xREL.v3

Official MP3 Release Rules 3.0

1. No Dupes !
Complete albums/releases are checked, not single tracks. So a release is
not a dupe if it has different or more tracks.

Exceptions:
1. It's also a dupe if the complete release is included in a previous
one. For example CDM is released, now someone releases the CDS and all
tracks of the CDS were already included on the CDM (excactly the same
tracks).
2. You are allowed to create a duplicate release from a release that has
a source of lower quality (a different source!).
Example: if vinyl is out then a CD-release is allowed.
If you do that then please add this info to NFO and dirname. For
online bought MP3s (-WEB-) we assume the best source quality (CDDA or
better).
3. All MIXED cds should be ripped as one track supplied with a .cue. If
they are not, they may be duped by another group that releases it as
one track with a .cue supplied.
4. If a WEB or FLASH version has been released then a CD RETAIL version
is allowed if the CD version has scans/photos.

For all LIVE sources:
+ If a show has already been released (e.g. another name, but the mix is
the same), no dupe of that same show is allowed. If the show is
included in another release (for example, as a guest mix), then it is
not allowed either.
+ If a show, containing a guest mix, is a partial dupe (either the
regular part of the show, or the guest mix), it is allowed to release
them 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.
+ If a show contains the broadcast of a commercially released CD, it may
not be released if the CD has already been released.

Note: if you want to release an import-album or some "extended edition"
then check rule 7 as well !

2. An SFV and NFO file must be included in every release. All releases from
a physical medium must also include a JPG proof - see rule 19.
CUE, M3U and additional JPG files (scans) are optional. If you release
a CUE file for multitrack mp3s then the CUE file must include artist and
tracknames if they are available on the cover or inlay.
If you want to release additional material (Videos, Lyrics, ...) from the
source medium then you must release that separately with dirname tag
-EXTRAS-.

3. Directoryname must at least contain:
1. Artist Name - Title - Published Year (decimal) - Group name
(extra info is allowed of course)
2. All bootleg releases must have the word BOOTLEG in dirname. (check
bootleg rule 14)
3. If you release magazine CDs then you must tag them as -MAG-. Don't tag
them -PROMO-, -ADVANCE- etc..
4. The directory name of an INTERNAL release must end with _INT.
Example: Someone_Something-2007-GROUP_INT
5. For all LIVE sources:
It is not necessary to include the name of the station the show is
broadcasted on (if it is not included in the directory name, it is
strongly encouraged to include it in the nfo instead). The date must
be the date of the broadcast. Both USA (-MM/DD-) and EU (-DD/MM-) date
format are allowed.

Exception:
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 you must add the artistname.

4. Filename must at least contain:
Track Number - Song Title
If it's an album with different artists (one artist per track) then you
must add the artist name as well ("VA-tracks" like mixes don't need
artistnames).
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 128 char limit.
Make sure that your filename is unique otherwise some sites might dupeskip.

Exception:
If no tracknames are supplied by the source (cd,vinyl,..) then you *must*
provide proof 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 you must rip it as one mp3/cue and
give this track same name as the "album".

5. 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
1. Self-made compilations are not allowed !
A self-made compilation is when you select tracks from other sources,
put them together and release that as something new.
2. A self-made MIX or completely self-made music is not allowed either.
If you are releasing self-made stuff then that must be tagged as
internal.

7. The entire CD,Vinyl,etc. must be released (not individual tracks)
If you think it's too much work to rip all tracks you better don't rip at
all. Releasing the complete CD/Vinyl/.. is necessary because otherwise it
would be possible to make several (different) releases of the same
cd/vinyl/etc..

Exception for albums:
If a RETAIL album has been released and you have a different edition of the
same album (foreign/promo/advance/..) then it's allowed to release the
new/bonus tracks only. But you may NOT re-release an entire inital edition
within the first three months except if
it's a 1disc release and more than 30% of the tracks of your version
are not on the previous retail version.
it's a multi disc release and either more than 30% of the tracks or at
least 6 tracks of your version are not on the previous retail version.

Moreover, it is NOT allowed to re-release a new edition of a retail album
EVER if the different/extra/bonus tracks are already included in one (!)
previous release. For example, USA album is released and four months later
japanese with simply a remix from an old CDM/CDS still wouldn't be allowed.

Example1: album released in US with 10 tracks, japanese edition with 11
tracks (1 bonus track that is a new song) then you MUST release the jap
bonus track only (without including previously released tracks of the US
album) during the first three months after first full retail release. If
it's more than 3 months later then you are allowed to do either the
bonustrack-only or the full album.

Example2: After the retail you got a promo with 1 different track. Then
it's not allowed to release this full album within 3 months. If the bonus
track was already out on a different release then it's not even allowed to
release it bonus-only.

Example3: Your different edition has 13 tracks of which 9 were on the first
retail release and 4 (= more than 30%) are new. Then you are allowed to
release the full album even within first 3 months. Except when the 4 new
tracks were already all on ONE previous release. Then a release isn't
allowed at all.

For DVD(A) releases check Rule 10.

8. Current maximum directory/filename-length is 128 characters
Exception: Dirfixes that reach the limit by adding "-DIRFIX-"

9. No fake-releases
It's a fake release when artist, title, group or source is incorrect
(different).

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

10. DVD/DVDA Ripping
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.
If tracks are available in several audio formats then you must use the
"best" version.
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 => you must rip the AC3 2.0 tracks
- DVD contains PCM and AC3 2.0 => you must rip the PCM tracks
- DVD contains MPG and AC3 2.0 => you must rip the AC3 2.0 version
Normalizing the sound volume is allowed but optional.

11. Encoding Quality
1. For releases made from MP3s (online bought or from FLASH medium) and
which are not SBD:
VBR (all combinations, but no maximum bitrate limit) and CBR is
allowed. The minimum bitrate for CBR is 192kbit.
=> You release the MP3 as is. It is NOT allowed to re-encode! If the
source is below 192 kbit CBR it's not allowed to release it. Release
the MP3 unmodifed as you downloaded/copied it. Only adding/changing
ID3 tag is allowed.
If you want to release a -WEB- mp3 file with constant bitrate (CBR)
then you must choose the best version (320->256->224->192 kbit)
available at the shop.
If the FLASH medium contains both WAV and MP3 then you must choose
WAV.
2. For ALL sources which need encoding (CD, VINYL, DVD, BLU-RAY, WEB-WAV, SBD, CABLE, LINE, etc.):
You must use:
LAME 3.98.4 with preset V0 ("-V0").
Additional switches which would affect the mp3 quality are forbidden,
especially no minimum or maximum bitrate limits.
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.
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.

12. Promos
If a release is considered not to have every track from the source then it
must be labeled as a promo and can be duped by any legitimate retail
release that DOES contain all tracks. The legitimate release can be
identified by the CAT number, or more suitable proof.
Promos do not have to contain track listings, they are promotional
material, they are not considered legitimate releases, and are still
governed by quality rules.
If you release a promo when the retail is already out then you must provide
proof that this promo is real to make sure this is not a selfmade "promo".

13. Re-encodes are not allowed.
Exception: releases of following sources are currently allowed if they are
tagged correctly:
DVD, DAB, DVBC/DVBS/DVBT/SAT (compressed digital tv/radio
sat,cable,terrestrial), MD (live)

14. 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 bootleg there are
conditions when we assume something is or isn't bootleg. This is not a
defnition 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's 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 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.virginmegastores.co.uk (.gr, .fr, .jp) (US shop excluded)
www.sonymusicstore.com
www.juno.co.uk
www.deejay.de
www.ukdancerecords.com
www.dancegrooves.com
www.decks.de
www.4djsonly.com

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

15. SOURCE
The tracks of a release must all be from the 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 needs a valid
source tag. Valid tags are listed below.

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

[CD ALBUM] (pressed CDDA)
dirtag needed: none
dirtag suggested: -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-
dirtag suggested: -VLS-

[VINYL ALBUM]
dirtag needed: -LP- or -VINYL-
dirtag suggested: -LP-

[VINYL OTHER]
dirtag needed: -VINYL-

[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,

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

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

[ANALOG 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-

=OTHER SOURCES=
[WEB] - audio files legally available on the net and not free
dirtag needed: -WEB-
extra nfo info needed:
- codec of source (MP3, PCM, ...),
- bitrate of source file (if not PCM/WAV),
- URL to some shop where it's available in that format

[CDR] (small label/artist releasing CDDA on CDR pr 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-

[ANALOG TAPE]
dirtag needed: -TAPE-

[UNKNOWN]
dirtag needed: -BOOTLEG-

All other "sources" are invalid source tags (-LIVE- , -EP-, ...). Which
means you need a second tag for the source if you use those tags (except
for CDs which don't need a source tag).
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's not allowed to do a
SBD release.

16. Fixes
1. Trackfixes
Only one trackfix per release is allowed. If the release needs a
second trackfix or more than 50% of the tracks need a fix then you
must re-rip the whole release and all previous releases+dir/nfofixes
getting nuked.
A 1-track fix for a 2-track release is allowed (=50% and not "more
than 50%").
2. Dirname/ID3 Fixes
If you release a dirfix then the dirname of the problematic release
must be listed in your NFO file.
If a release gets nuked for BAD DIRNAME or BAD ID3 then the
releasegroup has 72 hours to release a Dir/ID3Fix. If they don't do it
within the 72 hours then any other group is allowed to release a fix
or re-release.
The 72 hours start when the release gets nuked.
3. Prooffixes
If you fail to add scans/photos you have 24 hours AFTER PRE to release a
Prooffix. During and after this 24 hours grace period, any other group is
allowed to release a PROPER with scans/photos even if the release is 100%
identical.

17. ID3 Tags
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 may not be nuked if incorrect.

18. LIVE release quality
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 may not miss more than 1 minute from begin or end.
2. All commercials must be edited out.
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).
4. It is encouraged to fade-in and fade-out the set. However, lack of
fades constitutes no proper reason.

19. Scans/Photos
1. All releases from physical sources must always include proof.
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 your 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!
Make your proof as close as possible to the included examples.
3. A note with the group name on the proof is optional.
4. Proof resolution must be 640x480 pixels or higher in standard JPEG format.
5. We STRONGLY recommend the removal of all Exif data! Uniquely identifying
information such as the camera serial number and GPS coordinates can pose
a security threat if not removed. Use tools such as jhead, PureJPG or the
inbuilt function of Win7/Vista to remove the Exif data.

20. FLASH medium ripping
1. A FLASH release must contain all music tracks. For additional stuff
(videos, pictures etc.) see rule 2.
2. If the FLASH medium contains WAV files you must encode them with scene
standards.
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.

21. High Definition Ripping
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.
2. HD DVD and BLU-RAY video clip releases should be ripped as multi track
release keeping original tracklist (not .m2ts sequence).
3. If tracks are available in several audio formats then you must use the
highest bitrate lossless source track.
DTS core must be extracted from a DTS HR/HD MA track (if thats the
source in use).
4. Multi channel audio is not allowed. Downmix source track to stereo 2 channels.
5. Downsampling to 44.1 or 48khz is allowed (if source is better),
upsampling to 44.1 or 48khz is not allowed.
6. Normalizing the sound volume is allowed but optional.
7. CUE file made from source chapters should always be include with final
release package.
8. HD DVD, BLU-RAY, DVD and DVDA sources dupe each other.
9. HD DVD/BLU-RAY release are NOT allowed if retail CD version with same tracks
has been released already.

Notes:

1. Releases with an apparently incorrect year may not be nuked. However the
year should be correct of course. Keep in mind that a lot of sites nuke for
fake year when it's incorrect. (The Year in dirname is not the year when
you released it but when the record company/artist published it!)
2. If a release labeled as "advance" is identical to the retail version then
the advance turns into a retail release. This means then it is not allowed
to dupe it and it counts as retail for ALL rules. If the retail is
different then of course it's allowed to release it.
3. Typos (in dirname, trackname, id3, etc ...) are tolerated if it still is
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)
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)
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)
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)

V3.0 active since 2011-04-15, signed by:
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