[mb-users] Can someone clarify on how labels/imprints works?

[Chris B]

On 18/09/2007, fridaythe14th <mail at albinlarsson.com> wrote:
>
>
> There is no particular edit at the time. but I have an old one:
> http://musicbrainz.org/show/edit/?editid=7048694 (I was even more of a
> newbie then, as demonstrated by my comments)
> I entered it as 4AD, but I think the cat# belongs to Warner Bros since
> they
> manufactured and distributed the CD.
>
> So with the lowest level of the hierarchy rule, that would mean that if
> Label Z (the re-issuer) had their logo on the sleeve next to Label X's
> logo
> one should enter Label Z?
>
> I meant the distributor printed on the sleeve (if any), and only when it's
> a
> different release with different cat# or copyright notes etc. Mainly
> because
> it would be the lowest level. Come to think of it though, it would make
> more
> sense to keep track of the (re)release manufacturer.
>
> I'm not familiar with the MB purposes with imprints but if I were to use
> the
> MB database for music trading and keeping track of releases I would rather
> know the "lowest level" label than imprints in this case. And the same
> goes
> with all other uses I can think of.
>
> A question: Does holding label mean the label with the (copy)rights to the
> album?


I feel you are asking for a concrete rule when it's impossible to give one
:) ultimately it will be impossible to deal with labels properly until we
can represent fully the multi-tiered company-release relationship on
releases - discogs is going through the exact same problems.

until then we can add the 'most useful', which is usually the label for whom
the cat# is for. in terms of distributor/manufacturer/copyright
holder/lowest level imprint - this can be any of these. the confusion most
often arises when imprints use the same cat# format as their parent label,
basically because most imprints are just 'logos' and don't represent a
separate company with their own cat# system, so use the imprint if you
suspect this is what's happening (discogs will usually confirm).
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