Song entry editing

wikipage editing songs documentation vocadb
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Entry guidelines

This page explains how to edit existing song entries.

The edit page also includes buttons for deleting and merging song entries.

The edit page is split into 4 different tabs:

  1. Basic info
  2. Artists
  3. Media
  4. Lyrics

Tab 1: Basic info

The basic info tab includes fields for names, description, song type, original version, duration, BPM, events, publish date, external links, language(s) and the entry status.

Names

General instructions for entry names (= titles) and aliases are documented here.

Name rules that are specific to song entries:

Rule 101: Clean title

The title section should only contain the name of the song, except for Remix and Remaster entries: https://wiki.vocadb.net/rules/keep-remix-titles

  • Vocalists, song type, producers, etc. should all be removed.

Rule 102: Keep remix titles

Remix entries should keep the long title.

For example: Plug Out (HSP 2012 Remix)

  • Remove clear non-title parts (e.g., original artist credit).
  • Remove the vocalist’s name if it is separate from the rest of the title.
  • Remove the song type if it is separate from the rest of the title.

The same applies for Remaster songs.

Rule 29: No new non-English translations

New non-English title translations should not be added without a good reason.

For example, the song entry ECHO should not receive new name/title translations.

Acceptable exceptions:

  • Translation is used somewhere elsewhere (add for improved searchability).
  • Translation is related to the original name (additional context/value). For example, マトリョシカ is from the Russian word “Матрёшка”, but is also known by its Romanized form “Matryoshka”.

Song Description

The song description is for additional and useful information that doesn’t fit into other fields.

GitHub-flavored Markdown is supported for formatting.

Rule 23: Valid description

The description should be objective and neutral.

Rule 104: No video descriptions

Video descriptions should not be added in the description field.

Verified artists can submit subjective comments using the artist’s personal description.

If the original description is non-English, a separate English translation can be added in the field below.

Song Type

The song type is the main categorization of the song entry. There are 9 available song types to choose.

  1. Original song
  2. Remaster
  3. Remix
  4. Cover
  5. Instrumental
  6. Mashup
  7. Music PV
  8. Drama PV
  9. Other

Guidelines for classification:

  • If vocals are different but the instrumental is identical, it’s likely a cover.
  • If the song structure or genre is different, it’s likely a remix.
  • If both the instrumental and vocals are changed, we mark it as a remix, because remixes take priority over covers.

Rule 108: Specify multiple song types

If multiple song types apply, add them as tags.

Rule 125: Song type priority

The priority of the song type is Mashup/Remix > Remaster > Cover > Music PV

Rule 126: Prioritize VocaDB song type classifications

VocaDB song type classifications should be prioritized over official labels.

Original version

If the song type is not Original song, a separate field will pop up for specifying the Original version.

Rule 105: Specify original

Derived songs should either:

  • Specify the Original version field.
  • Refer (as an external link) to the original entry on UtaiteDB, if available. This will display it as the “Original version” along with automatic metadata.
  • Include the original out of scope tag.
  • Include the original version unknown tag.

Rule 106: Specify out-of-scope original

If original out of scope tag is included, the original version should be:

  • specified in the song description AND/OR
  • included as an external link (required for UtaiteDB originals).

Rule 130: Cover unifiers

If the out-of-scope original version has 5 or more derived song entries (such as remixes or covers) on VocaDB, it can be created as a cover unifier song entry.

Cover unifier artists who are out-of-scope should be credited as “custom artists” (= no entry). The Temporary artist entry can be used to bypass the creation form.

Original song can be searched/selected by:

  1. Song title
  2. VocaDB URL
  3. id:\{song id\}

The “Find originals” button attempts to find original songs based on the song title. The exact logic is available on GitHub.

Rule 128: First published as original

Original version should be the entry with the earliest publish date.

If multiple versions of a song are uploaded simultaneously, it doesn’t generally matter which is picked as the original version.

Rule 156: Out-of-scope arrangement

If a song-3 is derived from out-of-scope song-2, which in turn is derived from in-scope song-1, you can specify the song-1 as the original version for song-3.

  • The skipped version (song-2) should be mentioned in song-3’s entry description.
  • The relevant tag out-of-scope arrangement should also be added.

Rule 129: Most relevant original version

If multiple original versions apply, choose the most relevant entry and mention the rest in the entry description.

Entry tree structure should be immutable and sorted by publish dates.

Sometimes the entry tree structure grows unintuitive due to conflicting details. Correct entry tree structure can be formed with the following process:

Example: 10 related entries with various different song types by different artists.

  1. Order the entries by publish date
  2. Pick the first entry as the original
  3. Pick the next entry and connect it to the current entry tree (by appending it)
  4. Repeat steps 2-3 until all of the entries have been added to the entry tree

This means that the original version of any entry should not be modified later, assuming no mistakes or missing information.

Duration

Duration of the song.

Rule 131: Same audio

All media/PVs added in a single song entry must have the same audio and roughly the same song length.

Unrelated intros and outros are an exception to this.

BPM

The song Tempo/BPM can be added as a specific number or as a range.

Rule 103: Valid BPM

The specified BPM should be within the valid range (20-1050).

Release Event

Release event(s) of the song, if available. For common holidays like Christmas, use the corresponding tag instead.

Rule 98: No redundant events

If the event is added on the album, do not add the same event on the album songs/tracks.

Publish Date

Rule 100: Publish date required

Song entries should include the earliest public publish date:

  • Video streaming services such as NicoNicoDouga and YouTube.
  • Distributing the song on a physical album at a record store or event.
  • Digital album on a marketplace such as iTunes, Spotify, Apple Music, etc..

Private distribution does not count. Work in progress versions also do not count.

If the song is deleted and then reuploaded, the publish date does not change. It’s still the date when the song was first made public.

If the field is empty, the publish date is automatically suggested based on the album and PV links.

Language(s)

Rule 107: Matching song language

Song language should match the language of the original lyrics.

The language of the song vocals.

Changing the language of the original lyrics updates this field as well.

Status

Entry status communicates the level of completeness:

  • Draft: Entry is missing crucial information. This status indicates that additional information is needed or corrections are requested.
  • Finished: The entry has all the necessary information but hasn’t been inspected by a trusted user yet.
  • Approved: The entry has been inspected and approved by a trusted user. Approved entries can only be edited and tagged by trusted users and above.
  • Locked: Locked entries can only be edited by moderators and above

Tab 2: Artists

In this tab, you can add or remove artist entries that participated in the song.

Artists can also be added as custom artists, which adds an artist credit to the song entry as text without creating an artist entry.

Rule 66: Artist credit required

All album and song entries require at least one artist credit (custom or a proper entry).

(Applies to all song & album & artist entries)

Rule 67: Producer entry credits required

Artist credits in the “producer” category must be made with artist entries.

(Applies to all finished song & album entries)

Rule 132: Skip original artist credits for derived songs

If the original artist is not directly involved with the derived version, the artist credit should not be duplicated from the original entry.

Rule 155: Out-of-scope artist crediting for derived songs

For derived songs, credit out-of-scope original artists in the song description (example), unless an original version has been specified as a song entry (cover unifier for example).

Rule 141: Circle crediting

Circle can be credited if credited directly OR if all the active members participate in the song.

Note that the songs by the circle/group can be searched with the “Include group members” filter.

Rule 160: Entry missing artists tag

If the song has no known artist credits available, use the entry missing artists tag.

Support Status

Rule 62: Valid support status

Support status is for crediting artists who play a minor role compared to the main artists in the same role. It should only be used when there’s a clear separation of main and support artists. If there is only one artist in a certain role, the support status should never be used.

Valid examples:

  • Backing vocals, e.g., a background chorus when the main vocals are sung by another vocalist.
  • Background illustrators (to distinguish them from the main illustrator).

Support status can’t currently be specified to a specific artist role. For example, if a song composer is also responsible for the background image, the support status should not be used.

Effects of support status:

  1. Support status removes the artist(s) from the artist string and affects the search through the “Only main songs” filter.

  2. Artists with support status never appear in the “artist string” of the song/album.

  3. Support artists are shown in parentheses and after all other artists.

Artist Roles

Artist roles describe how different artists participated in creating the song.

The artist’s type (from their entry) determines their default roles. For example, artists of the “lyricist” type are marked as the lyricist role by default. When the artist role differs from the artist type, the correct artist role must be specified.

Rule 81: Correct artist type

Artist type specifies the most common role that the artist participates in, with some overrides.

  • Music producer overrides cover artist if they have at least one composed/arranged song entry.
  • Verified artists can request changing the chosen artist type.

The available artist roles are limited and serve as approximations. - For example, the person responsible for the song image should be credited with the “illustrator” role, even if it’s technically something else (e.g., photographer).

Rule 93: Matching artist collaboration role and tag

Tag the artist with the secondary artist types when appropriate.

For example, if an Animation producer (artist type) is responsible for the lyrics (as a role), the artist entry should be tagged with the lyricist tag.

Rule 134: Specify producers roles if multiple producers

If the song has multiple producers, specify the roles if available: Composer, Arranger & Voice Manipulator.

Animator

Japanese: 動画

  • Responsible for creating or animating the PV (Promotional Video).
  • Required for Music PV and Drama PV song types.
  • Corresponding artist type: Animation producer.

Arranger

Japanese: 編曲

  • Handles instrumentation and music production.
  • Often credited for remixes, but can also be involved in original songs.
  • Corresponding artist type: Music Producer.

Composer

Japanese: 作曲

  • Creates the song.
  • Typically, the composer and arranger are the same person for original songs, but not always.
  • Corresponding artist type: Music Producer.

Distributor

  • Typically used for albums. Distributes the album or song, either physically or digitally.
  • Corresponding artist types: Circle or label.

Illustrator

Japanese: イラスト or 絵

  • Responsible for the image for PVs or album covers, including booklet illustrations and photography.
  • Corresponding artist type: Illustrator.

Instrumentalist

  • Plays an instrument in the song/album, usually physical instruments like pianos or guitars.
  • Corresponding artist type: Instrumentalist.

Lyricist

Japanese: 作詞

  • Writes the lyrics.
  • Corresponding artist type: Lyricist.

Mastering

Mixer

Other

  • For roles that don’t fit with any other options.
  • Corresponding artist type: Other individual.

Publisher

  • Publishes the album, usually a label or a circle. Also used in cases where someone other than the main producer publishes a video (i.e., not on the producer’s channel).
  • Corresponding artist types: Circle or Label.

Vocal data provider

  • Created the original vocal data (VSQ/VSQX/UST/CSV) but didn’t directly participate in the song creation.
  • Voice manipulator role also covers vocal data creation, so specifying both roles for the same person is generally redundant.
  • Corresponding artist types: Cover artist & Music producer.

Vocalist

Voice manipulator

Japanese: 調声

  • Operates the voice synthesizer.
  • If person A operated the synthesizer and person B did most of the vocal tuning, A should be marked as support and B as the main voice manipulator.
  • Use the vocal data provider role if existing vocal data from another song was used.
  • Corresponding artist types: Cover artist & Music producer.

Tab 3: Media

Songs may contain any number of links/embeds to a media/PV (promotional video) to any of the supported media/streaming services.

All media/PVs should have the same version of the audio/song (except for unrelated intros and outros).

Rule 131: Same audio

All media/PVs added in a single song entry must have the same audio and roughly the same song length.

Unrelated intros and outros are an exception to this.

Rule 117: Remaster entry reuse

If the original is replaced by the remaster, it’s unnecessary to create a separate entry for the original if the original audio is unavailable and the remaster is uploaded within a month. The remaster can use the “original song” type.

Rule 119: Music PV entry reuse

If the remarkable official music PV has the same length as the original entry AND if the original entry has no official upload (album track for example), reuse the original entry.

Rule 135: No premieres

Song entries should not be created based on unpublished YouTube premieres.

  • Adding links that have not yet premiered to existing song entries is fine, as long as the song entry has some other playable link.

Media/PV types

Rule 133: Correct PV type

Use the correct PV type between Original, Reprint, and Other.

Original

Rule 161: Original PV classification

Original PVs are authorized content uploaded by a party with rights to both audio and video.

Rule 162: Original PV deletion

If an original PV is unavailable, mark it as unavailable instead of removing the link.

Usually, the same media/PV is uploaded in multiple services (Niconico, YouTube, etc.). You should check other accounts to see if this is the case.

If a Nicolog archive of a deleted PV exists, relevant data (duration, publish date, tags, vocalists, author) will be automatically added, as with normal PVs. This can be accomplished by replacing the “nicovideo” in the URL with “nicolog”.

Reprint

Rule 163: Reprint PV classification

Reprint PVs are copies of the original from another service by a party unrelated to the original artist.

Rule 94: Respect the do-not-reprint tag

If the main artist or song is tagged with do not reupload, do not add any reprint links to their songs.

Other

Rule 164: Other PV classification

Other PVs are subtitled PVs or modified PVs that don’t justify a new entry.

File Uploads

Verified artists can use VocaDB to host their songs. Currently, only files in the .mp3 format are supported, with a 20MB file size limit. The PV type will automatically be “original”.

Tab 4: Lyrics

Lyrics can be added, along with romanizations and translations. Multiple translations are supported.

Rule 138: Source lyrics

Always leave a source for the lyrics. If transcribed/translated by yourself, mention that instead.

If the lyric source is missing, locate it before modifying the lyrics. See a list of websites where to look for lyrics. If the source can’t be found, create an entry report for the missing source and use a credit like “Unknown (fixed by user2)”.

Rule 139: Source lyric modifications

Lyrics can be modified without creating new lyrics, as long as the modification is mentioned in the source:

  • External source: “From MikuWiki” -> “From MikuWiki (edited by user2)”

Rule 140: No significant lyric modifications

Large lyric edits require creating new lyrics.

Rule 30: No machine translations

Do not add machine translated/romanized titles or lyrics.

Rule 137: Multilingual lyrics

The general minimum criteria for marking additional languages is to count whether there are two or more full lines in the additional language.

  • Changing the language(s) of the original lyrics also changes the entry language.
  • Sources for lyrics are autofilled based on the source URL.
  • Languages of lyrics are automatically detected.

If you would like to make romanizations of lyrics for VocaDB, please read the Romanization guidelines.

Update Notes

Update notes are optional but should always be used if the edit reason or information source is not obvious.

If necessary, use the entry description for visibility or the comment section to ask questions.

Rule 1: Source non-obvious

Include sources for non-obvious additions or changes. Edits by verified artists are considered authoritative information and do not need to be further sourced.

➡️ Next: Artists

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