2021_MP3.nfo

Official MP3 Release Rules 4.1
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Terminology

The key words "MUST", "MUST NOT", "REQUIRED", "SHALL", "SHALL NOT",
"SHOULD", "SHOULD NOT", "RECOMMENDED", "MAY", and "OPTIONAL" in this
document are to be interpreted as described in RFC 2119
https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc2119

Dirname is an abbreviation for directoryname also known as directory
or folder, a file system structure in which the mp3 files are stored.
_______________________________________________________________

1. NO DUPES !
1.1. The complete release is considered in duplicate checks, not
individual tracks. A release is not a dupe if it has
different or more tracks than a previous one.

Exceptions:
1.2. It is also a dupe if the complete release is included in a
previous one. For example, if a CDM is released that contains
the exact same tracks of the CDS, then the CDS is considered
a duplicate and not allowed to be released.

1.3. Releases from a source of higher quality are allowed to be released
after a release of lower quality.
Quality levels:
9) digital, lossless CDDA - CD, CDR
8) digital, lossless - DVDA, DAT, SACD
7) digital, lossless or untouched - WEB, FLASH, MP3CD
6) digital, lossless or lossy - DVD, DVDR, BD, BDR, HDDVD, HDDVDR
5) analog vinyl - VINYL
4) analog tape - TAPE
3) live direct recording - LINE
2) live broadcasted, MD - SBD, CABLE, SAT, DAB, FM, DVBS, DVBC, DVBT, SBD, MD
1) live mic recording - AUD
Exception: physical after WEB/FLASH (see section 1.5)

1.4. All MIXED CDs SHOULD be ripped as one track supplied with a
.cue. However if they're not, another group can release it this
way afterwards, with neither release getting nuked because of
the other. A CUE file MUST be present if ripped as one track.

1.5. It is allowed to release a physical medium version after a WEB
or FLASH version. This also applies even when it is available
for free online.
Proofing rule (see section 17) always applies to physical medium.

1.6. If an unmixed version of a release is available in webshops, it
is allowed for both mixed physical and unmixed WEB versions to
be released.

For all LIVE sources:
1.7. The same mix of live shows is not allowed to be released again.
This includes shows coming under a different name and when included
as part of another release such as guest mixes.
1.8. If a show containing a guest mix is a partial dupe (either the
regular part of the show, or the guest mix), it MAY be released
with both as a set. However, it is encouraged to release
only the new part if the other part is available in equal or
better quality, denoting in the nfo why the other part was omitted.
1.9. If a show contains the broadcast of a commercially released CD,
it MUST NOT be released if the CD has already been released.

Note: check section 7.1 before releasing an import-album or some "extended
edition"!

2. GENERAL
2.1. An SFV and NFO file MUST be included in every release.

2.2. All releases from a physical medium MUST also include a JPG proof -
see section 17. M3U and additional JPG files (scans/photos) are
OPTIONAL.

2.3. If a CUE file for multitrack mp3s exists then that CUE file MUST
include artist and tracknames if they are available on the cover or
inlay.

2.4. If there is additional material (Videos, Lyrics, ...) on the
source medium then it is OPTIONAL to release that. If done then it
MUST be released separately with dirname tag -EXTRAS-.

2.5. The entire medium (CD, Vinyl, ...) MUST be released (not
individual tracks). This means that even if there is only one
additional (bonus) or otherwise previously unreleased different
track, the whole medium MUST still be released.
Note that just different track length does not mean it's a
different track, if the only difference in audio is
varying length of silence at the beginning or end of a track.

3. DIRNAME
3.1. Dirname MUST at least contain:
Artist Name - Title - Published Year (decimal) - Group name

3.2. All bootleg releases MUST have the word BOOTLEG in dirname.
(check bootleg section 12)

3.3. Magazine CDs releases MUST be tagged as -MAG-.
They MUST NOT be tagged -PROMO-, -ADVANCE-, etc.

3.4. The directory name of an INTERNAL release MUST end with _INT.
Example: Someone-Something-2007-GROUP_INT

3.5. For all LIVE sources:
Releases made from broadcast sources (CABLE/SAT/...) MUST have the
name of the radio station in dirname or NFO.
The date MUST be the date of the broadcast. Both USA (-MM/DD-) and
EU (-DD/MM-) date format is allowed.

3.6. Multi-disc or multiple medium releases MUST have a multi-disc
source tag. (-2CD-, -3DVD-, -2TAPE-, ...)

3.7. "VA" in dirname MUST be used for "various artists" as artistname.
Example: VA-Some_Cool_Party_Mix-2CD-2021-GROUP

3.8. To tag an original soundtrack (OST), the -OST- additional tag
MUST be used after the title.
"OST" as artist in dirname is not allowed.
Example: VA-Some_Cool_Movie-OST-WEB-2021-GROUP

3.9. Releases from source -WEB- need an additional -SINGLE- tag
(after title) when they contain only one track.
Exception: Single-file WEB releases that contain more than one track
or one part, or are longer than 25 minutes do not require
the -SINGLE- tag.

3.10. The MP3 release year MUST be the same as the record company and/or
artist year of publication for that particular release.
If it's not possible to find the exact year of publication then use
"x"s (e.g. "-199x-").

3.11. Artist and Title in dirname MUST both be correct. However,
incorrectly converted foreign characters are tolerated.

Exception:
3.12. If a Vinyl/CD has no title then it's allowed to replace the title by
labelname+catnumber (both!). If there is only one artist on the
Vinyl/CD then the artistname MUST be added.

3.13. Dirname MUST have following tag order:
ARTIST / ALBUM_TITLE / CATALOGUE_NUMBER / ADDITIONAL_TAGS / YEAR / GROUP
CATALOGUE_NUMBER and all other ADDITIONAL_TAGS are OPTIONAL.
Round brackets () around CATALOGUE_NUMBER are OPTIONAL.
The ALBUM_TITLE MAY have an OPTIONAL type added.

4. FILENAMES
4.1. Filename MUST at least contain:
Track Number - Artist Name - Song Title

4.2. Track number MUST be first part of the filename. Artist name MUST be
before song title.

4.3. If it's an album with different artists (one artist per track) then
the artist name MUST be added as well ("VA-tracks" like mixes don't
need artistnames).

4.4. The song title for the filename MUST include the full title as it's
written on the cover/CD/inlay with all additional infos like
remixed/featured stuff as long as it doesn't exceed the maximum
char limit.

4.5. The filenames SHOULD be unique to the best of your knowledge. On a
Repack or Proper the filenames MUST be different from the original
release.

Exception:
4.6. If no tracknames are supplied by the source (CD, Vinyl, ...) and
it is not a PROMO then proof MUST be provided that these tracks have
no names. Either by a scan of the original cover of the record
company/label (no selfmade cdr or bootleg covers) or a link to an
official or trusted webpage with proofs. If these "untitled tracks"
are part of a big mix (no silence between the "tracks") then it's
considered as one track and it MUST be ripped as one mp3/cue and the
track MUST be given the same name as the "album".

5. DIRNAME/FILENAME RESTRICTIONS
5.1. The length of dirname+filename MUST NOT exceed 255 characters.
If artist and/or title name is too long to create valid
dirname/filename combinations then it is allowed to cut the name of
artist or title.
Exception: Dirfixes that reach the limit by adding "-DIRFIX-"

5.2. Files/directories MUST only contain characters a-z A-Z 0-9 _ . - ()
This is to avoid problems with windows/linux-filesystem and ftp-servers.

6. SELF-MADE RELEASES
6.1. Self-made compilations are not allowed!
A self-made compilation is a selection of tracks from other
sources, put together and released as something new.

6.2. A self-made MIX or completely self-made music is not allowed
either. Releasing self-made stuff MUST be
tagged as internal.

7. BONUS TRACKS / BONUS DISCS / BOXSETS
7.1. It is NOT allowed to re-release a new edition of a retail album
if the different/extra/bonus tracks are already included in ONE
previous release. For example, USA album is released and four
months later Japanese version is released containing simply a
remix from an old CDM/CDS release as a bonus track, it would not
be considered new material and then would not be allowed to
release as a complete release. Note this does not apply to
tracks from an old compilation of Various Artists.

7.2. If a boxset contains several sources (e.g. Vinyl+CD) then those
disc(s) MUST be released separately (so there's only one source
per release).

7.3. Boxsets with different artists MUST be released together if they
are same source format (e.g. all CDDA).

7.4. It is allowed to release only part of a boxset (discs, not
individual tracks) if that part is available separately on
another medium, for example on WEB. In that case a URL that proves
this availability MUST be added in the NFO file.

Note: For DVD(A) releases check DVD/DVDA ripping rules in section 9.

8. NO FAKE-RELEASES
A release is considered fake when the artist, title, group or source
is deliberately wrong.
examples:
- Some_Artist-Crappy_Music-2004-GRP not released by GRP
- Another_Artist-Lots_of_Noise-CDM-2004-GRP was ripped from TV or
downloaded from a paysite
- Madonna-Something_New-2004-GRP really containing some tracks by
Marilyn Manson

9. DVD/DVDA RIPPING
9.1. A DVD/DVDA release MUST contain all music tracks. Additional tracks
(interviews etc.) are OPTIONAL. If those extra tracks are not
included then a PROPER (with ALL tracks) or an additional release
(extra tracks only) is not allowed.

9.2. If tracks are available in several audio formats then
the "best" version MUST be used.
Priority is:
- PCM stereo (doesn't matter if DVDA or CDDA quality)
- PCM 3+ channels
- AC3 (dolby digital) stereo or DTS stereo
- AC3 (dolby digital) 3+ channels or DTS 3+ channels
- MPG
Examples:
- DVD contains AC3 5.1 and AC3 2.0 => AC3 2.0 tracks MUST be ripped
- DVD contains PCM and AC3 2.0 => PCM tracks MUST be ripped
- DVD contains MPG and AC3 2.0 => AC3 2.0 version MUST be ripped

9.3. Normalizing the sound volume is allowed but OPTIONAL.

10. ENCODING QUALITY
10.1. For releases where the source is MP3 (WEB,FLASH,MP3CD), the following
bitrates are allowed:

-WEB- music: 320 kbit CBR only
-WEB- audiobook: ANY CBR bitrate or VBR
-MP3CD- music: 192-320 kbit CBR (the highest available bitrate
MUST be chosen) or VBR
-MP3CD- audiobook: ANY CBR bitrate or VBR
-FLASH- 192-320 kbit CBR (the highest available bitrate
MUST be chosen) or VBR

VBR means any VBR standard but no maximum bitrate limit.
Release the MP3 unmodifed as it is downloaded/copied. It is NOT
allowed to re-encode!
Adding/changing ID3 or other tags is allowed.
If the FLASH medium contains both WAV and MP3 then WAV MUST
be chosen.

10.2. Encoding standards for sources that need encoding
10.2.1. For lossless WEB sources (WEB-WAV, WEB-FLAC, etc.)
LAME 3.100 MUST be used, with preset "-b 320" without any
additional switches that would affect the mp3 quality.

10.2.2. For all other sources that are not WEB (CD, VINYL, DVD, BLU-RAY,
SBD, CABLE, SAT, LINE, etc.)
LAME 3.100 MUST be used, with preset V0 ("-V0") without any
additional switches that would affect the mp3 quality.

10.3. The sampling rate MUST be either 44.1khz or 48khz. 32khz is not
allowed. Downsampling to 44.1 or 48khz is allowed (if source is
better), upsampling to 44.1 or 48khz is not allowed.

10.4. For all LIVE sources: Straight-to-mp3 encoding is allowed, but
discouraged. The header of the mp3 file MUST be correct at all
times.

10.5. On rare occasion, there MAY be defects in the actual
pressing/mastering/recording/etc. in a given audio source (ie.
skips, glitches, etc).
If these audio defects are identified beforehand in initial nfo
or in a later nfofix, then a release cannot be considered
invalid until there is a valid one pred. (ie; proper release
clean of audio defects)

10.6. If a webshop (section 13.2.1) offers lossless files without extra
costs then a lossless version MUST be used and encoded according
to section 10.2.1. For other WEB sources (section 13.2.2 / 13.2.3)
both is allowed (mp3 or lossless).

11. RE-ENCODING
11.1. Re-encodes are not allowed.

Exception:
11.2. Releases of following sources are currently allowed if
they are tagged correctly:
DVD, DAB, DVBC/DVBS/DVBT/SAT/CABLE (compressed digital
tv/radio sat,cable,terrestrial), MD (live)

12. BOOTLEGS
All bootleg releases MUST have the word BOOTLEG in dirname
A bootleg recording is a CD/Vinyl/DVD that was not officially
released by the person/company owning the rights to do that (for
example streetmixes, pirate live CDs, etc).

Because very often it's not 100% clear if something is a bootleg there
are conditions when we assume something is or isn't a bootleg. This is
not a definition of "bootleg" and if a condition is not true then it
does not mean the opposite is true. This only helps nukers and
groups to decide if a bootleg tag is needed and hopefully leads to
more fair nuking.

conditions for:
[records done completely by the artist] (no samples from other artists)
It is a bootleg if ...
- there are no signs that the label really released this

- the "label" has no connection to the artist
(independent releases (no label, own label) are allowed and don't
need a bootleg tag)

even if the conditions above are true it is NOT a bootleg if:
- the record is available at at least 3 major retail shops

conditions for:
[mixes] (samples of other artists included)
It's not bootleg if ...
- the record is available at at least 3 major retail shops
- the label exists and lists the record and the label never released
any bootlegs and released stuff that was available at major retail shops
- the artist or label of the samples confirms this release is valid
(on their webpage or some other trusted place)

"major retail shops" currently are:
www.amazon.com (.de, .fr ...)
www.bestbuy.com
www.walmart.com
www.cduniverse.com
www.juno.co.uk
www.deejay.de
www.ukdancerecords.com
www.decks.de

The shop itself MUST sell the record (no private sellers).

13. SOURCE
All tracks of a release MUST be from same source and have the same
quality/cbr-bitrate/vbr-setting/encoder/setting (Exception: FLASH
releases). Taking tracks from other scene releases or internal group
releases of other groups is strictly forbidden.
If the source is not a pressed CDDA then the directory name MUST have a
valid source tag. Only one source tag in dirname is allowed.
Valid tags are listed below.

13.1 =RETAIL SOURCES=

[CD SINGLE] (pressed CDDA)
dirtag needed: -CDS- or -CDM-

[CD ALBUM] (pressed CDDA)
dirtag needed: none
dirtag suggested: -CD- or -CDA- (-2CDA- -3CDA- etc.)

[CD OTHER] (pressed CDDA)
dirtag needed: none
dirtag suggested: -CD- (-2CD- -3CD- etc.), -CDEP-

[VINYL SINGLE]
dirtag needed: -VLS- or -VINYL- (-2VLS- -3VLS- etc.)
dirtag suggested: -VLS-

[VINYL ALBUM]
dirtag needed: -LP- or -VINYL- (-2LP- -3LP etc.)
dirtag suggested: -LP-

[VINYL OTHER]
dirtag needed: -VINYL- (-2VINYL- -3VINYL- etc.)

[DVD] (pressed video DVD)
dirtag needed: -DVD- (-2DVD- -3DVD- etc.)
extra nfo info needed:
- codec of source (AC3, PCM, MPG, DTS),
- number of channels of source (stereo, 5.1, ...)

[DVD SINGLE] (pressed video DVD)]
dirtag needed: -DVDS- or -DVD-
dirtag suggested: -DVDS-
extra nfo info needed:
- codec of source (AC3, PCM, MPG, DTS),
- number of channels of source (stereo, 5.1, ...)

[DVDA] (PCM data of a pressed DVDA, not audio of a video DVD!)
dirtag needed: -DVDA- (-2DVDA- -3DVDA- etc.)
extra nfo info needed:
- number of channels of source (stereo, 5.1, ...)

[SACD]
dirtag needed: -SACD- (-2SACD- -3SACD- etc.)

[HD DVD] (pressed)
dirtag needed: -HDDVD- (-2HDDVD- -3HDDVD- etc.)
extra nfo info needed:
- codec of source (AC3, DD+, PCM, MPG, DTS, DTS-HD, Dolby TrueHD)
- bitrate of source (448kbps, 640kbps, 768kbps, 1536kbps...)
- number of channels of source (stereo, 5.1, ...)

[BLU-RAY DISC] (pressed)
dirtag needed: -BD- (-2BD- -3BD- etc.)
extra nfo info needed:
- codec of source (AC3, DD+, PCM, MPG, DTS, DTS-HD, Dolby TrueHD)
- bitrate of source (448kbps, 640kbps, 768kbps, 1536kbps...)
- number of channels of source (stereo, 5.1, ...)

[ANALOG TAPE]
dirtag needed: -TAPE- (-2TAPE- -3TAPE- etc.)

[FLASH medium] (SlotMusic, CompactStick, ...)
dirtag needed: -FLASH-
extra nfo info needed:
- codec of source (MP3, PCM (WAV), ...)
- proof photo of medium+cover

13.2 =DIGITAL DOWNLOADS=

13.2.1 [WEB] - audio files legally available on the net and not free
dirtag needed: -WEB-
extra nfo info needed:
- codec of source (MP3, WAV, AIFF, FLAC, see next NOTE below),
- bitrate of source file (if not lossless source),
- FULL URL to the release on the shop or service where the files were
acquired

13.2.2 [WEB] - audio files available on "streaming service" appointed by
the label/artist.
dirtag needed: -WEB-
extra nfo info needed:
- codec of source (MP3, WAV, AIFF, FLAC, see NOTE below),
- bitrate of source file (if not lossless source),
- FULL URL to the release of the streaming service where the files
were downloaded (CBR/lossless codec)

NOTE: There are plenty of streaming services available. In order to
maintain uniformity in quality, mp3 MUST be untouched from the
source and only 320 kbit CBR is allowed to be released.

13.2.3 [WEB] - audio files available only at services appointed by the label.
audio files available only with Digital Download Cards/Code access,
email or any other private links.
dirtag needed: -WEB-
extra nfo info needed:
- codec of source (MP3, WAV, AIFF, FLAC, see next NOTE below),
- bitrate of source file (if not lossless source),
- camera picture REQUIRED from the physical release that includes the
singular digital download - section 17.

NOTE: common lossless compression sources are WAV, PCM, AIFF, FLAC,
ALAC, APE.
Lossless means that the de-compressed audio is exactly the same
bytes as the original.

13.3 =LIVE SOURCES=

[ANALOG RADIO] (terrestrial)
dirtag needed: -FM-

[ANALOG OR DIGITAL CABLE]
dirtag needed: -CABLE-

[ANALOG OR DIGITAL SAT]
dirtag needed: -SAT-

[DIGITAL VIDEO BROADCAST SAT]
dirtag needed: -DVBS-

[DIGITAL VIDEO BROADCAST CABLE]
dirtag needed: -DVBC-

[DIGITAL VIDEO BROADCAST TERRESTRIAL]
dirtag needed: -DVBT-

[DIGITAL AUDIO BROADCAST]
dirtag needed: -DAB-

[MD] (MiniDisc)
dirtag needed: -MD-

[direct live recording from the audience]
dirtag needed: -AUD-

[direct recording by the ripper from soundboard/mixer through the
LINE-in interface]
dirtag needed: -LINE-

[MP3 FILE supplied by a radio station or DJ] (and not recorded from
a webstream)
dirtag needed: -SBD-

[WEBSTREAM] (not allowed, so MUST be released internally)
dirtag needed: -STREAM-

13.4 =OTHER SOURCES=

[CDR] (small label/artist releasing CDDA on CDR or LIVE set supplied
on CDR)
dirtag needed: -CDR- (-2CDR- -3CDR- etc.)

[DVDR] (small label/artist releasing on DVDR)
dirtag needed: -DVDR- (-2DVDR- -3DVDR- etc.)
extra nfo info needed:
- codec of source (AC3, PCM, MPG, DTS),
- number of channels of source (stereo, 5.1, ...)

[HD DVD RECORDABLE]
dirtag needed: -HDDVDR- (-2HDDVDR- -3HDDVDR- etc.)
extra nfo info needed:
- codec of source (AC3, DD+, PCM, MPG, DTS, DTS-HD, Dolby TrueHD)
- bitrate of source (448kbps, 640kbps, 768kbps, 1536kbps...)
- number of channels of source (stereo, 5.1, ...)

[BLU-RAY DISC RECORDABLE]
dirtag needed: -BDR- (-2BDR- -3BDR- etc.)
extra nfo info needed:
- codec of source (AC3, DD+, PCM, MPG, DTS, DTS-HD, Dolby TrueHD)
- bitrate of source (448kbps, 640kbps, 768kbps, 1536kbps...)
- number of channels of source (stereo, 5.1, ...)

[DAT TAPE]
dirtag needed: -DAT- (-2DAT- -3DAT- etc.)

[MP3CD] (mp3 files on a data-CD, legally available and not free)
dirtag needed: -MP3CD- (-2MP3CD- -3MP3CD- etc.)
extra nfo info needed:
- proof photo of medium+cover
- proof URL to artist, label or shop where it's available

13.5. All other "sources" are invalid source tags (-LIVE- , -EP-, ...).
Which means a second tag is needed for the source if it uses those
tags (except for CDs which don't need a source tag).

13.6. A SBD release is not allowed if it could be a re-encode/repack of
the same show streamed or downloaded free from inet. If a free
broadcast or download is/was available with 160kbit CBR or better
then it is NOT allowed to do a SBD release.

14. FIXES
14.1. Trackfixes / ID3TAG-fixes
Trackfixes and ID3TAG-fixes are not allowed.
If files were tagged incorrectly then a REPACK is needed.

14.2. Dirname
14.2.1. Every DIRFIX release MUST contain in its .nfo the dirname of
the release it "fixes".
14.2.2. A DIRFIX can only be used to fix parts of the release name
that do not affect ID3 tag contents. If the incorrect parts are
in ID3 tag(s) as well then a full REPACK MUST be released.

If a release gets nuked for BAD DIRNAME then the releasegroup
has 72 hours to release a dirfix. If this does not happen in this
timeframe then any other group is allowed to release it.
The 72 hours start when the release gets nuked.

14.3. Prooffixes
If scans/photos are missing, the releasegroup is given 24 hours
AFTER PRE to release a PROOFFIX.
If a provided proof was judged inadequate and nuked, the releasegroup
is given 24 hours AFTER NUKE to release a PROOFFIX.
Before, during and after this 24 hours grace period, any other
group is allowed to release a PROPER with scans/photos even if
the mp3 content is 100% identical.

14.4. Repack/Proper
The REPACK/PROPER reason MUST be clearly stated in the NFO file.

15. ID3 TAGS
15.1. All mp3 files need an ID3 v1.1 and ID3 v2 tag. This tag MUST include
Artist, Title and Album (see Note #3). The fields Year, Genre and
Tracknumber MUST be present, but a release cannot be nuked simply
because they're incorrect.

15.2. The maximum allowed size for pictures in ID3 tags is 2mb
(2097152 bytes) per mp3 file.

16. LIVE RELEASE QUALITY
16.1. The set MUST be complete. This means that every part of the show
MUST be released, and the beginning and end MUST be included in
their entirety. A set MUST NOT miss more than 1 minute from the
beginning or the end

16.2. All commercials MUST be edited out.

16.3. DJ talk can be included to a certain extent: track announcements
and short lines from the DJ SHOULD NOT be removed; interviews
and other long talk SHOULD be removed (or included in a separate
file if it's special).

16.4. It is encouraged to fade-in and fade-out the set. However, lack
of fades constitutes no reason to release a proper.

17. SCANS/PHOTOS
17.1. All releases from physical sources MUST always include proof.

17.2. Proof means a good quality scan or photo of the physical medium
together with the cover or a booklet page so the proof can be
identified as the release in question. If the medium or
cover/booklet contain anything that MAY expose identity,
then that part of the image can be blurred or blackened.
Additional scans MAY be added but these DO NOT count as
sufficient proof!
For bundled versions of two or more sources, it is allowed to
use cover and medium of these sources as long as it was
distributed as a bundle and not separately. (examples: 1 - DVD
cover format with CD. 2 - Vinyl cover format with CD). For
multi-disc sets, all mediums of same source MUST be together with
the cover or a booklet page so the proof can be identified as
the release in question. Proof photos SHOULD be made as close
as possible to the included examples.

17.3. A note with the group name on the proof is OPTIONAL except for
releases without cover - section 17.6.

17.4. Proof resolution MUST be 640x480/480x640 pixels or higher in
standard JPEG format. Maximum filesize for the JPG file is 5mb
(5242880 bytes).

17.5. We STRONGLY recommend removal of all Exif data! Uniquely
identifying information such as camera serial number and GPS
coordinates can pose a security threat if not removed. Use tools
such as jhead, PureJPG or EXIFPurge to remove the Exif data.

17.6. Whitelabel, test presses and promo releases officialy
distributed without cover/case/artwork cover requires note with
group name over the medium.

18. FLASH MEDIUM RIPPING
18.1. A FLASH release MUST contain all music tracks. For additional
stuff (videos, pictures etc.) see section 2.

18.2. If the FLASH medium contains WAV files, they MUST be encoded with
scene standards.

18.3. If the FLASH medium contains multiple formats (e.g. 10 tracks
WAV and a DJ MIX MP3) it is allowed to release it with mixed
VBR/CBR and multiple encoders.

19. HIGH DEFINITION RIPPING
19.1. A HD DVD/BLU-RAY release MUST contain complete music track from
concert. Additional tracks (interviews, videos, bonus etc.) are
OPTIONAL.
If those extra tracks are not included then a PROPER (with ALL
tracks) or an additional release (extra tracks only) is not
allowed.

19.2. HD DVD and BLU-RAY video clip releases SHOULD be ripped as multi
track release keeping original tracklist (not .m2ts sequence).

19.3. If tracks are available in several audio formats then
the highest bitrate lossless source track MUST be used. DTS core MUST be
extracted from a DTS HR/HD MA track (if that is the source in use).

19.4. Multi channel audio MUST be downmixed to stereo 2 channels.

19.5. Downsampling to 44.1 or 48khz is allowed (if source is better),
upsampling to 44.1 or 48khz is not allowed.

19.6. Normalizing the sound volume is allowed but OPTIONAL.

19.7. CUE file made from source chapters SHOULD always be included
with final release package.

19.8. HD DVD/BLU-RAY release is NOT allowed if retail CD version with
same tracks has been released already.

20. SECURITY
20.1. URL shorteners (like tinyurl or goo.gl) are not allowed ANYWHERE
in the release.
Do NOT use them in NFO, ID3-tag or anywhere else!

Notes:

1. If a release labeled as "ADVANCE" or "PROMO" is identical to a retail
version, then it is not allowed to be duped and it counts as a retail for
ALL rules. If a retail version is different then it's allowed to be
released of course.

2. Promos do not have to contain track listings.

3. Typos in trackname and/or ID3-tag are tolerated if it is still readable and
either artist or title is 100% correct.

4. The audio of a normal video DVD is NOT DVDA ! The audio of a DVD
usually is MP2/AC3/DTS compressed (lossy) while the audio of a real
DVDA is high quality PCM (lossless, e.g. 24bit/192khz). Tagging a
normal DVD release as -DVDA- will get nuked.

change-log:
2007-01-15 first version (v1.0)
1.1:
2007-06-01 rule 1: live sources addition
2007-06-01 1.4 added (CD after WEB allowed)
2007-06-01 3.4 added (INT tagging)
2007-06-01 3.5 added (live sources)
2007-06-01 rule 4 addition (remix info in filenames)
2007-06-01 rule 7 reworded to make clear it's for promos/advances too
and to allow full re-releases within 3 months more than 30% is new.
2007-06-01 rule 11 addition: best CBR MUST be released for WEB releases
2007-06-01 11.3 added (minimum sampling rate)
2007-06-01 11.4 added + rewordings for live sources
2007-06-01 rule 13 adjusted for live sources
2007-06-01 rule 15 reworded to forbid different encoders in one release
2007-06-01 rule 15 new sources HD DVD and BLU-RAY added
2007-06-01 rule 15 "CDDA" added to all CD-sources
2007-06-01 rule 15 all live sources adjusted, "SBD" rips limited
2007-06-01 rule 18 added (LIVE release quality)
2.0:
2009-09-01 rule 1.4 CD after FLASH allowed
2009-09-01 rule 2 addition (additional material MUST be released
separately with tag -EXTRAS-)
2009-09-01 rule 6.2 reworded to forbid homemade releases
2009-09-01 rule 11 lame 3.90.3 removed
2009-09-01 rule 12 last paragraph moved to rule 20
2009-09-01 rule 15 (FREE MP3s) addition (physical retail release allowed
even if free version available) (rule removed on 2011-04-15)
2009-09-01 rule 15 source AUD re-added and HOMEMADE source removed
2009-09-01 16.2 added (Dirname/ID3 Fixes)
2009-09-01 rule 17 addition (ID3 v2)
2009-09-01 19 added (Scans/Photos)
2009-09-01 20 added (FLASH medium ripping)
3.0:
2011-04-15 15 removed because it was obsolete + renumbered the following rules
2011-04-15 rule 2 reworded to include .JPG files
2011-04-15 rule 11.2 reworded to make it more clear + lame version
updated to 3.98.4 and V0
2011-04-15 rule 15 addition (needed extra NFO info for HD releases)
2011-04-15 rule 16.3 added (Prooffixes)
2011-04-15 rule 19 (Scans/Photos) completely redone (All releases from
physical sources MUST always include proof.)
2011-04-15 21 added (High Definition ripping)
3.1:
2014-01-15 rule 1.4 physical medium sources after digital downloads releases.
2014-01-15 rule 1.5 Cleared out what happens with mixed/unmixed CD vs WEB.
2014-01-15 rule 7 New title + renumbered.
2014-01-15 rule 7.1 complete releases allowed
2014-01-15 rule 7.3 digital download -BONUS_TRACKS- releases.
2014-01-15 rule 11.1 same encoder for digital downloads.
2014-01-15 rule 11.5 added.
2014-01-15 rule 15 renumbered + additional web sources.
2014-01-15 rule 16.3 b) added.
2014-01-15 rule 19.2 adjusted for multiple source in same release and
multi-disc releases.
2014-01-15 rule 19.3 adjusted for releases without cover.
2014-01-15 rule 19.6 added.
4.0:
2019-03-15 rule 3.6 added (multi-disc releases MUST have a multi-disc
tag in releasename)
2019-03-15 rule 3.7 added (VA tagging)
2019-03-15 rule 3.8 added (OST tagging)
2019-03-15 rule 3.9 added (-SINGLE- tag for WEB rels)
2019-03-15 rule 7.3 removed (BONUS_TRACKS tag)
2019-03-15 new rule 7.3-7.5 added (how to handle boxsets) -> rule 7 renumbered
2019-03-15 rule 11.1 updated (WEB cbr bitrates below 320kbit are no
longer allowed, added MP3CD)
2019-03-15 rule 11.2 updated (LAME version changed to 3.100
(starting 2019-04-15))
2019-03-15 rule 15.2 updated (FULL URL for WEB rels needed)
2019-03-15 rule 15.3 updated - source CABLE changed to digital+analog
2019-03-15 rule 15.4 updated (MP3CD added)
2019-03-15 rule 16.1/16.2 updated (trackfixes and ID3fixes no longer allowed)
2019-03-15 rule 19.4 updated (size limit for proof pics: 5mb)
2019-03-15 rule 21.8 removed -> rule 21 renumbered
2019-03-15 rule 22 added (URL shorteners forbidden)
2019-03-15 note 1 updated (year MUST be correct)
2019-03-15 note 3 updated (typos in artist/title of dirname are no
longer tolerated)
2019-03-15 rewordings for rules 1.2, 1.3, 4, 7.1, 12, 15, 16.3, 17,
19.5, 21.4 and Note 2
4.1:
2021-10-01 General rewording and resorting
- terminology added
- dirname definition added
- whole ruleset reworded to passive form
- renamed rule 2 to GENERAL
- rule 7.1 moved up to rule 2
- old rule 5+8 are now new rule 5 "DIRNAME/FILENAME RESTRICTIONS"
- Note 1 moved to 3.10. because it's not a general note anymore
- First part of Note 3 moved to 3.11.
- all rules and notes renumbered
2021-10-01 old rule 12 removed (promos) - new general Note 2 added, Rule 4.6
adjusted for promos
2021-10-01 rule 3.13 added - tag order for dirnames
2021-10-01 rule 12 updated - dead shops www.sonymusicstore.com and
www.4djsonly.com removed
2021-10-01 rule 3.5 updated - radio station name MUST be supplied for broadcasted
live releases
2021-10-01 rule 3.8 updated - "MUST" added for OST tagging
2021-10-01 rule 4.1 and 4.2 updated - all mp3 files must have artistname, order added
2021-10-01 rule 4.5 updated - no identical filenames allowed for repacks
and/or propers
2021-10-01 rule 3.10 updated - releaseyear must be year of publication for that
particular release
2021-10-01 rule 13 updated - two or more sourcetags in dirname forbidden
2021-10-01 rule 5.1 updated - new max length for dirnames/filenames: sum of
dirname+filename 255 chars
2021-10-01 rule 13.2 updated - WEB from streaming services allowed
2021-10-01 rule 13.2 updated - WEB must have: FULL URL to the release on the shop
or service where the files were acquired
2021-10-01 rule 10.1 updated - WEB music must be CBR320, WEB audiobook any bitrate
allowed
2021-10-01 rule 13.4 BOOTLEG removed from source list
2021-10-01 rule 1.3 updated - source list (dupe order) added
2021-10-01 rule 14.2.2 added - if dirfix affects id3-tags then repack is needed
2021-10-01 rule 14.4 added - REPACK/PROPER reason must be in NFO
2021-10-01 rule 1.4/2.2 updated - CUE file MUST be present if MIXCD ripped as
one track
2021-10-01 rule 15.2 added - size limit for pics in mp3 tags
2021-10-01 rule 10.6 added - if available without extra costs then the lossless
version must be used for rels from webshops

V4.1 active since 2021-10-01, signed by:
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