Release

A MusicBrainz release represents the unique release (i.e. issuing) of a product containing at least one audio medium (a disc, for example, on a CD release). Each release has one or more identifying properties, such as a release date and country, a label, a barcode, a specific type of packaging or a specific cover art.

If you walk into (or digitally browse) a store and see the standard edition of an album next to a deluxe edition of that same album, you're looking at two different MusicBrainz releases, which are grouped as part of the same release group.

Mediums have a format (such as CD, DVD, vinyl or cassette) and can optionally also have a title. For physical releases, each medium is the actual physical medium that stores the audio content. This means that each CD in a multi-disc release will be entered as separate mediums within the release, and that both sides of a vinyl record or cassette will exist on one medium. For digital releases, mediums are a more fluid concept, and should generally just follow the structure set by the artist or label. For example, a digital album that claims to include "disc 1" and "disc 2" should be added with two digital mediums, even if it can be purchased as one single folder of files or streamed in a single sitting.

Keep in mind there are some exceptional cases where the one disc to one medium equivalence does not apply. For example, the two sides of a hybrid SACD (the CD side and the SACD side) should be entered as two mediums. These exceptions are indicated in the release guidelines.

Every medium can (and should ideally have) a tracklist, which represents the set and ordering of tracks included in the medium, as listed on a liner, a digital store page, or any other official source. A medium can be empty (missing its tracklist) if its contents are not yet known to MusicBrainz users.

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