Assassin's Creed Revelations Original Game Soundtrack - The Complete Recordings (repr

[Efendija]

Since this isn't the same price, not the same m4a (aac) iTunes format and not the same distributers, I thought it would be correct to add child albums.

Reason for 2 child albums:

Qobuz uses the same page for both versions, one is "true CD quality" (Vraie qualité CD) aka FLAC files - slightly higher price, and the second option is lossy MP3 files (a bit cheaper). You get different prices if you toggle between those two options (right above download button - télécharger l'album).

Full release prices are at the moment crossed out because album is on promotion.

Submission for MP3 version is here:
http://vgmdb.net/album/30063

[Phonograph]

I'm not sure it's really needed to have two entries for the same album, the only difference is the format (the price is only different because mp3s have a lower file size and so it's faster to dl)
you will naturally never pay 2 kg of bananas at the same price as 1kg (normally)

[Myrkul]

Oh my.. if we'r going to make child entries for every format available, we'll be lost for sure.
I don't think this is a good idea at all. 1 entry for any Digital release is more than enough.
Digital does not mean lossy nor lossless, it means it's in a digital form, period.

Such details about the avaibility / prices can be given in the note field or links.
Though and so far, i never ever gave such details because there are too many places to buy digital albums and even more different prices...
Each of these albums being also available in different countries (again more different prices!)

I thought users that wanted to buy a digital album were intelligent enough to search themselves for the best price. I am always linking to the 2 most known websites: iTunes & amazon.
Though you can buy albums on cdbaby, emusic, napster, kazaa, rhapsody, fnac, virgin.. and many more i forget.

I usually follow iTunes for price/tracklist because that's the n°1 website.

I am giving a big NO to this, and i hope both entries you made will be deleted/changed.

[TerraEpon]

Originally Posted by Phonograph

I'm not sure it's really needed to have two entries for the same album, the only difference is the format (the price is only different because mp3s have a lower file size and so it's faster to dl)
you will naturally never pay 2 kg of bananas at the same price as 1kg (normally)

There are websites (I may want to even put 'plenty' of websites) that offer FLAC/other lossless and Mp3 at the same price. So it's not quite like that.

[Phonograph]

the keyword is format, not price

[Myrkul]

Originally Posted by TerraEpon

There are websites (I may want to even put 'plenty' of websites) that offer FLAC/other lossless and Mp3 at the same price. So it's not quite like that.

I am still "dead serious" about that. We can't make entries for every format.
Because iTunes mainly use m4a, amazon mp3, nettwerk used to sell flac..etc..
And making diverse entries for prices is impossible.
I can give like 15 different prices for the same album just on the iTunes platform.

[Efendija]

ACR OST doesn't have a CD release, so Qobuz offers the next best thing - FLAC, which is technically speaking, a packed wav file - the same quality as the CD release. This is very rare for game soundtracks to have a digitally distributed lossless album. If a game doesn't get a proper CD, chances are only lossy format will be available for buying. So that's why this is a notable exception. This is equal to a physical release, quality wise, only you don't get pretty CD case, printed booklet and all that. Famous iTunes & Amazon don't offer this quality.

But whatever, you're the people who make decisions. I won't repeat submissions like these. Flaming all over the place xD. Delete mp3 or flac or both submissions, your call of course.

[Efendija]

I know if this game got normal CD release, everything would have been fine. Buyers want to know their options: digital release mp3/m4a/ogg whatever (lossy) or physical CD (lossless) being the most common choice. Some of them would really like a lossless format, and they will be satisfied to know that for some albums, there is a digital lossless version ready even when there isn't a physical CD release. That's all.

[Gigablah]

Maybe we need an additional sub-type column for media.

Digital => mp3/m4a/ogg/flac, etc (multiselection)
CD => CD-R, SA-CD, etc

[Myrkul]

The problem can be easily solved by links.. i don't understand why would you want more entries.
Just add "Qobuz (lossless)" and problem solved.

Originally Posted by Efendija

This is very rare for game soundtracks to have a digitally distributed lossless album.

Not 100 % true, most of the E.A.R.S. and Ubisoft albums were released on lossless quality, also Bandcamp albums gives many different formats to choose, lossless included.

[Efendija]

Originally Posted by Myrkul

The problem can be easily solved by links.. i don't understand why would you want more entries.
Just add "Qobuz (lossless)" and problem solved.

OK, so why then are there examples of different entries for albums that are released both on CD and digitally (lossy), and have the exactly same tracklist and same release date?

You can then make just one entry for CD and shove the sale link for digital lossy version as "iTunes digital (lossy)" next to CD sale link, without making another entry right?

Like:

http://vgmdb.net/album/29469

and

http://vgmdb.net/album/29533


So: lossless (CD) + lossy (digital) = 2 entries and no problems, but

lossless (digital - when a physical CD release just doesn't exist) + lossy (digital) = many, many problems?

[Myrkul]

Even though i am not 100% found of this anymore.. i think it's still needed because of format.
It's needed to differantiate collections, between the ones that buy physical releases, and the ones that buy digital releases.
But to differentiate quality is for me, encouraging more illegal trading and promoting.

Physical releases (whatever it is, CD, Vinyl, DVD, Blue-Ray) are "real", you get a case, a cd, booklet, bonuses.. We do need to differenciate real releases because most of the time the packaging is different (a different printed cat number is valid for a new entry).

Digital releases are.. just files ? Lossy or lossless, it's just a bunch of files you download and keep on your computer, whatever is the quality.
99,9% of digital releases does not come with anything more than a Front cover (that is exactly the same, whatever the quality is). Because there's no catalog number to differentiate them, etc...

[Gigablah]

This is more of a deficiency with the database. We are quite frankly ill equipped to handle digital releases at the moment, and even now we lack the capability to capture multiple release dates and prices for the same album.

This cannot be resolved without an update to the database structure (specifically, changing from Album -> Media to Album -> Release -> Media), so for the moment it would be better to use the discussion thread or the notes section to capture information that the database cannot. And I would greatly appreciate it if everyone can discuss problems like this without being openly hostile towards one another.

[Efendija]

@ Myrkul
Lossy or lossless is a world of difference, format is important, but encoding is too. CD releases are also just files burned on a physical medium, only officially and not by some "pirate" next door.

And yeah Gigablah, I don't want to start WW3 too so I'm done.

[Secret Squirrel]

I've added the information from these 2 releases to the parent album, and deactivated these two. I think solving all of the problems associated with digital releases is going to be very challenging and possibly painful, but it is something that will become even more necessary as digital becomes more common.