Communication / ChatBrainz
MetaBrainz uses the Matrix platform for real-time discussion. We also maintain bridges to the IRC and Discord chat platforms. The (hopefully invisible) system behind all of our chat platforms is called 'ChatBrainz'.
All messages on the main channels are logged (see BrainzBot).
Join the chat
Matrix
IRC
- #musicbrainz, #metabrainz, #bookbrainz and #listenbrainz on irc.libera.chat
- #musicbrainz, #metabrainz, #bookbrainz and #listenbrainz on Kiwi IRC (no account/install required)
Discord
- MetaBrainz on Discord Note: The Discord bridge does not support DMs to users on Matrix/IRC
Channels
#metabrainz The development and general MetaBrainz channel.
Apart from MusicBrainz development, this channel also hosts general MetaBrainz talk, including discussion about all the other *Brainz projects: BookBrainz, CritiqueBrainz, AcousticBrainz, ListenBrainz, MessyBrainz, and the Cover Art Archive/Event Art Archive. There is a weekly MetaBrainz meeting held in this channel.
- Current chat log
- Previous chat log (until the 25th of May 2021)
#musicbrainz
The MusicBrainz community and support channel.
Among the regulars in this channel are quite a few of the developers as well as some of the auto-editors and other active MusicBrainz users. Anything related to MusicBrainz, including Picard and other MusicBrainz products, is welcome here. References to chat in MusicBrainz generally refer to this channel. As in many communities, the regulars in the channel have their own slang.
- Current chat log
- Previous chat log (until the 25th of May 2021)
#bookbrainz
The BookBrainz community and support channel.
Among the regulars in this channel are the developers as well as other active BookBrainz editors and community members. Anything related to BookBrainz is welcome here. References to chat in BookBrainz generally refer to this channel.
- Current chat log
- Previous chat log (until the 25th of May 2021)
#listenbrainz
The ListenBrainz community and support channel.
Anything related to ListenBrainz is welcome here. References to chat in ListenBrainz generally refer to this channel.
Other
Some platforms have other (sometimes non-bridged and/or non-logged) channels. If you have a question or discussion that needs community input, we encourage you to use bridged and logged channels.
For instance, there are these IRC channels in languages other than English:
- #musicbrainz-de (german/deutsch; current chat log, pre-Libera chat log)
- #musicbrainz-ja (japanese/日本語) (今日のログ/current chat log, pre-Libera chat log)
BrainzBot
BrainzBot is a bot which logs all conversations in the MetaBrainz IRC channels. You can see all of the chat log archives at https://chatlogs.metabrainz.org/.
BrainzBot will not log messages that start with "[off]", so feel free to use that if you have some sensitive messages.
Usage tips
All users of the chat channels are expected to follow the Code of Conduct as well as the guidelines of your chat platform.
IRC also has some rules of thumb that can help you (and everyone else) have a better time:
- "Don't ask to ask; just ask." Don't ask for permission to ask a question or ask if anyone's around with expertise in the area you want to ask about. Just ask your question. See "Don't ask to ask, just ask" for a slightly more in-depth discussion.
- If using IRC, don't ask and then quit. IRC is asynchronous and the people who may have the answer might not be around just this second. Stick around and someone will get back to you later. If you have to leave, check the chatlogs to see if someone replied to you after you left (but often people won't reply to someone who's already left).
- If you plan to come to the chat repeatedly, you may want to protect your identity in the form of your nick. Libera.Chat has a guide on registering your nickname.
About Matrix: Website | Wikipedia
About IRC: Wikipedia