Editorial Policy

Discography is an independent music magazine about India's independent musicians. This page explains how we choose what to cover, how we write about it, and what we do when we get something wrong.

Independence

Nobody pays for coverage on Discography. We don't publish sponsored reviews, paid features or "featured artist" placements, and no label, PR agency or artist has a say in what we write. Receiving a release, a press kit or an interview does not guarantee coverage, and it never guarantees a positive review. If we ever have a personal or business connection to an artist we cover, we say so in the article.

What we cover

We cover Indian independent artists: musicians releasing outside the major film-music system, whether they're self-released, on an independent label or distributed by a larger company. Much of our new-release coverage comes from artists featured on Spotify's RADAR India and Indie India playlists, alongside submissions and the editor's own listening. We also publish artist profiles, scene analysis and longer pieces on the history of Indian independent music.

Reviews are opinion

A review is the editor's honest opinion of a piece of music, and we label it as a review. Opinions are clearly separated from facts. We aim to explain why we think what we think by pointing to specific moments in the music, so readers can judge for themselves. We review the music, not the person.

Facts and sourcing

Every factual claim in a Discography article should be checkable. Release dates, labels, credits, chart and playlist positions, and quotes are taken from primary sources wherever possible: the streaming platforms themselves, official artist and label channels, and published interviews. We link to those sources in the article. When we quote an interview, we say where and when it was published. We don't publish rumours or claims we can't verify.

Conflicts of interest

If the editor or publisher has a personal, financial or business connection to an artist, label or release we cover, we disclose it in the article. Receiving promo copies, press access or invitations does not create coverage obligations and is not treated as a conflict by itself.

Bylines and accountability

Every piece is bylined. @de edits every article published on Discography and is responsible for corrections. See the masthead for roles and routes.

Neutrality and fairness

We are not neutral about music we like or dislike — reviews are opinion — but we are fair about facts. We do not invent quotes, inflate credits, or bury relevant context that changes the meaning of a claim.

How we use AI

Discography articles are researched and drafted with the help of AI tools. Every fact is checked against primary sources and linked before publication, and every article is reviewed by the editor, who is responsible for what we publish. We don't use AI-generated images of real artists; cover images are real photographs, credited to their source.

Images

Covers use real photos of the artist, credited either to the photographer, the artist ("Courtesy of the artist") or a freely licensed source such as Wikimedia Commons with its licence. If you own an image we've used and want it credited differently or removed, contact us.

Corrections

We correct mistakes quickly and openly. If you spot an error, send us the article link, the line that's wrong and a source showing the correct information via our contact page. If we agree, we fix the article and add a dated note at the bottom explaining what changed. We don't silently edit factual errors. Changes to opinion are not corrections, and we don't change a review because an artist or label disagrees with it. Full detail is on our corrections page.

Updates vs corrections

An update adds information that became available after publication. A correction fixes something that was inaccurate when published. Both are dated on the article when we make them.

Right of reply

If an article makes a serious claim about a person, we try to give them a chance to respond before publication, and we'll consider adding a response after publication if they reach out.

Contact

Questions about this policy? Reach us through the contact page. The editor responsible for this policy is @de.