Metadata: A Toolbox to Help Connect Japanese and Chinese Artists by Kesen Lyrics
Taiwanese Singer (Photo Credit:).ℹ️ About this Guide
This toolbox has been created to aid in the research of entities for expanded metadata or “song credit” roles on Genius by reviewing regional, linguistic, and technical considerations as well as expected data entry requirements dictated by both Genius and associated Genius Japan and China community guidelines. Taiwanese singer, 小宇 is used as an examplе throughout this guide.Introduction
What is Metadata?
Metadata, as it rеlates to music, is traditionally defined as information embedded within an audio file that contains information like the artist's name, the genre, or other information used to identify audio content.1 Along with lyrics, transcriptions, and insightful annotations, Genius allows metadata or “song credits to be entered for titles, which act as superglue to connect artists' profiles to their associated works.
Every artist at Genius starts as a single profile with an associated URL. Over time, that artist is linked to tracks and albums, many of which contain other song credits which link to artist profiles and grow their catalog of work, allowing users to view what tracks they’ve authored or contributed to. With Tidal taking the lead, streaming providers and distributors have evolved to feature the inclusion of metadata beyond just the artist's name and song title.
Genius is an English-dominated and oriented platform, lacking basic localization that is likely somewhat a deterrent to users of languages other than English. While The Korean Wave has undoubtedly benefited the Genius Korea community and Korean Popular Music, Japanese, Chinese, Taiwanese, and other Genius minorities, in particular, often lack complete catalogs, let alone expanded song credits that are becoming more commonplace amongst mainstream English and K-Pop releases. I created this guide because I enjoyed filling in the blanks and adding track metadata to Genius and wanted to share some of my tips.Getting Started
Locating Song Credits
🚨 STOP - Check Streaming Platforms First
No one wants to spend an hour looking for song credits that were on Tidal the whole time. Streaming providers like Tidal are increasingly becoming a quick go-to to locate the folks behind the music we listen to. This saves you from having to even search for song credits. The platforms listed below show, at a bare minimum, a credit for the song's composer/lyricist and will be updated as others are confirmed. Annotated platforms below will point you in the direction of exactly where to look.[Tidal](null) KKBOX[Apple Music](null)[Spotify](null)[Deezer](null)Note while most streaming platforms are pay-to-use services, some will allow you to explore song credits without paying for an account by just viewing album information. Notably, Tidal and KKBOX allow this, both through the app and web-based versions. If you can’t find song credits here, move ahead to search engines.Open up a Note or Text Editor on your Desktop, or ready a page in Notes on your Mobile; it’s a rule of thumb, paste any identifiers listed in the terminology section below as this will help to connect the dots, which we will touch more on in a moment. Methods for locating credits will go from least to most time consuming.
There are two types of searches that this guide will cover: External and Internal. External search engines are publicly accessible and do not require login to use. Internal search engines, require credentials or membership to be able to access. These are more common with performance rights organizations. The following section will introduce considerations for your search
External Search Engines ISWC Net System International ISRC Database Search ISNI Database Search Virtual International Authority File SearchInternal Search Engines
Internal searches, for the most part, will require one of two things: membership with the associated PRO, knowledge of the shareholder or publisher Of a track. Some may have both internal and external search functions. Please respect the legal guidelines for how you use this data. You can find terms of use in the search function disclaimer. [Some PRO Databases](null)Getting Creative
Here's where you get to play detective.
Consistency in metadata with streaming providers varies as there isn’t a singular standard for metadata.2 The identifiers listed at the bottom of this article will most likely not be viewable on any streaming platform. Searches results for some identifiers may also be largely dependent on another piece of information you don’t yet have.Physical DistributionsIf you already have a physical copy of a CD, Record, or Tape of an album or single that you’re looking for credits, you may already have them in your hands. Take a look inside and see if credits are printed in the lyric booklet or on the back of the album. If they happen to be in a language you cannot input, Google translate has great image-to-text recognition that will allow you to copy the characters in any script without the usual downfalls of automatic translation processes. Alternatively, you can search for the physical release on Discogs, a platform that encourages users to upload scans of physical releases, which could likely contain credits you’re looking for.
Third-Party DatabasesDiscogsMusicbrainzJaxstaPerformance Rights OrganizationsMany Performance Rights Organizations have what’s called a “public repertoire,” which is an excellent tool for research and also includes foreign works licensed to the PRO. For those who are members of an organization, the member-only search function will allow you to search by artist name and return an identifying number, which can be used to facilitate your research further. A complete list of standard Asian Performance Rights Organizations has been pinned to the “about” section of this guide.Music VideosSome Music Videos contain credits for those involved in production. While this is usually limited to specific crediting for the video itself, sometimes music videos will also include audio credits. Genius allows you to credit those involved in audio and visual roles.Social MediaArtists are usually proud of their work; no matter how amazing a new track may be, nobody will hear about it without promotion. For those who already have verified works on Genius, checking their social media posts to see if they’ve included credits for who they’ve worked for is a no-brainer. You can also potentially re-use these posts to include in the “What has the artist said about the song” section of a track.
You can also use social media findings to complete artist profiles on Genius by adding confirmed Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram links to the profile, as well as a profile picture. For users who seek to write artist biographies, this information can also be helpful.
💡Add information like profile photos and headers, socials, etc., as soon as you confirm this information. Once you navigate away from a newly spawned profile, you’re likely to forget about it unless you work on this entity repeatedly. Also, note once another user edits the profile, you’ll be unable to append socials or modify the name without moderator action—another reason to ensure accuracy.
Youtube Description Box
Check the description box of music videos for a track. While some artists may not have any credits on streaming platforms, they may include all this information in the description of the music video release.
Remember that often, Asian artists can sometimes have their works separated into their native name and then the romanized name. They may have as well, over the years, utilized an AKA or an alternate name when being credited with their works as well. It's helpful to keep this in mind. If you know the artist's original name in its native script, search for both that name and the romanization of their name.Name VariationsThe key to success in your search is covering all your basis before you begin. We are all accustomed to utilizing search engines in our day-to-day life. Using search engines to research metadata on an Artist is not unlike searching for a friend on Google. Some use our legal names on social media; others have handles, usernames, or nicknames. This information identifies us on the web.
When searching for artists using Asian scripts, there are a couple of unique considerations for gathering search your search query items. Any inquiry should consider the following variations:
Artist/Stage Name in Native Script: 小宇
Artist/Stage Name (Romanized): Xiao Yu
Artist Full Name: 宋念宇
Artist Full Name (Romanized): Song Nianyu
Birth Name: 宋庠鋒
Birth Name (Romanized): Sung Hsiang-Feng
Each of these variations can produce different results. Some may not be applicable in your search. It does help to understand that there is while one name may be utilized in a social media profile, another may be used in a performance rights organization public repository. You can find an example of how these variations look in this annotation of Taiwanese singer Xiao Yu. Sometimes you won’t discover alternate naming until you look at credits on Tidal or a public repository of a PRO.
Finding credits for a track should be the easiest part of the process. Still, sometimes you'll have to use several platforms to pick up tidbits of information. Consistency in metadata with distributors and platforms continues to be somewhat of a mess as there is no standardization across these platforms 2 I'll go over some of the platforms that I use most frequently and where to find what you're looking for. Many of the platforms you can utilize are either in English or offer a localized version of the platform.
Wrap Up
Enter Data in Genius
Translation or Song Titles ❎
It can be tempting for those of us who speak multiple languages to translate song titles into English or to correct an official translation that may not make sense. However, this can create a host of problems. Genius is an unlocalized platform that uses the [Apple Musickit](null) to create a playable embed at the bottom of a tracks page. This, unfortunately, makes distinct issues you should be aware of and are listed below.Asian scripts are not recognized, and generated links would follow a randomized link structureOn an album page, you can only create one track in Asian script; attempting to enter multiple tracks using Asian scripts will fail and overwrite the previous entryThe Apple Music API can only link the track and generate a playable embed when you enter the English localized titleIf you entered your one translation of a track in Asian script, you would be awarded no bonus IQ as your translation is not a track from the artistThis means that although a song title in Asian script may indeed be the official title, you will need to enter the romanized script of the title as it appears to viewers using a device from an English locale. For Example, if a song is titled “家族 (かぞく) in Japanese, and the track using a device localized for English shows the song as “Kazoku” use “Kazoku.” Even though you know the translation is “Family,” if you use your translation, you won’t be getting IQ for the track transcription.
Name FormattingEnglish names usually follow standard formatting (First, Last), whereas Japanese/Chinese will follow the reverse (Last, First). To standardize titles on Genius, Genius Japan, and Genius China, guidelines require names to follow the format, as seen in the example above.RecommendationsWork With Multiple Platforms to Increase ConfidenceFirst and foremost, we need to acknowledge except for printed credits on physical distributions (which themselves are still subject to error from time to time), any user-sourced credits are always subject to human error. While there's never a 100% guarantee in terms of accuracy of Metadata/Credits, you can ensure that we replicate precisely what is on the physical distribution.
Beyond this, another method to increase confidence in the accuracy of the edits you make is to confirm identical entries among multiple platforms. You can as well use search engines to your advantage using the tips and structure that are annotated here.Coordinate with Genius Japan and Genius ChinaBoth Genius China and Genius Japan are communities that are constantly growing and establishing their presence on Genius. In addition to publishing a set of region-specific guides for Genius users working on Japanese/Chinese language releases, each community hosts its Discord servers, which enables users who frequently work on Japanese/Chinese releases to seek quick help and tips from some of the moderators of the community. This guide aims to provide valuable information and tricks on research and discovery of Metadata. If you're looking for guidance on role standardization, please consult the official Genius documentation.
💡When entering a title into Metadata, enter the full name in its native script and romanization first to ensure the entity isn’t already present to avoid duplicates. Sometimes it won’t populate until the full name is typed.
💡Japanese artists are ALWAYS active on Twitter and the most likely to be actively using the platform out of JP_KR_TW/CN. This is due to the prevalence of Twitter in Japan as well. For Mainland Chinese artists, be sure to check Weibo.
Shortcuts & Time Savers
Search Engine Term Shortcuts for LyricsISRC ISWC ISNI IPI
OP/SP VIAF Agency Work CodeCitations1 LANDR. 2019. “Metadata for Musicians: What It Is and Why It’s Vital.” June 27, 2019. https://blog.landr.com/music-metadata/.
2 Deahl, D. 2019. “Metadata Is the Biggest Little Problem Plaguing the Music Industry .” April 3, 2019. https://www.theverge.com/2019/5/29/18531476/music-industry-song-royalties-metadata-credit-problems.
This toolbox has been created to aid in the research of entities for expanded metadata or “song credit” roles on Genius by reviewing regional, linguistic, and technical considerations as well as expected data entry requirements dictated by both Genius and associated Genius Japan and China community guidelines. Taiwanese singer, 小宇 is used as an examplе throughout this guide.Introduction
What is Metadata?
Metadata, as it rеlates to music, is traditionally defined as information embedded within an audio file that contains information like the artist's name, the genre, or other information used to identify audio content.1 Along with lyrics, transcriptions, and insightful annotations, Genius allows metadata or “song credits to be entered for titles, which act as superglue to connect artists' profiles to their associated works.
Every artist at Genius starts as a single profile with an associated URL. Over time, that artist is linked to tracks and albums, many of which contain other song credits which link to artist profiles and grow their catalog of work, allowing users to view what tracks they’ve authored or contributed to. With Tidal taking the lead, streaming providers and distributors have evolved to feature the inclusion of metadata beyond just the artist's name and song title.
Genius is an English-dominated and oriented platform, lacking basic localization that is likely somewhat a deterrent to users of languages other than English. While The Korean Wave has undoubtedly benefited the Genius Korea community and Korean Popular Music, Japanese, Chinese, Taiwanese, and other Genius minorities, in particular, often lack complete catalogs, let alone expanded song credits that are becoming more commonplace amongst mainstream English and K-Pop releases. I created this guide because I enjoyed filling in the blanks and adding track metadata to Genius and wanted to share some of my tips.Getting Started
Locating Song Credits
🚨 STOP - Check Streaming Platforms First
No one wants to spend an hour looking for song credits that were on Tidal the whole time. Streaming providers like Tidal are increasingly becoming a quick go-to to locate the folks behind the music we listen to. This saves you from having to even search for song credits. The platforms listed below show, at a bare minimum, a credit for the song's composer/lyricist and will be updated as others are confirmed. Annotated platforms below will point you in the direction of exactly where to look.[Tidal](null) KKBOX[Apple Music](null)[Spotify](null)[Deezer](null)Note while most streaming platforms are pay-to-use services, some will allow you to explore song credits without paying for an account by just viewing album information. Notably, Tidal and KKBOX allow this, both through the app and web-based versions. If you can’t find song credits here, move ahead to search engines.Open up a Note or Text Editor on your Desktop, or ready a page in Notes on your Mobile; it’s a rule of thumb, paste any identifiers listed in the terminology section below as this will help to connect the dots, which we will touch more on in a moment. Methods for locating credits will go from least to most time consuming.
There are two types of searches that this guide will cover: External and Internal. External search engines are publicly accessible and do not require login to use. Internal search engines, require credentials or membership to be able to access. These are more common with performance rights organizations. The following section will introduce considerations for your search
External Search Engines ISWC Net System International ISRC Database Search ISNI Database Search Virtual International Authority File SearchInternal Search Engines
Internal searches, for the most part, will require one of two things: membership with the associated PRO, knowledge of the shareholder or publisher Of a track. Some may have both internal and external search functions. Please respect the legal guidelines for how you use this data. You can find terms of use in the search function disclaimer. [Some PRO Databases](null)Getting Creative
Here's where you get to play detective.
Consistency in metadata with streaming providers varies as there isn’t a singular standard for metadata.2 The identifiers listed at the bottom of this article will most likely not be viewable on any streaming platform. Searches results for some identifiers may also be largely dependent on another piece of information you don’t yet have.Physical DistributionsIf you already have a physical copy of a CD, Record, or Tape of an album or single that you’re looking for credits, you may already have them in your hands. Take a look inside and see if credits are printed in the lyric booklet or on the back of the album. If they happen to be in a language you cannot input, Google translate has great image-to-text recognition that will allow you to copy the characters in any script without the usual downfalls of automatic translation processes. Alternatively, you can search for the physical release on Discogs, a platform that encourages users to upload scans of physical releases, which could likely contain credits you’re looking for.
Third-Party DatabasesDiscogsMusicbrainzJaxstaPerformance Rights OrganizationsMany Performance Rights Organizations have what’s called a “public repertoire,” which is an excellent tool for research and also includes foreign works licensed to the PRO. For those who are members of an organization, the member-only search function will allow you to search by artist name and return an identifying number, which can be used to facilitate your research further. A complete list of standard Asian Performance Rights Organizations has been pinned to the “about” section of this guide.Music VideosSome Music Videos contain credits for those involved in production. While this is usually limited to specific crediting for the video itself, sometimes music videos will also include audio credits. Genius allows you to credit those involved in audio and visual roles.Social MediaArtists are usually proud of their work; no matter how amazing a new track may be, nobody will hear about it without promotion. For those who already have verified works on Genius, checking their social media posts to see if they’ve included credits for who they’ve worked for is a no-brainer. You can also potentially re-use these posts to include in the “What has the artist said about the song” section of a track.
You can also use social media findings to complete artist profiles on Genius by adding confirmed Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram links to the profile, as well as a profile picture. For users who seek to write artist biographies, this information can also be helpful.
💡Add information like profile photos and headers, socials, etc., as soon as you confirm this information. Once you navigate away from a newly spawned profile, you’re likely to forget about it unless you work on this entity repeatedly. Also, note once another user edits the profile, you’ll be unable to append socials or modify the name without moderator action—another reason to ensure accuracy.
Youtube Description Box
Check the description box of music videos for a track. While some artists may not have any credits on streaming platforms, they may include all this information in the description of the music video release.
Remember that often, Asian artists can sometimes have their works separated into their native name and then the romanized name. They may have as well, over the years, utilized an AKA or an alternate name when being credited with their works as well. It's helpful to keep this in mind. If you know the artist's original name in its native script, search for both that name and the romanization of their name.Name VariationsThe key to success in your search is covering all your basis before you begin. We are all accustomed to utilizing search engines in our day-to-day life. Using search engines to research metadata on an Artist is not unlike searching for a friend on Google. Some use our legal names on social media; others have handles, usernames, or nicknames. This information identifies us on the web.
When searching for artists using Asian scripts, there are a couple of unique considerations for gathering search your search query items. Any inquiry should consider the following variations:
Artist/Stage Name in Native Script: 小宇
Artist/Stage Name (Romanized): Xiao Yu
Artist Full Name: 宋念宇
Artist Full Name (Romanized): Song Nianyu
Birth Name: 宋庠鋒
Birth Name (Romanized): Sung Hsiang-Feng
Each of these variations can produce different results. Some may not be applicable in your search. It does help to understand that there is while one name may be utilized in a social media profile, another may be used in a performance rights organization public repository. You can find an example of how these variations look in this annotation of Taiwanese singer Xiao Yu. Sometimes you won’t discover alternate naming until you look at credits on Tidal or a public repository of a PRO.
Finding credits for a track should be the easiest part of the process. Still, sometimes you'll have to use several platforms to pick up tidbits of information. Consistency in metadata with distributors and platforms continues to be somewhat of a mess as there is no standardization across these platforms 2 I'll go over some of the platforms that I use most frequently and where to find what you're looking for. Many of the platforms you can utilize are either in English or offer a localized version of the platform.
Wrap Up
Enter Data in Genius
Translation or Song Titles ❎
It can be tempting for those of us who speak multiple languages to translate song titles into English or to correct an official translation that may not make sense. However, this can create a host of problems. Genius is an unlocalized platform that uses the [Apple Musickit](null) to create a playable embed at the bottom of a tracks page. This, unfortunately, makes distinct issues you should be aware of and are listed below.Asian scripts are not recognized, and generated links would follow a randomized link structureOn an album page, you can only create one track in Asian script; attempting to enter multiple tracks using Asian scripts will fail and overwrite the previous entryThe Apple Music API can only link the track and generate a playable embed when you enter the English localized titleIf you entered your one translation of a track in Asian script, you would be awarded no bonus IQ as your translation is not a track from the artistThis means that although a song title in Asian script may indeed be the official title, you will need to enter the romanized script of the title as it appears to viewers using a device from an English locale. For Example, if a song is titled “家族 (かぞく) in Japanese, and the track using a device localized for English shows the song as “Kazoku” use “Kazoku.” Even though you know the translation is “Family,” if you use your translation, you won’t be getting IQ for the track transcription.
Name FormattingEnglish names usually follow standard formatting (First, Last), whereas Japanese/Chinese will follow the reverse (Last, First). To standardize titles on Genius, Genius Japan, and Genius China, guidelines require names to follow the format, as seen in the example above.RecommendationsWork With Multiple Platforms to Increase ConfidenceFirst and foremost, we need to acknowledge except for printed credits on physical distributions (which themselves are still subject to error from time to time), any user-sourced credits are always subject to human error. While there's never a 100% guarantee in terms of accuracy of Metadata/Credits, you can ensure that we replicate precisely what is on the physical distribution.
Beyond this, another method to increase confidence in the accuracy of the edits you make is to confirm identical entries among multiple platforms. You can as well use search engines to your advantage using the tips and structure that are annotated here.Coordinate with Genius Japan and Genius ChinaBoth Genius China and Genius Japan are communities that are constantly growing and establishing their presence on Genius. In addition to publishing a set of region-specific guides for Genius users working on Japanese/Chinese language releases, each community hosts its Discord servers, which enables users who frequently work on Japanese/Chinese releases to seek quick help and tips from some of the moderators of the community. This guide aims to provide valuable information and tricks on research and discovery of Metadata. If you're looking for guidance on role standardization, please consult the official Genius documentation.
💡When entering a title into Metadata, enter the full name in its native script and romanization first to ensure the entity isn’t already present to avoid duplicates. Sometimes it won’t populate until the full name is typed.
💡Japanese artists are ALWAYS active on Twitter and the most likely to be actively using the platform out of JP_KR_TW/CN. This is due to the prevalence of Twitter in Japan as well. For Mainland Chinese artists, be sure to check Weibo.
Shortcuts & Time Savers
Search Engine Term Shortcuts for LyricsISRC ISWC ISNI IPI
OP/SP VIAF Agency Work CodeCitations1 LANDR. 2019. “Metadata for Musicians: What It Is and Why It’s Vital.” June 27, 2019. https://blog.landr.com/music-metadata/.
2 Deahl, D. 2019. “Metadata Is the Biggest Little Problem Plaguing the Music Industry .” April 3, 2019. https://www.theverge.com/2019/5/29/18531476/music-industry-song-royalties-metadata-credit-problems.