[Secret Squirrel]

VGMdb's scope has been an often-debated topic since its inception. While we began as a database for video game music, that quickly expanded in 2009 when we reformulated as "The Music of Visual Arts and Games." The reason for the rebranding was because our love of game music crossed over into adjacent genres, particularly anime and manga. The last decade has seen continual friction over what "visual arts" really mean, and what albums are eligible. This was additionally hampered by a set of rules that were difficult to find, enforce, or even explain. In addition, our interests and coverage have expanded organically over the years, but this hasn't officially been addressed Given these circumstances, we were long overdue for a formalization of our scope.

The following is the first candidate of the new scope for public comment. I plan to leave this open until discussion ends, incorporate any needed changes, then announce it on the front page. I expect maybe a week for this process.

The overall effect of this re-scoping is a major expansion of what is officially eligible here. This is countered with 1) tighter guidelines on who is allowed to submit in these areas, and 2) expansion of the site-filters to artist and calendar pages (and possibly to product pages in the future) so that you only see the content that interests you.

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Category 1 - Albums related to Primary Visual Arts

Games

• Music from games, including console, computer, handheld, cabinet, slot, tabletop.
• Official and unofficial arrangements of the above.
• Albums related to products spun off from the game series.
• Derivative and inspired works.
• Example1, Example2, Example3, Example4

Japanese-style Animation (Anime)

• Music from Japanese-style animated works, including series, movies, specials.
• Soundtracks, vocals, image albums, drama, talk, OP/ED singles.
• Albums related to products spun off from the anime series.
• Example1, Example2, Example3, Example4

Western-style Animation

• Music from Western-style animated works, including series, movies, specials.
• Mostly soundtrack and vocals exist for these.
• Traditional animation, but can include mixed live actor and animation.
• CGI animation, but not when mixed with live-actors.
• Example1, Example2, Example3

Rules:
All users are permitted to submit in these categories.
One track from a game or anime is enough for eligibility.

Category 2 - Albums related to Secondary Visual Arts

General Doujin scene

• Music created and released in the doujin scene.
• Includes any albums released at events such as Comic Market and M3.
• Example1, Example2, Example3

Game-adjacent Works

• Music related to gaming or game systems but not attached to any specific game.
• Notional game soundtracks: Music created for fictional games.
• Original music created for rhythm game simulators: Albums containing short, extended, arranged and remixed versions of songs used for rhythm game chart simulators such as Be-Music Source (BMS) files, osu! maps, and other chart simulators that are not directly tied to a specific game/releases.
• Chiptunes: Music created using the sound chips of older gaming and computing hardware, including modern iterations that utilize digital audio workstations (DAWs) and software synthesizers to emulate the sound of retro hardware
• Demoscene: music created for "demos", which were computer programs that demonstrated graphics and audio capabilities of computer systems.
• Other miscellaneous music/sound from gaming systems. (e.g., Wii menu music.)
• Example1, Example2, Example3, Example4

Manga

• Music related to manga, light novels, and other illustrated works.
• Image/Character/Vocal/Talk Albums
• Radio Show
• Movie/TV spinoff soundtracks
• Movie spinoff of Western comics generally not eligible (category 4).
• Example1, Example2

Idol-based Multimedia Franchises

• Music written for fictional Japanese multi-media idol groups that span genres.
• Example1, Example2

Non-Traditional Animation

• Music from animated works using non-traditional animation styles like clay-mation, stop-motion, silhouette, cut-out, etc.
• Example1, Example2

Live-Action Visual Arts

• Music from certain live-action works that include storytelling with stylized or abstract costumed characters.
• Eligibility includes Tokusatsu, puppetry, and some kinds of old children's programming.
• Obviously, everything is a visual art, but this category highlights selected ones that are 1) not covered comprehensively elsewhere, and 2) adjacent to our other interests here.
• Example1, Example2

Audio Dramas

• Music from audio drama series featuring illustrated characters.
• Example1

Events

• Music produced for an event by the organizers, such as themed goods for conferences, performances and and tournaments
• Eligible events should be related to the other visual arts in Category 1 and 2.
• Example1

Rules:
Only experienced users should submit these. If a submission is poor, it will probably be deleted, particularly for the live-action stuff.
Do not submit large numbers of these if you are not a Trusted Editor or on Staff.

Category 3 - Albums that fill Composer/Arranger Discographies

If an artist has a composer or arranger credit for BGM in a Primary Visual Art (Category 1), then any album on which they are credited in any non-referenced role (i.e., the credit is not "blue") is eligible provided it is not in the Forbidden Albums set (Category 4).
The old subjective "ratio" rule will no longer apply.

Rules:
All users are permitted to submit these, but if submission is poor, it may be deleted rather than fixed.
Do not submit large numbers of these if you are not a Trusted Editor or on Staff.
Artists with only Lyricist or Performer roles in a Primary Visual Art are generally not eligible.
If you submit an album in this category, please post in the album's submission comment the name of one artist whose discography it fills and a VGMDB link of the album on which they have a Composer or Arranger credit for BGM in a game or animation. (You can post a name and a url with info if there are no albums in the database.)

Category 4 - Forbidden Albums

Mainstream western music

• Including rock, rap, indie, alternative, country, jazz, classical, and many other genres.

Mainstream western film/TV soundtracks

• Same as above.

Music taken directly from a game

• Redbook tracks on game discs as well as game rips.
• Pre-processed game rips uploaded on Bandcamp.

Otherwise-eligible music released on nonstandard platforms

• Custom proprietary players for digital media.
• Music that is only available on streaming platforms.
• Music boxes.

Rules:
No user should submit any album in this category UNLESS the submission is already eligible as a Primary Visual Art (Category 1).
This mainly means that composer discographies will have certain holes, but those albums are covered in detail by other databases.
On rare occasion, staff may submit certain Category 2 and Category 3 eligible albums here.