Broadcast Release

广播发行 (Broadcast Release) is a distribution type whose primary content source consists of programs originally broadcast via radio, television, or the internet. Content may include concert broadcasts, live studio performances, interviews, radio dramas, documentary programs, DJ shows, or podcasts. This category describes the source of the program’s distribution but does not specify the medium, length, or licensing status.

Broadcast programs are typically produced for specific time slots and channels and may include host commentary, station logos, commercials, news inserts, and edits made for broadcast. When officially released later, the publisher may retain the complete program or select only performance excerpts, remix them, or use master tapes preserved by the broadcaster. Airchecks—recordings made directly from the received signal—will contain characteristics resulting from the transmission chain, compression, noise, and reception conditions. A “Broadcast Release” is not the same as a live album. Programs may be broadcast live from a venue with an audience, or they may be pre-recorded in a radio studio, edited in segments, and then aired; live performances are just one type of content. Conversely, concert recordings that have not been broadcast are classified as “concert” or “live” sources, but are not considered “broadcasts.”

Source and licensing must be evaluated separately. Broadcasters, artists, or record company may authorize the official release of a program, while third parties may also produce unofficial recordings from reception recordings. The presence of “FM Broadcast,” “Radio Transcription,” or a radio station name on the packaging does not, by itself, prove release rights; whether a release is official or a bootleg must be determined based on the rights holder’s authorization and the source of the final product.

When the database uses “Broadcast” as a type, it typically treats the original broadcast program as the work level, and then considers CDs, digital files, or other media as specific releases. If a record uses only one or two broadcast recordings as bonus tracks, while the main body is a studio album, it is generally not necessary to classify the entire release as “Broadcast.”