What is this site all about?

AllMusic is a comprehensive and in-depth resource for finding out more about the albums, musicians, bands and musical styles you love. We offer different ways for our users to explore and discover all kinds of cool info about music including keeping up-to-date on new release information, browsing discographies, exploring genres and reading what our editors have to say.

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Why did you guys change the site? It was perfect the way it was!

AllMusic has been around since 1991 (we actually predated the World Wide Web and were first available as a Gopher site many moons ago) and for the past several years we really haven't done much with our site. Since then, the amount of content we cover has grown exponentially and the back-end database system we were using just could not keep up. As we moved away from our old (and I'll say it: held together by duct tape and twine) architecture and delivery system and started using the API web services available from our Rovi Cloud Services, we felt as though an update to the look and feel of AllMusic made a lot of sense.

We've tried in every way to make this new design friendly and usable, while feeling up-to-date and current. We're presenting information in a more visual way, but still allowing users to select a "List View" to see information all at once. Columns are sortable to be able to find the info you're looking for more quickly. We're looking forward to continue improving the site based on your feedback.

We know that people have used AllMusic for many many years, and many are quite comfortable with the way we've historically presented our music information, but with the new features we've brought into this release including:

Full Track Streaming

Anywhere you see a green Spotify logo, or a blue Rdio logo, you can click and hear the whole song. Other streaming partners will follow. Stay tuned.

Similar Albums

Recommendations for other albums to check out.

Type-Ahead Search

Start typing in the search box and be presented with likely options right there in the search box.

Search All Content Types

You no longer need to select whether you were looking for an album, an artist or a song.

Music Videos

A new presentation including images from Vevo music videos.

Persistent Search

The search box is always available on the top of the page, no matter where you're scrolling.

Social Media

Share your discoveries and favorites to Facebook and Twitter.

Sorting Discographies

You can now sort artist discographies (and other lists) by year, title and editorial rating.

We hope you'll be able to find the info you've always known to look for, reap the benefits of our updated back-end architecture and also find some new, cool stuff to dig into.

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Who is Rovi?

Rovi is the company that we work for and who bought All Media Guide a couple years ago. Rovi helps you discover and enjoy the entertainment you love, whether listening to a song that inspires you, or watching an action movie that leaves your heart racing. Rovi connects you with entertainment that you enjoy the most. On the road. On the go. To find out how we do what we do, visit roviworld.com.

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Why are there ads on the site?

AllMusic is a free site that relies on ad revenue in order to help keep the lights on. We're trying to keep the ads relevant to music fans so that they don't seem too intrusive.

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How does your ratings system work?

Our experts use a 1 to 5 star system (5 is the highest rating). It is important to note that we rate albums only within the scope of an artist's own work -- we only compare a release to other releases by the same artist. We won't compare a Miles Davis album to the latest album by Britney Spears. The exception to this rule is the five-star album, which indicates the album is a ~best-of-genre~ and is essential listening.

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What are Album Picks and Track Picks?

When looking at an artist's discography, you may see a check mark next to the album cover. That represents the AllMusic Pick for the release most representative of that artist's entire body of work. On specific album pages you may also see smaller checks next to two or three tracks on a recording. Those are AllMusic Song Picks. These are the songs on a recording that our experts feel are most representative of the entire album.

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What is the difference between Albums and Releases?

Albums in an artist's discography should be thought of as the "Work" and Releases should be thought of as the specific "Products" that are sold (like LPs, CDs or digital releases). So something like Pink Floyd's recorded work "Dark Side of the Moon" that was recorded with guitars and drums and VCS 3 Synthesizer and came out in 1973 would be thought of as an "Album" and the six-disc Dark Side "Immersion Edition" CD+DVD version that came out and was available on store shelves would be a "Release."

In other words, an Album is the canonical "recorded work" which is what you initially think of when the album is mentioned, and a Release is any of the different products that have come out for purchase with a barcode or on a specific format (LP, CD, Cassette, SACD, Gold Disc, Piano Roll, etc) and may contain bonus tracks, alternate takes, a different cover image or even a collectible t-shirt or keychain.

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Can you define some of the other AllMusic-Specific terms you use on the site?

Followers:

Artists who were influenced by the selected artist.

Group Members:

Past and current members of the selected band. Includes bolding to denote importance of band members.

Influenced By:

Artists that have had a direct musical influence on, or were an inspiration to, the selected artist.

Member Of:

Band(s) that the selected artist is, or has been, a member of.

Moods:

Adjectives that describe the sound and feel of a song, album, or overall body of work.

Themes:

Activities or events particularly suited for a song, album or overall body of work.

Similar Artists:

Artists that share similarities with the selected artists. These are artists that sound similar, were part of a particular scene, or share a similar sound, style or aesthetic.

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How many recordings are in your database?

We're always adding to our database. Feel free to keep an eye on our numbers by periodically reviewing our statistics here.

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Can I write for AllMusic?

Our mission is to provide an independent expert editorial voice on recorded music. Most of our writing is done in-house but we occasionally hire freelance and staff writers. Employment information can be found on our corporate site here

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You know what would be cool on the site? This thing I just thought of. How can I submit a feature request for something I'd like to see on AllMusic?

Feature requests or any feedback can be sent here or by posting your idea on our Get Satisfaction page.

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I noticed something is missing or incorrect. How can I submit a correction?

Corrections links are available in the left sidebar on artist and album pages. We place a very high value on information from our users and we make every effort to review corrections and additional information submissions. We appreciate the time you take to send this information to us, but due to the immense volume of correspondence we receive, we are unable to directly respond to most of your submissions.

Please be assured that we are working hard to process your corrections, however it can take a bit of time for your submitted information to appear on our site. We pride ourselves on accuracy, so please include your information source in your submission.

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Can I submit a CD or Album information to you so it will show up on the site?

Yes please. We are currently working on methods to allow musicians and folks in the industry more direct access to include new album information into the site, but for now please see the details on our Product Submissions page.

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How can I add a biography, album, or photo to my artist page?

We try to add albums and artist bios as well as review and synopsize as many CDs, films, and DVDs as possible, but we can’t make any promises about which titles and performers will receive this level of enhanced editorial coverage. However, you may send us your information for consideration by completing Feedback form. For information about adding your album or photo, visit our Product Submissions page.

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I registered for an AllMusic account. How do I edit my artist page?

While an AllMusic account allows you to rate albums, get personalized recommendations based on those ratings, and manage your AllMusic Newsletter subscription, it isn’t connected to your artist page. If you’d like to request an update to your artist page you may complete our Feedback form. If you’re a new artist or otherwise don’t have an artist page, follow the steps at our Product Submissions page.

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How long will it take for my feedback request to be completed?

Due to the volume of inquiries we receive, we’re unable to provide a personal response about the status of your feedback, but rest assured it will be handled on a first-come, first-served basis. When submitting a correction, please be sure to cite an official source so we can validate the accuracy of the correction.
Please also keep in mind that because we have a small staff, it’s necessary for us to prioritize work based on factors such as the needs of our data licensees, and it can take several months before we are able to cover artists and bands that do not fit these criteria.

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How can I buy a song or album?

While AllMusic helps music lovers discover new music, revisit the classics and research their favorite artists, we do not sell any products directly on our site. However, whenever applicable, we provide a Stream and Download tab on an album’s page, which provides links to sources like streaming services and iTunes. If you’re not seeing that on the album page you’re viewing, the album is not available at those sources.

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I’m listening to a CD in Windows Media Player, but it’s showing the wrong data. How do I report that?

Rovi does not own/control the Windows Media Player platform, nor are we their sole source of information, and the error may be originating with Microsoft. If you still believe the error is coming from Rovi, the easiest way to confirm this is to check the title on AllMusic. If the data on AllMusic is correct, then the error does not lie with Rovi. If the data on AllMusic is incorrect, you may submit the corrections.

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