Artisti

Entry rules

The IPN consists of eight digits (01234567) without spaces or hyphens.

Description

The International Standard Name Identifier (ISNI) is the ISO 27729:2012 standard (TC 46/SC 9 assignment subcommittee). ISO is the International Standard Organisation whose mission is to develop and publish international standards for all sectors.

The ISNI is a unique and public identifier for a contributor to a creative work. It can be for the main artist, or for a composer, but it can also be for any other legal or natural entity (e.g., a sound engineer or a record label). The purpose of the ISNI identifier is to become a standard bridge identifier that allows the creation of a stable hub between various databases (for example between Wikidata, VIAF and MusicBrainz). The ISNI database is free and crowdsourced. Ultimately, an ISNI is a permalink to an identity on the web of data. See for example http://isni.org/isni/000000011...

Use

You should retrieve your ISNI if one has already been assigned to you by visiting the site http://www.isni.org/search

In Québec and other francophone regions, metaD.media is responsible for assigning ISNI for the music industry http://isnimusique.ca

Entry rules

The ISNI code consists of four sequences of four characters for a total of 16. We do not use spaces or hyphens.

Description

The International Standard Name Identifier (ISNI) is the ISO 27729:2012 standard (TC 46/SC 9 assignment subcommittee). ISO is the International Standard Organisation whose mission is to develop and publish international standards for all sectors.

The ISNI is a unique and public identifier for a contributor to a creative work. It can be for the main artist, or for a composer, but it can also be for any other legal or natural entity (e.g., a sound engineer or a record label). The purpose of the ISNI identifier is to become a standard bridge identifier that allows the creation of a stable hub between various databases (for example between Wikidata, VIAF and MusicBrainz). The ISNI database is free and crowdsourced. Ultimately, an ISNI is a permalink to an identity on the web of data. See for example http://isni.org/isni/000000011...

Use

You should retrieve your ISNI if one has already been assigned to you by visiting the site http://www.isni.org/search

In Québec and other francophone regions, metaD.media is responsible for assigning ISNI for the music industry http://isnimusique.ca

Entry rules

The ISNI code consists of four sequences of four characters for a total of 16. We do not use spaces or hyphens.

Description

The International Standard Name Identifier (ISNI) is the ISO 27729:2012 standard (TC 46/SC 9 assignment subcommittee). ISO is the International Standard Organisation whose mission is to develop and publish international standards for all sectors.

The ISNI is a unique and public identifier for a contributor to a creative work. It can be for the main artist, or for a composer, but it can also be for any other legal or natural entity (e.g., a sound engineer or a record label). The purpose of the ISNI identifier is to become a standard bridge identifier that allows the creation of a stable hub between various databases (for example between Wikidata, VIAF and MusicBrainz). The ISNI database is free and crowdsourced. Ultimately, an ISNI is a permalink to an identity on the web of data. See for example http://isni.org/isni/000000011...

Use

You should retrieve your ISNI if one has already been assigned to you by visiting the site http://www.isni.org/search

In Québec and other francophone regions, metaD.media is responsible for assigning ISNI for the music industry http://isnimusique.ca

Entry rules

The ISNI code consists of four sequences of four characters for a total of 16. We do not use spaces or hyphens.

Description

This field is used to enter the surnames of the rights holders of the sound recording.

Use

This is a specific field.

Entry rules

Upcoming.

Description

The International Standard Name Identifier (ISNI) is the ISO 27729:2012 standard (TC 46/SC 9 assignment subcommittee). ISO is the International Standard Organisation whose mission is to develop and publish international standards for all sectors.

The ISNI is a unique and public identifier for a contributor to a creative work. It can be for the main artist, or for a composer, but it can also be for any other legal or natural entity (e.g., a sound engineer or a record label). The purpose of the ISNI identifier is to become a standard bridge identifier that allows the creation of a stable hub between various databases (for example between Wikidata, VIAF and MusicBrainz). The ISNI database is free and crowdsourced. Ultimately, an ISNI is a permalink to an identity on the web of data. See for example http://isni.org/isni/000000011...

Use

You should retrieve your ISNI if one has already been assigned to you by visiting the site http://www.isni.org/search

In Québec and other francophone regions, metaD.media is responsible for assigning ISNI for the music industry http://isnimusique.ca

Entry rules

The ISNI code consists of four sequences of four characters for a total of 16. We do not use spaces or hyphens.

Description

In the case of performing musicians and background vocalists, the rights management imperatives suggest that the form of a natural person be systematically adopted. The surname field must contain the surname of that natural person. In compliance with the practice of the ISNI agency for the English language, we use the term Surname rather than Lastname to designate family names.

Here, it is possible to credit either the musicians involved in the recording of a specific track or the individual members of a band.

Use

This field allows multiple entries. Although it is strongly recommended to enter all the names of the musicians and background vocalists who participated in a sound recording, this field is optional when their number exceeds 6 (mandatory for six or less - see fields 25025 and 25026). This partially mandatory approach was adopted so as not to overload the data entry for a track when a large number of musicians are involved.

Entry rules

First names and surnames are entered in separate fields. We comply with the use of an uppercase letter prescribed by the language used. Accents, hyphens and apostrophes are allowed when necessary. Surname as it should be read. Make sure to enter this information in a constant manner, always using the same format and spelling.

Description

This is the first name of the musicians and background vocalists in field 25037. It is strictly used for the first name of a natural person.

Use

Although it is strongly recommended to enter all the names of the musicians and background vocalists who participated in a sound recording, this field is optional when their number exceeds 6 (mandatory for six or less - see fields 25025 and 25026). This partially mandatory approach was adopted so as not to overload the data entry for a track when a large number of musicians are involved

The metadata entry software and interfaces available on the market will process its addition to the surname field when the metadata is delivered.

Entry rules

First name as it should be read. Make sure to enter this information in a constant manner, always using the same format and spelling.

Description

The surname field is used to enter a person's legal surname, but it is also used to enter the name of a Brand, for example the name of a band, or an artist who uses a stage name. The name of a legal entity whose syntax is similar to that of a natural person is entered only in this field. Thus, the stage name Marie-Mai (sometimes spelled Marie Mai) will be entered fully in the surname field. You must not separate Marie and Mai in the first name and surname fields nor should you use the first name field to write Marie-Mai or simply Marie.

This is the surname(s) of the contributor(s) to a track who qualifies under the following four roles: producer, sound engineer, mixing engineer, mastering engineer. They are entered in separate fields.

Use

This field allows for multiple entries. The term contributor is used here as a generic and inclusive technological term.

Each Track – Contributor – Surname (multiple entries) type entry may be linked to a first name Track – Contributor – First Name (multiple entries) and is linked to one of the four roles corresponding to entries:

• Track – Contributor – Role – Producer
• Track – Contributor – Role – Sound Engineer
• Track – Contributor – Role – Mixing Engineer
• Track – Contributor – Role – Mastering Engineer

Entry rules

Surname as it should be read. First names and surnames are entered in separate fields. We comply with the use of an uppercase letter prescribed by the language used. Accents, hyphens and apostrophes are allowed when necessary. Make sure to enter this information in a constant manner, always using the same format and spelling.

Description

This is the first name of the contributors in field Track – Contributor – Surname (multiple entries). It is strictly used for the first name of a natural person.

Use

The metadata entry software and interfaces available on the market will process its addition to the surname field when the metadata is delivered.

Entry rules

First name as it should be read. Make sure to enter this information in a constant manner, always using the same format and spelling.

Description

The producer is the artistic director of the project. (In French, the term used is réalisateur)

Use

Role linked to a contributor entered in fields Track – Contributor – Surname (multiple entries) and Track – Contributor – First Name (multiple entries).

Entry rules

Producer

Description

During the recording, the sound engineer supports the work of the producer.

Use

Role linked to a contributor entered in fields Track – Contributor – Surname (multiple entries) and Track – Contributor – First Name (multiple entries).

Entry rules

Sound Engineer

Description

The mixing engineer is the engineer or technician responsible for the final mixing work of all recorded elements (mixdown).

Use

Role linked to a contributor entered in fields Track – Contributor – Surname (multiple entries) and Track – Contributor – First Name (multiple entries).

Entry rules

Mixing

Description

The mastering engineer is responsible for the final conditioning of the track before the reproduction stage.

Use

Role linked to a contributor entered in fields Track – Contributor – Surname (multiple entries) and Track – Contributor – First Name (multiple entries).

Entry rules

Mastering

Description

The various “origin”type fields are used to identify content from Québec for purposes of discoverability, regulations and statistics.

This identification is partly based on the origin of the main artist as entered in the current field.

The criteria used to determine the Québec origin of a track were elaborated by professional music associations (ADISQ, APEM, GMMQ, SPACQ and UDA). The creation of a validation process is being considered but does not exist yet. To be considered from Québec, a track must meet a combination of criteria entered pursuant to the fields of the MetaMusic model:

• Work – Author – Identification of Québécois Author and Composer (Yes/No)
• Work – Publisher – Identification of a Québécois Publisher (see Origin and Industry elements)
• Track – Main Artist – Identification as an Artist from Québec
• Track – First Maker – Identification as a Maker from Québec
• Track – Initial Record Label - Identification as a Record Label from Québec

Theses fields are aggregated to determine the origin in field Track – Aggregated Origin Identification According to Components Calculation.

2 out of 3 artistic elements must be from Québec

• author (lyrics) Work – Author – Identification of Québécois Author and Composer (Yes/No)
• composer (music) Work – Author – Identification of Québécois Author and Composer (Yes/No)
• main artist Track – Main Artist – Identification as an Artist from Québec

AND

2 out of 3 industry elements must be from Québec

• first maker Track – First Maker – Identification as a Maker from Québec
• publisher Work – Publisher – Identification of a Québécois Publisher (see Origin and Industry elements)
• record label Track – Initial Record Label - Identification as a Record Label from Québec

There are two exceptions to the rules established by the associations: if the work is public domain or is a jazz standard, it will be considered from Québec for the author and composer elements (artistic) and publisher (industrial).

When more than one individual is part of the same element (for example, if there are several composers), the Québec status is granted if at least one individual among them is considered Québécois.

The attribution of a Québec origin status to individuals considered creators (artist or artistic collective) is qualitative and is based on basic criteria:

• Place of birth;
• Place where their career started,
• Place of residence;
• If their artistic talent was developed specifically and/or mainly on the territory of Québec;
• If, generally speaking, the creator identifies as Québécois in the media and in their marketing, etc.;
• If the creator is considered as Québecois by the media and other explicit and credible sources.

For example: Céline Dion, Leonard Cohen, Diane Tell, Arcade Fire, Barr Brothers are considered Québecois. Daniel Lanois and Mylène Farmer are not, despite being born in Québec. Daran, who has lived in Québec for several years and has integrated the local artistic scene, could now be considered Québécois.

Industrial elements(⅔): Maker / Publisher / Record label

If an element has more than one company (for example., if there are more than one maker), the Québec status is granted to that element if there at least one company among them is considered Québécois.

A corporation must have, at the time of the fixation of the sound recording:

• capital stock and be incorporated under federal or provincial laws;
• Quebecers holding the beneficial ownership or the direct or indirect control;
• At least 50% plus one of the issued and outstanding voting shares, except for shares held only as security;
• Its head office (place of establishment) must be in Québec.

The city where the company’s head office is located will be used as the descriptive field for the attribution of this status. This field will be linked to a UN/LOCODE.

If the author or composer is not represented by a publisher, they are considered to be their own publisher.

Entry rules

Yes/No or depending on the various metadata entry software and interfaces available on the market.

Description

This field is used to indicate the citizenship or current country of residence of the main artist. It is also used for the determination of the MAPL status.

Various fields define a geographical location and MetaMusic recommends using the UN/LOCODE identifier. However, in rare cases such as this one, we recommend using the standard two-letter ISO3166-1 alpha-2 code. ISO is the International Standard Organisation whose mission is to develop and publish international standards for all sectors.

Use

To find the code for the country you wish to enter, we recommend consulting Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

ISO3166-1 alpha-2 code is CA.

Entry rules

The ISO3166-1 alpha-2 consists of two letters.

Description

This field is used to indicate the city of birth of the main artist.

Various fields define a geographic location, for example the place of fixation (for a recording session), the city where an artist was born, the head office of a legal entity, a company, etc. MetaMusic recommends using the UN/LOCODE identifier. The UN/LOCODE provides city-wide accuracy for all cities around the world. It then allows to automatically extract the country or territory in question, for example Canada or a province like Québec.

The UN/LOCODE (United Nations Code for Trade and Transport Locations) is a code developed and managed by the United Nations to identify locations. It defines codes for geographic locations everywhere in the world (notably countries, cities, villages). Those UN/LOCODE are also linked to a table of geographic coordinates (GPS coordinates).

Use

To find the location code you wish to enter, you need to use the UN/LOCODE reference table. You must then click on your country’s tab and use the search engine to find your city. https://www.unece.org/cefact/l...

The INSI international agency uses the UN/LOCODE as do most of public libraries.

Entry rules

The UN/LOCODE consists of five characters.

The first two are letters to identify the country using the standard ISO 3166-1 list of the International Standard Organisation. The standard 3166-2 that would allow the addition of Canadian provinces is no longer kept up to date by ISO.

The country code is followed by a space and then three letters to identify the city.

For example, the UN/LOCODE for Montréal (QC) Canada is CA MTR.

Description

This field is used to enter the city where the head office of the first maker is located (place of establishment). Various fields define a geographic location, for example the place of fixation (for a recording session), the city where an artist was born, the head office of a legal entity, a company, etc. MetaMusic recommends using the UN/LOCODE identifier. The UN/LOCODE provides city-wide accuracy for all cities around the world. It then allows to automatically extract the country or territory in question, for example Canada or a province like Québec.

The UN/LOCODE (United Nations Code for Trade and Transport Locations) is a code developed and managed by the United Nations to identify locations. It defines codes for geographic locations everywhere in the world (notably, countries, cities, villages). Those UN/LOCODE are also linked to a table of geographic coordinates (GPS coordinates).

Use

This is a mandatory field. To find the location code you wish to enter, you need to use the UN/LOCODE reference table. You must then click on your country’s tab and use the search engine to find your city. https://www.unece.org/cefact/l...

The INSI international agency uses the UN/LOCODE as do most public libraries.

Entry rules

The UN/LOCODE consists of five characters.

The first two are letters to identify the country using the standardized ISO 3166-1 list of the International Standard Organisation. The standard 3166-2 that would allow the addition of Canadian provinces is no longer kept up to date by ISO.

The country code is followed by a space and then three letters to identify the city.

For example, the UN/LOCODE for Montréal (QC) Canada is CA MTR.

Description

The various “origin” type fields are used to identify content from Québec for purposes of discoverability, regulations and statistics.

This identification is partly based on the origin of the makers as determined in the current field.

The criteria used to determine the Québec origin of a track were elaborated by professional music associations (ADISQ, APEM, GMMQ, SPACQ and UDA). The creation of a validation process is being considered but does not exist yet. To be considered from Québec, a track must meet a combination of criteria entered pursuant to the fields of the MetaMusic model:

• Work – Author – Identification of Québécois Author and Composer (Yes/No)
• Work – Publisher – Identification of a Québécois Publisher (see Origin and Industry elements)
• Track – Main Artist – Identification as an Artist from Québec
• Track – First Maker – Identification as a Maker from Québec
• Track – Initial Record Label - Identification as a Record Label from Québec

Theses fields are aggregated to determine the origin in field Track – Aggregated Origin Identification According to Components Calculation.

2 out of 3 artistic elements must be from Québec

• author (lyrics) Work – Author – Identification of Québécois Author and Composer (Yes/No)
• composer (music) Work – Author – Identification of Québécois Author and Composer (Yes/No)
• main artist Track – Main Artist – Identification as an Artist from Québec

AND

2 out of 3 industry elements must be from Québec

• first maker Track – First Maker – Identification as a Maker from Québec
• publisher Work – Publisher – Identification of a Québécois Publisher (see Origin and Industry elements)
• record label Track – Initial Record Label - Identification as a Record Label from Québec

There are two exceptions to the rules established by the associations: if the work is public domain or is a jazz standard, it will be considered from Québec for the author and composer elements (artistic) and publisher (industry).

When more than one individual is part of the same element (for example, if there are several composers), the Québec status is granted if at least one individual among them is considered Québécois.

The attribution of the Québec origin status to individuals considered creators (artist or artistic collective) is qualitative and is based on basic criteria:

• Place of birth;
• Place where their career started;
• Place of residence;
• If their artistic talent was developed specifically and/or mainly on the territory of Québec;
• If, generally speaking, the creator identifies as Québécois in the media and in their marketing, etc.;
• If the creator is considered as Québecois by the media and other explicit and credible sources.

For example: Céline Dion, Leonard Cohen, Diane Tell, Arcade Fire, Barr Brothers are considered Québecois. Daniel Lanois and Mylène Farmer are not, despite being born in Québec. Daran, who has lived in Québec for several years and has integrated the local artistic scene, could now be considered Québécois.

Industry elements (⅔): Maker / Publisher / Record label

If an element has more than one company (for example, if there are more than one maker), the Québec status is granted to that element if at least one company among them is considered Québécois.

A corporation must have, at the time of the fixation of the sound recording:

• capital stock and be incorporated under federal or provincial laws;
• Quebecers holding the beneficial ownership or the direct or indirect control;
• At least 50% plus one of the issued and outstanding voting shares, except for shares held only as security;
• Its head office (place of establishment) must be in Québec.

The city where the company’s head office is located will be used as the descriptive field for the attribution of this status. This field will be linked to a UN/LOCODE.

If the author or composer is not represented by a publisher, they are considered to be their own publisher.

Entry rules

Yes/No or depending on the various metadata entry software and interfaces available on the market.

Description

The UN/LOCODE is used to identify geographic locations.

Use

To find the location code you wish to enter, you need to use the UN/LOCODE reference table. You must then click on your country’s tab and use the search engine to find your city. https://www.unece.org/cefact/l...

The INSI international agency uses the UN/LOCODE as do most public libraries.

Entry rules

The UN/LOCODE consists of five characters.

The first two are letters to identify the country using the standardized ISO 3166-1 list of the International Standard Organisation. The standard 3166-2 that would allow the addition of Canadian provinces is no longer kept up to date by ISO.

The country code is followed by a space and then three letters to identify the city.

For example, the UN/LOCODE for Montréal (QC) Canada is CA MTR.

Description

The various “origin” type fields are used to identify content from Québec for purposes of discoverability, regulations and statistics.

This identification is partly based on the origin of the initial record label as determined in the current field.

The criteria used to determine the Québec origin of a track were elaborated by professional music associations (ADISQ, APEM, GMMQ, SPACQ and UDA). The creation of a validation process is being considered but does not exist yet. To be considered from Québec, a track must meet a combination of criteria entered pursuant to the fields of the MetaMusic model:

• Work – Author – Identification of Québécois Author and Composer (Yes/No)
• Work – Publisher – Identification of a Québécois Publisher (see Origin and Industry elements)
• Track – Main Artist – Identification as an Artist from Québec
• Track – First Maker – Identification as a Maker from Québec
• Track – Initial Record Label - Identification as a Record Label from Québec

Theses fields are aggregated to determine the origin in field Track – Aggregated Origin Identification According to Components Calculation.

2 out of 3 artistic elements must be from Québec

• author (lyrics) Work – Author – Identification of Québécois Author and Composer (Yes/No)
• composer (music) Work – Author – Identification of Québécois Author and Composer (Yes/No)
• main artist Track – Main Artist – Identification as an Artist from Québec

AND

2 out of 3 industry elements must be from Québec

• first maker Track – First Maker – Identification as a Maker from Québec
• publisher Work – Publisher – Identification of a Québécois Publisher (see Origin and Industry elements)
• record label Track – Initial Record Label - Identification as a Record Label from Québec

There are two exceptions to the rules established by the associations: if the work is public domain or is a jazz standard, it will be considered from Québec for the author and composer elements (artistic) and publisher (industry).

When more than one individual is part of the same element (for example, if there are several composers), the Québec status is granted if at least one individual among them is considered Québécois.

The attributing of the Québec origin status to individuals considered creators (artist or artistic collective) is qualitative and is based on basic criteria:

• Place of birth;
• Place where their career started,
• Place of residence;
• If their artistic talent was developed specifically and/or mainly on the territory of Québec;
• If, generally speaking, the creator identifies as Québécois in the media and in their marketing, etc.;
• If the creator is considered as Québecois by the media and other explicit and credible sources.

For example: Céline Dion, Leonard Cohen, Diane Tell, Arcade Fire, Barr Brothers are considered Québecois. Daniel Lanois and Mylène Farmer are not, despite being born in Québec. Daran, who has lived in Québec for several years and has integrated the local artistic scene, could now be considered Québécois.

Industry elements (⅔): Maker / Publisher / Record label

If an element has more than one company (for example, if there are more than one maker), the Québec status is granted to that element if at least one company among them is considered Québécois.

A corporation must have, at the time of the fixation of the sound recording:

• capital stock and be incorporated under federal or provincial laws;
• Quebecers holding the beneficial ownership or the direct or indirect control;
• At least 50% plus one of the issued and outstanding voting shares, except for shares held only as security;
• Its head office (place of establishment) must be in Québec.

The city where the company’s head office is located will be used as the descriptive field for the attribution of this status. This field will be linked to a UN/LOCODE.

If the author or composer is not represented by a publisher, they are considered to be their own publisher.

Entry rules

Yes/No or depending on the various metadata entry software and interfaces available on the market.

Description

This field is used to associate musical instruments to the musicians, background vocalists or guest artists. When it is a band, each member of the band will be entered in the musician and background vocalist fields and their instrument will be associated with the fields provided for this purpose.

Use

This is a mandatory field. This field allows multiple entries.

Entry rules

The various metadata entry software and interfaces available on the market will process this field differently. However, the one you chose should allow the names of musical instruments to be entered in full and offer the possibility of entering multiple instruments for each of the names listed in the fields:

• Track – Musician or Background Vocalist (multiple entries) (6 or -) – Surname *
• Track – Musician or Background Vocalists (multiple entries) (6 or - ) – First Name *
• Track - Musician or Background Vocalist (multiple entries) (7 or +) – Surname
• Track - Musician or Background Vocalists (multiple entries) (7 or +) – First name
• Track – Guest Artist (feat.) – Surname – (multiple entries) *
• Track – Guest Artist (feat.) – First name – (multiple entries) *

Description

The International Standard Name Identifier (ISNI) is the ISO 27729:2012 standard (TC 46/SC 9 assignment subcommittee). ISO is the International Standard Organisation whose mission is to develop and publish international standards for all sectors.

The ISNI is a unique and public identifier for a contributor to a creative work. It can be for the main artist, or for a composer, but it can also be for any other legal or natural entity (e.g., a sound engineer or a record label). The purpose of the ISNI identifier is to become a standard bridge identifier that allows the creation of a stable hub between various databases (for example between Wikidata, VIAF and MusicBrainz). The ISNI database is free and crowdsourced. Ultimately, an ISNI is a permalink to an identity on the web of data. See for example: http://isni.org/isni/000000011...

Use

You should retrieve your ISNI if one has already been assigned to you by visiting the site http://www.isni.org/search

In Québec and other francophone regions, metaD.media is responsible for assigning ISNI for the music industry http://isnimusique.ca

Entry rules

The ISNI code consists of four sequences of four characters for a total of 16. We do not use spaces or hyphens.

Description

Various fields define a geographical location, for example the place of fixation (for a recording session), the city where an artist was born, the head office for a legal entity, a company, etc. MetaMusic recommends using the UN/LOCODE identifier. The UN/LOCODE provides city-wide accuracy for all cities around the world. It then allows to automatically extract the country or territory concerned, for example Canada or a province like Québec.

The UN/LOCODE (United Nations Code for Trade and Transport Locations) is a code developed and managed by the United Nations to identify locations.It defines codes for geographic locations everywhere in the world (notably, countries, cities, villages). Those UN/LOCODE are also linked to a table of geographic coordinates (GPS coordinates).

Use

To find the location code you wish to enter, you need to use the UN/LOCODE reference table. You must then click on your country’s tab and use the search engine to find your city. https://www.unece.org/cefact/l...

The INSI international agency uses the UN/LOCODE as do most public libraries.

Entry rules

The UN/LOCODE consists of five characters.

The first two are letters to identify the country using the standardized ISO 3166-1 list of the International Standard Organisation. The standard 3166-2 that would allow the addition of Canadian provinces is no longer kept up to date by ISO.

The country code is followed by a space and then three letters to identify the city.

For example, the UN/LOCODE for Montréal (QC) Canada is CA MTR.

Description

It is the title of a group of tracks constituting a product (or a single), or the equivalent of an album title. A Product title can vary depending on the country or territory.

Use

This is a mandatory field. Create a different project for each product with a different barcode (UPC, EAN, JAN or GTIN), according to each country or territory of exploitation, whether or not these products consist of the same list of tracks.

Entry rules

Must respect the spelling that appears, as the case may be, on the illustration attached; enter the title as it should be read. Make sure to enter this information in a constant manner, always using the same format and spelling.

Description

This field is used to specify the version of a product whether it is the original version or a modified version (deluxe, remastered for iTunes, etc.).

Use

This is a mandatory field. Leave empty as the case may be.

Entry rules

Free text entered as it should be read. Make sure to enter this information in a constant manner, always using the same format and spelling.

Suggested terms: deluxe, remastered, etc.

Description

This is the main (first) release date of the product and is often the same for the physical and digital version.

Use

This is a mandatory field. If the product has different release dates for the physical and digital version, the date of the physical version is used here.

Entry rules

The format must be YYYY-MM-JJ (Year-Month-Day). The month and day are optional and do not have to be entered. You can enter 2013 or 2013-01. Do not forget the hyphen(s) “–”

Description

This field allows the commonly called barcode to be entered, a code for the physical product but that can also be obtained for a digital only product. In Canada, contact GS1.

Its format can vary from 8 to 14 characters depending on the country or territory where the album is released and the type of universal product code used. This code has various designations depending on the country or territory:

• UPC: North America (Universal Price Code – 12 characters);
• EAN: Europe (European Article Number – 13 characters);
• JAN: Japon (Japan Article Numbering);
• GTIN-12/13/14: (Global Trade Item Number).

Use

This is a mandatory field. Digital aggregators and distributors require this code.

Entry rules

You must enter the entire code including all the numbers, small or large, and leave out any space or hyphen.

Description

The term “Attached illustration” designates the album’s main image. The contributors associated to an image are defined by fields:

• Product – Contributor – First name (multiple entries)
• Product – Contributor – Role – Photographer
• Product – Contributor – Role – Illustrator

Use

This field is required by digital aggregators and distributors. This is a mandatory field.

This field corresponds to the various English synonyms: cover art, artwork, sleeve graphics, sleeve design ($03 Cover (front)). The .png or .jpg formats have to be used to ensure the interoperability of your data. It will be possible later to add more images to your metadata, such as the back cover ($04 Cover (back)), a photo of the main artist ($07 Lead artist/lead performer/soloist), or the bar code ($00 Other (UPC_EAN Code) etc.).

Entry rules

The various metadata entry software and interfaces available on the market determine how image files are indexed and attached. Usually .jpg or .png files are used.

Description

MetaMusic has ruled on an indicative list of music genres. This list is the same as the one used by RIDEAU, an arts presenters association. It also complies with the uses of most platforms.

Use

Here is MetaMusic’s list of music genres:

1. Popular
2. Folk
3. Song (Pop)
4. Rock, Alternative
5. Country & Western
6. Jazz
7. Blues
8. Hip-Hop, rap, urban
9. R&B, Soul
10. Reggae
11. Latino
12. EDM, Dance
13. Avant-garde (experimental, electroacoustic, contemporary)
14. Classical
15. Contemporary classical
16. Traditional World Music (subgenre mandatory)
17. Christmas
18. Youth
19. Screen and stage music
20. Religious
21. Orality, humour
22. Audiobook (non-musical)

Entry rules

Controlled vocabulary and drop-down menu. In MetaMusic's model, it is possible to add subgenres for tracks, but not for products.

Description

Various fields define a geographic location, for example the place of fixation (for a recording session), the city where an artist was born, the head office of a legal entity, a company, etc. MetaMusic recommends using the UN/LOCODE identifier. The UN/LOCODE provides city-wide accuracy for all cities around the world. It then allows to automatically extract the country or territory in question, for example Canada or a province like Québec.

The UN/LOCODE (United Nations Code for Trade and Transport Locations) is a code developed and managed by the United Nations to identify locations.It defines codes for geographic locations everywhere in the world (notably, countries, cities, villages). Those UN/LOCODE are also linked to a table of geographic coordinates (GPS coordinates).

Use

This is a mandatory field. To find the location code you wish to enter, you need to use the UN/LOCODE reference table. You must then click on your country’s tab and use the search engine to find your city. https://www.unece.org/cefact/l...

The INSI international agency uses the UN/LOCODE as do most public libraries.

Entry rules

The UN/LOCODE consists of five characters.

The first two are letters to identify the country using the standardized ISO 3166-1 list of the International Standard Organisation. The standard 3166-2 that would allow the addition of Canadian provinces is no longer kept up to date by ISO.

The country code is followed by a space and then three letters to identify the city.

For example, the UN/LOCODE for Montréal (QC) Canada is CA MTR.

Description

This is the suggested retail price (RetailPrice) of a product that will eventually be published by the platforms and sometimes modified by them.

Use

This is a specific field required upon delivery to digital aggregators and distributors.

Entry rules

There is no specific data entry standard for this field, as the rules for entering this information are poorly framed and transactions related to downloads are in sharp decline.

Description

The surname field is used to enter a person's legal surname, but it is also used to enter the name of a Brand, for example the name of a band, or an artist who uses a stage name. The name of a legal entity whose syntax is similar to that of a natural person is entered only in this field. Thus, the stage name Marie-Mai (sometimes spelled Marie Mai) will be entered fully in the surname field. You must not separate Marie and Mai in the first name and surname fields nor should you use the first name field to write Marie-Mai or simply Marie.

Use

This field allows for multiple entries. This is the surname of a contributor to the product to whom a role will be attributed according to fields Product – Contributor – Role – Photographer and Product – Contributor – Role – Illustrator.

Entry rules

First names and surnames are entered in separate fields. We comply with the use of an uppercase letter prescribed by the language used. Accents, hyphens and apostrophes are allowed when necessary. Surname as it should be read. Make sure to enter this information in a constant manner, always using the same format and spelling.

Description

This field is strictly used for the first name of a natural person associated to field Product – Contributor – Surname (multiple entries).

Use

The metadata entry software and interfaces available on the market will process its addition to the surname field when the metadata is delivered.

Entry rules

First name as it should be read. Make sure to enter this information in a constant manner, always using the same format and spelling.

Description

Artistic contributor who took photographs associated with a product.

Use

Given that fields Product – Contributor – Surname (multiple entries) and Product – Contributor – First name (multiple entries) allow multiple entries, it is possible to enter both the photographer of the album cover and the photographer of the main artist's profile picture on streaming platforms.

Entry rules

Photographer

Description

Artistic contributor who produced the graphic elements associated with a product.

Use

Given that fields Product – Contributor – Surname (multiple entries) and Product – Contributor – First name (multiple entries) allow multiple entries, it is possible to enter both the illustrator of the album cover and the illustrator of the album's back cover.

Entry rules

Illustrator

Description

It is understood that the name of the record label will always be a legal entity. The name of a legal entity whose syntax is similar to that of a natural person is entered only in this field. Thus, the stage name Marie-Mai who acts as a record label will be entered fully in this field. This field corresponds to the various English synonyms: label, label name, record label.

Use

This is a mandatory field. It must contain the name of the record label who holds the licence as well the UPC/EAN product code ensuring the marketing of the album in the targeted country or territory. It must NOT be confused with the publisher of the works or the first maker of the tracks that are entered in separate fields.

Entry rules

It must be the name of the label used to market the product and not the legal corporate name. This is a free text field with capital letters for proper nouns. You must be consistent in the way you write the name of the label in order to allow platforms to group all the releases associated to it.

Description

The International Standard Name Identifier (ISNI) is the ISO 27729:2012 standard (TC 46/SC 9 assignment subcommittee). ISO is the International Standard Organisation whose mission is to develop and publish international standards for all sectors.

The ISNI is a unique and public identifier for a contributor to a creative work. It can be for the main artist, or for a composer, but it can also be for any other legal or natural entity (e.g., a sound engineer or a record label). The purpose of the ISNI identifier is to become a standard bridge identifier that allows the creation of a stable hub between various databases (for example between Wikidata, VIAF and MusicBrainz). The ISNI database is free and crowdsourced. Ultimately, an ISNI is a permalink to an identity on the web of data. See for example http://isni.org/isni/000000011...

Use

You should retrieve your ISNI if one has already been assigned to you by visiting the site http://www.isni.org/search

In Québec and other francophone regions, metaD.media is responsible for assigning ISNI for the music industry http://isnimusique.ca

Entry rules

The ISNI code consists of four sequences of four characters for a total of 16. We do not use spaces or hyphens.

Description

Various fields define a geographic location, for example the place of fixation (for a recording session), the city where an artist was born, the head office of a moral person, a company, etc. MetaMusic recommends using the UN/LOCODE identifier. The UN/LOCODE provides city-wide accuracy for all cities around the world. It then allows to automatically extract the country or territory in question, for example Canada or a province like Québec.

The UN/LOCODE (United Nations Code for Trade and Transport Locations) is a code developed and managed by the United Nations to identify locations.It defines codes for geographic locations everywhere in the world (notably, countries, cities, villages). Those UN/LOCODE are also linked to a table of geographic coordinates (GPS coordinates).

Use

To find the location code you wish to enter, you need to use the UN/LOCODE reference table. You must then click on your country’s tab and use the search engine to find your city. https://www.unece.org/cefact/l...

The INSI international agency uses the UN/LOCODE as do most public libraries.

Entry rules

The UN/LOCODE consists of five characters.

The first two are letters to identify the country using the standardized ISO 3166-1 list of the International Standard Organisation. The standard 3166-2 that would allow the addition of Canadian provinces is no longer kept up to dated by ISO.

The country code is followed by a space and then three letters to identify the city.

For example, the UN/LOCODE for Montréal (QC) Canada is CA MTR.

Description

The International Standard Name Identifier (ISNI) is the ISO 27729:2012 standard (TC 46/SC 9 assignment subcommittee). ISO is the International Standard Organisation whose mission is to develop and publish international standards for all sectors.

The ISNI is a unique and public identifier for a contributor to a creative work. It can be for the main artist, or for a composer, but it can also be for any other legal or natural entity (e.g., a sound engineer or a record label). The purpose of the ISNI identifier is to become a standard bridge identifier that allows the creation of a stable hub between various databases (for example between Wikidata, VIAF and MusicBrainz). The ISNI database is free and crowdsourced. Ultimately, an ISNI is a permalink to an identity on the web of data. See for example http://isni.org/isni/000000011...

Use

You should retrieve your ISNI if one has already been assigned to you by visiting the site http://www.isni.org/search

In Québec and other francophone regions, metaD.media is responsible for assigning ISNI for the music industry http://isnimusique.ca

Entry rules

The ISNI code consists of four sequences of four characters for a total of 16. We do not use spaces or hyphens.

Description

This is the name of the product’s physical distributor. The physical distributor is generally a legal entity.

Use

This field is optional, without legal or economic significance, intended for Collective Management Organizations and the media.

The term distributor as it is meant here is a generic and inclusive technological term.

Entry rules

Free text entered as it should be read. Make sure to enter this information in a constant manner, always using the same format and spelling.

Description

This is the name of the product’s digital distributor. The digital distributor is generally a legal entity.

Use

This field is optional, without legal or economic significance, intended for Collective Management Organizations and the media.

The term distributor as it is meant here is a generic and inclusive technological term.

Entry rules

Free text entered as it should be read. Make sure to enter this information in a constant manner, always using the same format and spelling.

Description

The duration of the track is read, displayed and encoded by audio playback software.

Use

This is a mandatory field generated automatically but sometimes having to be carried over or entered manually.

Entry rules

Determined by the software.

Description

This is the sequential number of each track of a given product. Bear in mind that a product is a group of tracks that share the same marketing licence and optionally the same UPC code.

Use

This is a mandatory field. Data entry software users can generally reorganize the sequence and their number is changed accordingly.

Entry rules

It is a field that is automatically generated by the metadata entry software and interfaces available on the market.

Description

This is the total number of tracks of a given product.

Use

This is a mandatory field. In principle, this count is automatically adjusted in data entry software according to the number of active tracks in the product.

Entry rules

It is a field that is automatically generated by the metadata entry software and interfaces available on the market.