Tags

wikipage documentation editing tags vocadb

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Tags are labels that can be added to all entry types (Artists, Albums, Songs, …).

Tags can be edited more freely than other fields and some of them may even be considered subjective. Therefore tags are based on voting. Tag votes are visible and removable to trusted users and above.

Tags are constructed by a hierarchy system: Tags are displayed as a tree structure, with the “parent” at the top and the children and siblings at the bottom.

An external program exists (VocaDB-Tag-Graph) for visualizing the full tag graph.

A full list of tag-related rules is available here

Tagging entries

Rule 21: Tag usage rules

Follow tag usage rules for all the approved tags. Read tag descriptions before using them.

Rule 22: No objective tag votes

Adding tag votes to objective tags is redundant, unless there is a need to highlight the tag.

Rule 59: Content tags

Content-based artist/album tags should only be used if a sizable portion of the album/artist’s songs are tagged.

A parent tag can also be used if the song entries are tagged with more specific child tags.

Rule 168: No redundant tags

Tags should add new information to the entry. Creating new tags or adding tags to entries that replicate or derive information from the existing fields is not allowed, unless the tag provides significant value (for example for the search feature).

Rule 152: No visual tags

Generally, tags should not be created or used for tracking visual details.

Some exceptions:

Tags for MMD-related models (ISAO)
Tags for the general PV style (comics PV)
Tags for information/meta-details (mismatching vocalist PV)

Creating and editing tags

Rule 169: Valid tag naming

When naming tags, use common English language rules for casing.

For example, Final Fantasy (proper noun) vs. progressive rock.
Abbreviations such as “RPG” should also be written in capital letters.

Many tags are language-neutral, meaning that they’re not tied to any particular language.

Examples of such tags are genres (such as rock) and themes (such as summer).
For these tags, the non-English name should be translated to Japanese for practical reasons.

Unlike with other entry types, tag aliases do not need to be “real” aliases of the primary name. Tag that is used for multiple similar purposes can include multiple distinct “aliases”:

T/9493/teeth includes:

toothbrush
toothpaste
tooth fairy

This improves tag searchability and avoids “duplicate” tags that are conceptually very similar.

Rule 149: Tag purpose

All tags should have at least one valid purpose:

Discovery: Tag is used for discovering related entries (all genre tags for example).
Search: Tag is used for searching or locating something already familiar (animated PV for example).
Statistical: Tag is used for calculating different statistics (western producer for example).
Informatory: Tag is used to convey information that doesn’t fit into the entry (entry missing artists for example).

Rule 147: Tag usage requirements

Tags should be included in at least one entry.

Abstract grouping tags do not require any connected non-tag entries.

Rule 150: Tag description required

All tags should include a valid description.

A tag’s description should explain its intended usage in clear English language.

For normal tags, skip generic usage instructions such as “tag for albums/artist/songs…“.

Use “Valid for” restrictions instead.

Include source links when quoting information from external sources (such as Wikipedia).

Rule 153: Parent tags

In most cases, child tags should describe a subset of the parent tag.

There are cases where the subset relationship isn’t as clear. Genre tags for example utilize the tag hierarchy for historical and stylistic origins.
Additionally, fusion tags such as folk metal are neither subsets of metal or folk music.

For tags with multiple separate parent tag candidates, pick the one that makes the most sense.

Rule 154: Related tags

Immediate parent/child tags should not be set as related tags.

Rule 151: No tag romanizations

It is not required (or recommended) to add romanizations for the tags.

Exceptions to this are tags such as sakura, that are simple, well-known, and more searchable with the added romanization.

Tag categories

Rule 148: Tag category required

All tags should specify the tag cateogry.

Ideally:

Tags in the same category share the same usage rules.
Tags belong to only one clear category.

The available tag categories are listed below.

Genres

Tags that represent a musical genre.

Rule 171: No obscure genre tags

Obscure genre tags should be avoided.

Genre tags that are hard to tell apart and/or are inconsistently used by artists should be merged in most cases.

List of all genre tags

Animation

Tags that describe the song’s video.

Rule 152: No visual tags

Generally, tags should not be created or used for tracking visual details.

Some exceptions:

Tags for MMD-related models (ISAO)
Tags for the general PV style (comics PV)
Tags for information/meta-details (mismatching vocalist PV)

List of all animation tags

Composition

Tags related to the composition of a song.

List of all composition tags

Copyrights

Tags related to any sort of intellectual property (IP).

Rule 170: Copyright tag usage requirements

A) Official: IP utilizes voice synth music within the product (anime/game/etc).
B) Official: IP utilizes voice synth music to promote the product.
C) Unofficial: (Original) fansongs inspired by the IP (Parody songs, Image songs, etc).
D) Unofficial: Derived (remix/cover) songs of official IP music.

Avoid creating tags for C and D if they do not apply to at least 5 entries.

List of all copyrights tags

Derivative

Derivatives are (typically) fanmade (unofficial) voice synth voice configurations (derivatives). Akita Neru is probably the most well-known of these.

Rule 74: No entries for fan-made derivative VBs

Fan-made derivatives such as pitchbends and genderswaps such as Hagane Miku, should not be added as artist entries, as they are not voicebanks of their own. Corresponding tags should be used instead: https://vocadb.net/T/92/derivative.

Official derivatives made or commissioned by the original creator of the voicebank, whether for Vocaloid or UTAU, are allowed.

List of all derivative tags

Distribution

Tags related to how the song/album or content related to them is distributed.

Examples:

album-exclusive song: Songs only released on albums, without official media uploads.
free: Songs, albums, and voicebanks that have official, free downloads available.
vocal data available: Songs where the vocal data is available for download.

Do not make tags for publishers, instead add them as artist entries under the Label type.

List of all distribution tags

Editor notes

List of all editor notes tags

Editor notes tags can generally be sorted into two categories:

Tags intended to be temporary, to be replaced if more information is found. Examples:

Tags that convey some sort of helpful information related to the entry that does not fit in other fields. Examples:

Event

Category for tags that better fit as tag entries instead of event entries.

List of all event tags

Games

Tag category for video games that include pre-existing music in the game.

For example, Senbonzakura was published (on NND) before its inclusion in Project Diva F.

Games that do not include any pre-existing vocal synth songs in their soundtrack should be under the Copyrights category instead.

List of all games tags

Instruments

Tags for tracking musical instruments used in songs.

List of all instruments tags

Jobs

Tags to use as secondary artist types. For example, an artist entry tagged with lyricist conveys that the artist collaborated in another song in the lyricist role.

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.