This guide is meant to get you started with creqing, it will explain how/where and what to creq, in different sections depending on what kind of object you want to change.

Most creqs are done to the files, as they are often entered wrong, and alot of the time, things in anidb change, and the fileentries need to be updated because/in preparation of this.

Quick Jump: Files | Anime | Episodes | Groups

Files

These are usually the most easy creqs to make, as you generally do them if you have the file at hand, and notice that things are wrong/missing in the fileentry.

If you do not know whether you have files like this or not, you should check your mylist reports. There are a number of reports made specifically for the purpose of finding missing information.

Sources

Note:

For every change you propose, you should specify your source.

Filenames

If your source is a filename, you should specify the filename, as well as account for where you got it.

Topics

If your source is an IRC topic, you should specify which channel and network (and password if needed) it is on, as well as the actual topic.

Forum posts

If your source is a forum post, you should give a link to the thread and/or specific post you refer to. Note that if the poster is not one of the group's actual members, the source will be regarded as invalid.

Websites

The main website of a group is not enough, unless the information is in a newsitem on the front-page, you should specify the exact page where your information was found.

A few different aspects of the files to take a look at are these:

Length

If the length of the file is entered wrong or not entered at all, please check the length in AOM if you have an avi-file, or use avdump for every other file.

Note that separate subtitle-files should not have length entered.
further information

Hashes

AniDB stores a bunch of hashes that are used to uniquely identify each file, almost every file in AniDB will have an ed2k-hash, and most files will also have a CRC. If you want to fill in all the hashes that AniDB supports, I would recommend that you use one of the AniDB clients to hash your file: AOM or WebAOM.

Official CRC

You should mark this if the CRC matches the official CRC for the file, as provided by the releasing group.

As you noticed, there were a few caveats in that sentence:

The file needs to be released by an actual group.
The group that released it has to have listed the official CRC. This can either be in the group's IRC-channel topic, their website, their forum, or the filename as long as you got the file directly from the group.

Note:

You need to provide source for this.

Version

If you the group has released more than one version of this episode, you should set which version it is here. This information can often be gleaned from the filename, it if contains a "v2" or similar. If there is no file already in the DB by this group for this episode, it will likely be a v1 (though there are exceptions). Some groups do not list which version a file is, and at such times, you should use your own judgement.

Censored

If a file is censored, you should make sure tihs flag is set. Censored does not mean that there are bleeps instead of swear-words, it means that genitalia or extreme guro is mosaiced/blurred out.

Group

This should be set to the group that released the file - the groupname is usually supplied in the filename unless it has been renamed. Note that it should be the group of the ones who did most of the work on the file that should be entered, not someone who just redistributes the file, or (god forbid) reencode the file by himself for whatever reason. Alot of RAW groups only redistribute files - they do not encode or capture the video themselves, they just download it from their favourite p2p network and redistribute it on another one.

further information

Released

Here you should enter the date the group released the file - if the group does not specify the date on their own website but you know when it was made public, you should specify the date using GMT. A few resources you could check for file release dates if you cannot find the information on the group's website or IRC channel are the following: Envirosphere or Baka-Updates.

Audio

When it comes to audio, you should check how many streams there are, what languages the streams are in, how many channels the streams are, which codecs the streams use, and what bitrate the streams are in.

Note:

For each stream, this is usually different!

Language

As some files do not specify which audio language a file has, you should really try to check this by listening to the audio. If you do not know the language, if the file specifies which audio it has, then that is good enough. You can find out which language a stream uses in alot of different programs, but we here at AniDB will recommend the nifty little program called: avdump.

Codec

For finding out which codec an audio stream uses, we recommend that you use avdump, but you can also use AOM if the file is an avi-container with just one audio-stream. If you use AOM for this, you should note that it doesn't specify whether an mp3 audio stream is CBR or VBR. A general rule you can use for this is, that if the bitrate is specified as 112, 128, 160, 192 or something like that, with only 0s as decimals, it is probably CBR. If it has decimals or are other numbers that just seem odd, it is probably VBR. This is not a failsafe rule however, but it is generally accepted as good enough.

Bitrate

Quite alot of fileentries have missing or bad bitrate information, though for audio it is more common to have than for video; you can and should use avdump to get this information. If you want to, AOM will also work.

Channels

The number of channels of audio for a file - 2.0 is standard stereo, and it is also the most common. Other valid options include 1.0 for mono, 4.0 for Dolby Surround, 5.1 for Surround, and there are also 6.1 and 7.1, but those are so far very rare.

Note:

Creqing for this has not yet been implemented.
But it should be soon.

Streams

If the file has more than one audio-stream, for now, you need to specify this information in a comment. This will soon be changed however, since AniDB very recently added support for multiple audio-streams. You just can't modify them yet.

further information

Video

Most files contain only one video stream, but there are exceptions. If the file you are creqing has more than one, for now, you should add the information about it in the comment field. Also note that alot of players and video-file inspectors won't be able to correctly detect these kinds of things, so you should use a program like avdump to get correct information.

Resolution

The resolution is specified by the video-stream's width and height, you can use a program like avdump to find out what the exact measurements are; and if the file is in an avi-container with just one stream, you can use AOM.

FPS

FPS stands for Frames-per-second, and describes how many video frames are displayed each second in the video-stream. This is a very newly added field, and as such it cannot be creqed just yet. If the file is in a matroska video container (mkv), the FPS can change whenever the video needs it, so these files cannot be accurately entered here. For most files the frame-rate will be 23.976, 24, 25, 29.97, 30 or sometimes even 120fps. In Japan and the US, DVDs and TV-shows are mostly encoded/broadcast using 24, 29.97 or 30fps, while in Europe, 25fps is most often used. So depending on the origin of the file, you can make assumptions about its fps.

Note:

Creqing for this has not yet been implemented.
But it should be soon.

Codec

When it comes to codecs, you should use programs such as avdump or maybe even gspot (though this is not recommended, as it reports the FourCC entered, which can sometimes be wrong). In general, avi-containers have DivX or XviD, and H264 is most often encountered in matroska video containers (mkv) or MPEG 4 Video File (mp4). These are not rules however, and you should actually check which is the correct codec.

Bitrate

Bitrates for video-streams are a tough thing to get correct - in fact, there probably is no "correct" bitrate at all, because most different programs report a different bitrate. There is no standard way to get the bitrate. AniDB recommends you use avdump to get the bitrate.

Subtitles

When it comes to subtitles, there are two major things to take note of: if it is hardsubbed or if it is softsubbed. If it is softsubbed, there can easily be more than one subtitle-stream, however if it is hardsubbed, it would be much more encumbersome to make more than one subtitle-stream. For now, because stream-editing hasn't been implemented just yet, you will haveto add information about the different streams in the comment field.

Language

Set the language to the subtitle's language. If it is softsubbed, and you don't recognize the language used, you can take a look at what avdump says about the subtitle-stream. However, it is better to say which language is used by viewing the file with the subs and enter it that way, since erroneous information could be entered.

Type

This specifies whether the file has softsubs or hardsubs, softsubs are a separate stream only rendered when the video is being output to the screen. Hardsubs are encoded as a part of the video-stream.

Note:

Creqing for this has not yet been implemented.
But it should be soon.

Flags

Flags you can set should include whether the subtitle stream is especially designed for the hearing impaired, or if it has director's comments in it.

Note:

Creqing for this has not yet been implemented.
But it should be soon.

Anime

The easiest things to creq changes to in an anime entry are probably the ANN/ANFO/Allcinema URLs, pics and description - all you need for those are basically search-skills and/or writing skills. Also, you can add new titles, categories, companies, and relations without an actual creq; however if you want to change/delete one of those, you need to make a thread about it in the DB Change Requests forum.

Sources

Note:

For every change you propose, you should specify your source.

Websites

For most things, websites are the best source.

Note:

They should generally be in japanese!

Images

For a couple of things, you may need to specify an image as a source - if the image is not already on the web, you can use one of AniDB's Recommended image hosters to host your picture.

If you need to take a screenshot, here is a guide on how to do that.

Titles

You can add titles yourself, by just clicking the "Add/Edit: Synonym/Short Title" link at the bottom of an anime entry, and there you can just add the title quite easily; take note that if the title is bogus, you will likely be banned from AniDB. If you want to test this out, you can use the Test Anime to do it.

If you want to change or delete a title, you can only do this through theDB Change Requests forum, and you should start a thread named something like "[TITLE][DEL] Anime title".

Genres/Categories

You can add categories yourself, by just clicking the "[show]" link found by the categories, and there select either "Add Category" or "Mass Add Category".

further information

If you want to delete or change a category, if you added it yourself, you can just hit the "Del" link next to the category, and in order to change it, just add it again, with the correct value. However, you can't delete categories someone else added, so in that case you'd need to go to the DB Change Requests forum and request the category to be "[CATEGORY][DEL] Anime" and state which category that should be deleted.

Type

If you want to change an anime's type, you should provide a good and valid source for your information; type-changes are not very common at all - usually the person who added the entry knew what type of anime was coming (or else he wouldn't have been allowed to add it until there was more concrete information about the anime (AniDB is not a news-site!)). Provide links!

Episodes

The number of episodes for an anime can change at almost any time (even (though rarely) when it's already over; if the studio wants to continue with the same anime (rather than making a sequel)), and as such, AniDB requires the official word of the studio for this change - just because ANN and/or AnimeNFO have changed their entries does not mean AniDB will. Allcinema is a much better source, but you should still try to find the official studio's memo. Provide links!

Year

Sometimes the date when an anime aired/was released is wrong - if you see any inconsistencies when it comes to this, you should try to find 1: official mention, 2: 90% of the (japanese) sites on the internet agree ... provide links!

further information

Companies

Adding companies can be done directly, just click the "Add/Edit: Company" link at the bottom of the anime-entry. There you should specify what kind of connection the company has to the anime, and then the company name. A mod may at any time confront you with requiring confirmation on these matters - you should be able to provide a screenshot/photo (if you watched it on tv) of the credits, or a link to a good (japanese) listing.

Note:

Never add american (re)distribution companies here!

URL

If the official URL has changed, or is not entered, and you find the correct one, just enter it - these are generally Japanese. Generally, you don't need to provide source for these; the creq is its own source after all.

ANN/ANFO/Allcinema

If the anime doesn't have an ANN/AnimeNFO/Allcinema link, search the respective website and provide the correct id/part of the link.

Sometimes some of the sites (read: ANN) have more than one entry for the same anime - in this case, provide a link to the one that is most comprehensive.

Note: for this, you hardly need a source, unless there are more than one entry for the same anime - in which case you should state this and your reasoning for choosing the one you chose.

Relations

You can add relations yourself by just clicking on the "Add/Edit: Relations" link at the bottom of the anime entry. There you then specify what kind of relation the anime has, and what other anime it has the relation to.

If you want to delete or change a relation, you haveto use the DB Change Requests forum for that. Start a thread named something like "[RELATION][DEL] Anime" and state which relation to which anime should be deleted (or changed).

Note:

The anime relations-graph is updated according to the Routine Maintenance.

Description

If you have seen the anime, and think the description that is currently provided sucks, you can write your own, search the internet for the anime's official description, or fix the description that is currently provided. If you get a description from somewhere besides your own mind, you should specify your source in the description, and make sure that the place you got it from doesn't mind having their descriptions used. If you write your own description after having seen the anime, you are welcome to put your own name/nick as a source in the description. Note however that just as you changed the description, so can anyone change your description after you, so you should be okay with this before submitting your "work".

Note:

AnimeNFO descriptions are generally bad, so if you can remove/fix one of these, your creq will most likely be granted by default.

Picture

If you can find a better picture than the one currently used, you can upload it to Anidb using the Pic Upload function and then enter the image name you were provided.

If your picture is clearly better than the current one, your creq will most likely be granted right away - however, if there is the slightest doubt, the picture change may be voted upon in #anidb, and the picture that gets the most votes stays. If your new picture doesn't follow the rules, you will be asked to revoke your creq.
further information

Episodes

For episodes, the easiest thing to fix is probably the play length - it is not always an exact measure, as it only stores minutes, and people do not tend to round consistently, so if the info is 1 minute off, that is most likely the reason. You can easily get the play length from most files (unless they contain multiple episodes). When it comes to the different titles, you need a good source, and usually fansub-translations will not suffice!

Sources

Note:

For every change you propose, you should specify your source.

Websites

For kanji titles, play lengths, and air/release dates, you should always try to find a Japanese website as the source.

For english title, if the anime has been licensed, provide an official english source.

Images

Screenshots of the titles as displayed on the screen, or pictures of the titles as written on DVD-covers or booklets are usually valid as Kanji and English title sources.

If you need a free image host, take a look here: Recommended image hosters.

If you need to take a screenshot, here is a guide on how to do that.

Titles

For title-creqs, you should generally find an official source.

English

If the anime is licensed, you should try to find the official english title - if not, you can translate it yourself (or take it from a fansub), but this should only be done if it is not licensed and it has no official english title.

Romaji

You should only give the romaji title for titles that already have kanji titles. If there is an official romaji title (I doubt it), that is what you should provide, otherwise you should take a look at the AniDB Romanisation Guideline, and try to follow that as closely as possible.

Note:

Automatic romanisation engines usually give lots of wrong titles, so they should be avoided at all costs!
DO NOT USE THEM!

Kanji

For kanji-titles, you should always specify a source - especially for conflicting entries. This should definitely be a japanese site. And preferably it should be the official site for the anime.

Play Length

If you have access to the episode, you can supply the length of the file for this field - if not, you can for example search for the correct length on google and provide sources from there.

Note:

The source should be Japanese, as too often the English version of the anime is cut.

It is suggested that you search using the kanji name of the anime and episode in order to get the best results on google.

In order to help you find where the number of minutes for the episode is listed, try to find the kanji character "分", meaning minute.

Air/Release Date

If you cannot find a date for the episode on the official site, you can try one of the sites listed in the Where to find release dates for anime section of the wiki.

If this does not help (often, they only display when the first episode of the anime aired/was released), you can try the same approach as for the play length: google for the kanji titles of the anime and the episode. Hopefully you will find a site that lists all the episodes properly.

Description

Most people do not read the description as it is not readily available - but in this place, you should probably describe if it is a recap of a number of episodes, or any similar details. It is advised not to bother with actual descriptions of the episode in question - but I guess noone is stopping you.

Groups

When it comes to groups, things can change all the time, they can move their channel, they can get a new website, they can start focusing on other aspects of fansubbing. Each of these changes should be provided with an actual source, be it in the form of a website, a forum post or an irc chat log.

Sources

Note:

For every change you propose, you should specify your source.

Website

Mainly, the group's own website should be used a source for most/all of your group-creqs.

Forum

In some cases, the forum may suffice.

Channel

If the group doesn't have a website or forum, logs from their irc channel may be used - but you should make sure that what is said is not meant as a joke, and that it is said by a person who actually knows what they're talking about.


Name/ShortName		If the wrong name/shortname is entered for a group, change it here - and provide coroborating evidence that it isn't just another group with a similar name. Note that for shortnames, sometimes the wrong name is entered because it clashes with another group's (short)name.

URL		Specify the official URL of the group if it has one - if the group provides bittorrent links on their main page, that page will NOT be allowed to be entered. Try to find a page that doesn't have any torrent links on it - perhaps their news-page or forum if they have one.

EMAIL		If the group has an email they want to be contacted on, provide it here - it would be preferable to have a source for this.

IRC

	Server	Here you should provide which server the group's channel resides on - if you find old outdated (e.g. irc.mircx.com) servers listed here, try to find where the group moved on to, and list that.

	Channel	Here you should specify which channel the group has - you can usually find this info on their website or forums, or they might specify it in their released files.

	Password	If their channel has a password you need to know in order to join, you should specify it here (if you know it).

Picture		If the group has an official picture they want to use, use the Pic Upload Function to upload the picture to AniDB, and provide the resulting picture id in the creq. Note: The recommended size for pictures is 300x400. Don't use animated pictures. There is no size limit, but the picture should stay under 100kb, if possible.

Description		Enter a description of the group - this could include what kind of releases they make and if they're still alive and such - but try to keep your personal opinions out of it. If you want to voice your opinions on their releases you should use the anime-group-comments function on the anime pages instead.

Parent/Child Groups		If a group is a parent or child group of another group, unless you added the actual entry yourself you cannot fix this outside of the DB Change Requests forum. You should start a thread named something like "`[GROUP][PARENT] Groupname`" and specify which group is parent to which group in the post.

Group-anime-status		You can request to set the status of an anime for a group to "dropped", but not any of the other states - they are all automatic. further information If you want to set a group's status to dropped, use the DB Change Requests forum and specifically the thread: [Status][Dropped] releases by groups.

How to get started with creqing

Files

Sources

Filenames

Topics

Forum posts

Websites

Length

Hashes

Official CRC

Version

Censored

Group

Released

Audio

Language

Codec

Bitrate

Channels

Streams

Video

Resolution

FPS

Codec

Bitrate

Subtitles

Language

Type

Flags

Anime

Sources

Websites

Images

Titles

Genres/Categories

Type

Episodes

Year

Companies

URL

ANN/ANFO/Allcinema

Relations

Description

Picture

Episodes

Sources

Websites

Images

Titles

English

Romaji

Kanji

Play Length

Air/Release Date

Description

Groups

Sources

Website

Forum

Channel

Name/ShortName

URL

EMAIL

IRC

Server

Channel

Password

Picture

Description

Parent/Child Groups

Group-anime-status