Note: The instructions below are specific to Pitchfork's template, as they are the only brand using music reviews at the moment. As more brands complete development work necessary for this content type, we will update this guide.
A Music Release is a specific release version of an album, such as Cornelius: “Fantasma” (1997) or Cornelius: “Fantasma” (2016 Reissue). A Music Album would be Cornelius: “Fantasma”, meant to encapsulate all editions of an album. The album is necessary to add to the release, which is the central item to add in a review.
See also: Pitchfork Glossary of Terms
Quick guide to what maps where:
1. Music Group which is added to Music Album, which is added to Music Release
2. Hed from Review
3. Tout (image) from Music Album, which is added to Music Release
4. Brand (record label) and release date from Music Release
5. Rating and accolades on item on Review
6. Genre from Music Group, which is added to Music Album, which is added to Music Release
7. Dek from Review
8. Body from Review
To review a Music Release, choose Review from the Create menu.
Add the album name to the hed.
2. Add any intro copy to the dek.
3. Add the review copy to the body.You can format text and embed assets (photos, social posts, videos, etc.) as you would in the body of an article.
4. Optional: Add an audio file.You can add an link to the track on Soundcloud, Bandcamp, or MP3 by creating an audio file. This link will appear in a styled player according to your template. You can search the asset finder to add a previously created audio file or create a new one:
Click Create Audio File button.
Fill out track name and description.
Select a provider.
Copy the unique embed URL from the embed code and paste in embed URL field.
Save and follow breadcrumbs back to the review.
5. Create the music release. This is where you associate the release of the album being reviewed. For example, if this review is for the Deluxe version release of Rihanna's "ANTI" album, and you already reviewed "ANTI" when it first came out, you could search the asset finder to associate the existing music album ("ANTI") and title this release "ANTI Deluxe." If this is the first release of an new, previously nonexistent album (like the original "ANTI" album), you will title the release "ANTI" and create the new album later.
Click the Create Content button and choose Music Release.
Add the title of the release to the display name field.
Add disambiguation if applicable, to differentiate when release has the same name as another release. This is an internal field.
Add release date and save. The year is the only portion of the date that will render on your template.
6. Add/create brand (record label).Any brand (record label) you've used in a review previously will already exist in Copilot. Click Add Content to search the asset finder and add the appropriate brand. If it's a new label that you've never used in a review before, you will need to create a new one:
Click Create Brand button.
Add the record label name to name field.
Other fields are optional.
Save and follow breadcrumbs back to release.
7. Add/create music album.This is where you associate the release with an existing album (using the asset finder), or create a new album if it is the first release:
Click Create Music Album button.
Add the album artwork image. This will appear on the review.
Add the album title to the display name. This will not appear on the review, but is necessary for internal search.
Add disambiguation if applicable, to differentiate when album has the same name as another album. This is an internal field.
8. Add/create music group (artist) for music album.
If the music group already exists, you can search the asset finder to add it. If it's a new music group that you've never reviewed before, you will need to create a new one:
Click Create Music Group button.
Add an image.
Add the artist/group name to the display name field. This will show up with the review hed and as the artist association on your template.
Add disambiguation if applicable, to differentiate when artist has the same name as another artist. This is an internal field.
You can skip description field.
In taxonomy section, click genre and add applicable genre. This will show up as the genre on your review.
Add social media handles or third-party media if applicable.
Save and publish. This will create the artist's page on your site.
Follow breadcrumbs back to music album.
9. All other fields on music album are optional. Save and follow breadcrumbs back to the release.
10. All other fields on music release are optional. Save and follow breadcrumbs back to the review.
Here is the complete flow, if you need to create a new album, new brand, and new music group.
You can start the gif over by right clicking and opening it in a new tab.
Here is the complete flow, if you do not need to create a new album, new brand, or new music group, which will happen when there is a new release of an already existing album.
You can start the gif over by right clicking and opening it in a new tab.
11. Add rating and any accolades to release item.
12. Skip awards section.
13. Add the promo hed and dek.This will appear with the tout image in any promotional areas of the site: curated spots on the homepage and channel pages, in search rivers, etc. You can autofill this field with the review's hed and dek or write a new one. The hed on the review will always be the album name, so you might want to change the promo hed to something more editorial for when it appears other places on the site.
14. Add the tout image. The tout is the image that appears in any promotional areas of the site (homepage, channel pages, etc).
12. Skip lede.
13. Select web as content source.
14. Skip rubric.
15. Add the contributor.
Start typing the name of the author. If it doesn't appear, you will have to create a new contributor.
16. Add the social title and description.
These will be pulled for your social media channels. You can autogenerate them from the hed and dek or add your own.
17. Add the optional social tout.
If no tout is added, the promo tout will be pulled.
18. Add the SEO title and description.
This will appear in Google search. You can autogenerate them from the hed and dek or add your own.
19. In taxonomy, select Section > Reviews > Albums to add this to the track reviews subsection of your site.
20. All other fields are optional. Save, preview, and schedule/publish your review.