freedb.dbpoweramp.com/~cddb/cddb.cgi

2024-05-02 13:39:41

We have restored freedb.dbpoweramp.com as a replacement for gnudb (which took-over from freedb.org), why? gnudb.org have started requiring emails to access their system. We do not agree with this type of intrusive data collection to access a publicly created database. It goes against the ethos of running a public database, especially as dBpoweramp users would have submitted a very significant percentage of all discs in that database.

Currently no submissions are allowed (there is little point in collecting good data in a bad design, there are so many collisions in freedb).

Going forward we will create a new community populated metadata database, it will be branded as part of the AccurateRip family, and will be open to all, correct many issues of freedb, and have a simple REST interface for looking up discs (based on AccurateRips disc ID). AccurateRip has existed without restrictions for almost 20 years, together we will create a high quality database. Watch this space...​

We are understanding that EAC will switch over to the new database also.

(this is the output of gnudb currently)

Re: freedb.dbpoweramp.com/~cddb/cddb.cgi

Reply #1 – 2024-05-02 14:22:03

Good news. Thank you for fixing others' "mistakes".

Loose suggestions for consideration:
* EAC and dBpoweramp and more rippers could detect index points too, and upload and store full cuesheets.
* Since file lengths can get you Musicbrainz lookup, it could be possible to link up against that: <This> CDDB disc id matches <this other one> and artist and album so nearly match that it is likely due to spelling mistakes punctuation, so ... here you got a clean-up.
Also, I guess at least some of us would be happy to help populating a metadata from the rips we have already made - quite a few people have extensive collections with <DISCID> and dBp-generated tags.  Of course, a lot of people also have, ahem, let's call it identical rip logs, but even if you allow an automated mass submission if and only if there is a log file present ...?
* Please Do Not Assume That Capitalizing Every Word Is Correct. There are languages where it is outright wrong, making Discogs look ridiculous.

Re: freedb.dbpoweramp.com/~cddb/cddb.cgi

Reply #2 – 2024-05-02 17:39:45

IMHO we do not need yet another such DB. I exclusively use Musicbrainz. Ieven contributed 100-s of releases to that. I do not know what is the issue with Musicbrainz (I might missed something), but it is still being updated and the best community driven thing around. It will be hard to replicate them even if you have some issues with them. That along with Discogs are unbeatable IMHO.

Re: freedb.dbpoweramp.com/~cddb/cddb.cgi

Reply #3 – 2024-05-02 19:11:04

We use something called PerfectMeta, which looks up using:

GD3
MusicBrainz
Discogs
Freedb

and then combines them looking for errors, you would be surprised even in MB there are many spelling errors. Discogs does not have direct CD TOC >> lookup, so we have to send it off where it matches a toc to artist / album to be looked up.

GD3 is good.

Having an extra choice to replace freedb for modern releases would be good, we have the most accurate metadata and would like to keep it that way.