If HQ has a SPARSe moment

Just a bump for a prior request (now too old to add to), for a dedicated 'SPARS Code' click-on in the BAOI drop-down.
Much better than having to type it into 'Other'
See http://www.discogs.com/help/forums/topic/274081#2966549

Happening to read on in that thread - Yes, the ASIN feature needs to be AssASINated. It got added to one of my subs.
When I went there I discovered 5 different versions huddled as one - and that was on 'face value'

Short summary of the thread:

Add:
SID Code
SPARS Code
Runout String
Matrix #

Delete:
ASIN
ASIN
ASIN
ASIN

Not sure how many times we need to ask for these - yes

And also a huge yes to ASIN scrapping.

Opdiner
And also a huge yes to ASIN scrapping.

Don't agree. They're needed for MP3 releases.

hermanito
Add:
SID Code
SPARS Code
Runout String
Matrix #

And ''Distribution Code'', please...

jweijde
They're needed for MP3 releases.

Mmm, why is that?

marcelrecords
And ''Distribution Code'', please...

Talking about distribution codes.
I stumbled upon this page yesterday: Barclay.
"Note: BA 102 / BA 122 / BA 253 / BA 283 are not catalogue numbers but price codes identifying formats, namely 7" singles, 12" singles, LPs and double LPs."

I thought these were distribution codes (There are many tagged that way in the DB)
If they really are Price Codes, Price Code should be added as well.

hermanito
Price Code should be added as well.

That would be nice. On lots of releases appears one.

jweijde
They're needed for MP3 releases.

marcelrecords
Mmm, why is that?

Amazon sells MP3s which only have an ASIN as unique identifier.

jweijde
Amazon sells MP3s which only have an ASIN as unique identifier.

In which case BIG PLACARD on the RSG "ONLY FOR USE WITH DOWNLOAD SUBMISSIONS" or similar.
And/or drop-down as "Download ASIN"

nvm

hermanito

SID Code
SPARS Code

yep. two different SID code identifiers (Mould SID Code vs Mastering SID Code) would be even better.

hermanito
If they really are Price Codes, Price Code should be added as well.

Yes too. codes in the form two letters + three digits were indeed used to attach a price category to releases, this way distributors or whoever managed that were able to modify their ranges of prices without having to list all releases to which they applied.

The only kind of "distribution codes" not related to the price that I know of are the Sony codes, which uniquely define releases (sometimes different parts of a release), generally derive somehow or more precisely extend the primary cat#, and hence should IMO rather go to the cat# field of the Distributed by role for Sony.

jweijde

Opdiner
And also a huge yes to ASIN scrapping.

Don't agree. They're needed for MP3 releases.

Agreed.

swagski
In which case BIG PLACARD on the RSG "ONLY FOR USE WITH DOWNLOAD SUBMISSIONS" or similar.
And/or drop-down as "Download ASIN"

No. There is also Amazon's CD on demand (really CDr) service. Once again, the ASIN is the one unique identifier.

ASIN needs to stay, Amazon uses on all their mp3s

Also, Could someone explain me what SID codes, SPARS codes and Runout strings mean?

hermanito
SPARS Code

+1 - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SPARS_code

Erit_Invictus
ASIN needs to stay, Amazon uses on all their mp3s

+1

hermanito
SID Code

-1

(Just my opinion, so don't kill me. I just don't see the necessity to separate SID codes at all. If added, surely one field is sufficient.)

jweijde
Amazon sells MP3s which only have an ASIN as unique identifier.

Okay, fair call, but adding these to commercial CDs is an utter nonsense. They are are not unique identifiers of anything. They can apply to whatever version Amazon has in stock at the time an order is placed.

Opdiner
but adding these to commercial CDs is an utter nonsense. They are are not unique identifiers of anything. They can apply to whatever version Amazon has in stock at the time an order is placed.

Depends.
I don't think that when I would buy B003JG93IC I would get something else than Blank & Jones - Relax (Edition Five).

ASINs are meant to be unique identifiers. I can imagine it could be a bit different for major label releases, but still.

ASIN stands for Amazon Standard Identification Number. Almost every product on our site has its own ASIN--a unique code we use to identify it. For books, the ASIN is the same as the ISBN number, but for all other products a new ASIN is created when the item is uploaded to our catalogue.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/help/customer/display.html?ie=UTF8&nodeId=898182

jweijde
Depends.
I don't think that when I would buy B003JG93IC I would get something else than Blank & Jones - Relax - Edition Five.

You might - there is absolutely no way of knowing. If it went to a second pressing it would still have the same ASIN, even if the stock came from Universal Tibet's pressing plant.

jweijde
ASINs are meant to be unique identifiers. I can imagine it could be a bit different for major label releases, but still.

They are stock identifiers, nothing more. That link offers no comfort that they are not that. What they are very much not in Discogs terms is unique identifiers, unless, as you say, we are talking MP3.

Opdiner
Okay, fair call, but adding these to commercial CDs is an utter nonsense. They are are not unique identifiers of anything. They can apply to whatever version Amazon has in stock at the time an order is placed.

I agree. Just apply them to Amazon MP3s.

auboisdormant
+1 - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SPARS_code

That's one of the few pages I've helped with on Wikipedia.

So, I require the ifpi L771 cut of this Garbage CD; Garbage - Garbage
Which, if I'm careful, gives me this http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3AB000001OAA&page=1
Is the MP3 the same? Track lengths, etc?
Weird kind of 'unique' identifier that gives 2 formats... anyway...
I click the image & get 5 alt covers from which to choose.
It also tells me (for this actual copy?) that there are 29 new ones, 179 used ones & 17 collectible ones!
No clues on which pressings either - the L323 or the L771?

Site designed for 'purchase anything' Stupid Girl or just Garbage?

Edit: Dropdown - ASIN (Caveat Emptor) - 130LL0X

Whilst tinkering with any dropdowns in LCCN
Update needed: "Recorded At" rather than the L/C 'a' in "Recorded at"

More bizarrely than differentiating between painfully fine details, Amazon does not usually differentiate between standard editions, bonus editions and reissues. It's largely pot luck the ASIn can be mixed because of their haphazard purchasing methods between several different versions and then we have the marketplace which turns this lottery into a "which grain of sand on the beach is yours, Mr Tsao?" kind of quest.

Eviltoastman
More bizarrely than differentiating between painfully fine details, Amazon does not usually differentiate between standard editions, bonus editions and reissues. It's largely pot luck the ASIn can be mixed because of their haphazard purchasing methods between several different versions and then we have the marketplace which turns this lottery into a "which grain of sand on the beach is yours, Mr Tsao?" kind of quest.

ASIN is for selling. And if it coughs like a duck, then it probably is a duck
Discogs is for collecting & selling specifics

jweijde
ASIN stands for Amazon Standard Identification Number. Almost every product on our site has its own

By discogs guidelines what a retailer adds on to a product is not subbed or qualifying uniqueness. Why is this different for ASIN?

Because Amazon is far more massive, and technically has a monopoly when it comes to selling mp3s

gboe
By discogs guidelines what a retailer adds on to a product is not subbed or qualifying uniqueness. Why is this different for ASIN?

Agree. And that link from swagski above illustrates that we can't even reply on these to identify MP3s

Away with them - or to notes - I say.

Opdiner
that link from swagski above illustrates that we can't even reply on these to identify MP3s

Really?
http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3AB000001OAA&page=1
If you click on the result there, you get to the page of the 1995 CD release.
The ASIN of this release is B000001OAA
When you click on the MP3 version on that page, you'll find the ASIN of the MP3 release. This is B000W0YWRK.
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=B000W0YWRK
http://www.amazon.com/Garbage/dp/B000W0YWRK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1343036176&sr=8-1&keywords=B000W0YWRK

jweijde
Really?
http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3AB000001OAA&page=1
If you click on the result there, you get to the page of the 1995 CD release.

The point is if you enter that ASIN into a search you get two different formats regardless of the fact that you may be able to drill down a bit further and define them.

My gut feeling is that that they're really not reliable identifiers. Certainly for non-digital there seems to be no solid argument for having them in the BAOI. They don't usually appear on the release and if taken from Amazon represent whatever version the purchasing folks decided to order and put the (digital and physical) shelf in the warehouse.