I'm not quoting anyone BR, just stating logic, and for a practical reason too...
... If we have two digipak CDs from the same country, released at the same time, but with no 'apparent' substantive difference, then why do they have two different barcodes?
I can't think of (or imagine) why any producer of any product would release two identical products bearing two (or more) different codes - the information contained in the barcode (although, admittedly, I'm no expert) tells you what the product is, and for what market.
Although the potential variations on this many digits allows enough scope for millions of diffferently distinguished products, if this practice was carried through to all items bearing barcodes, then they'd very quickly burn through all the potentai variations that this barcode system allows... it's not very efficient, it's time consuming, and costs money to do.
(not to mention needlessly confusing, defeating the object of having a code that identifies the product, and any individual copies of that particular product)
So, why there may not, as yet, be any apparent distinction in the substance of the two copies here, there must be something different, that this barcode variation is significant of... either something on the disc (music, data, video, etc.), the packaging, made for a different market, or something, at least, that explains it. At a stretch, it could be that the initial release was immediately cancelled, or aborted, and almost as immediatley reinstated, but had, for commercial barcode reasons, had to have a new code applied.
The only thingn which will tell you if the music on disc is different is the matrix on the inner ring, so that would be the first port of call, once the packaging has been looked at.
Failing this, I'd say the most likely reason is that one was made at the same place, for another country / region / zone / market. (export).
In any event, it's different.
The practical reasons, as far as this site is concerned, centres around the fact that when going to search for a copy that someone may have in hand, they may first type in the artist, and get their complete listings, or catalogue number, and see a copy that generally matches that, except the barcode... and so, they will enter it again, thinking there's is not this issue (each page can only support one barcode in the barcode field.... and if they do re-enter it, you then have two pages with the same "variation" on it - one leading, one buried in another entry, under a different barcode... this way, duplicates lie.
So I think there is a difference, or a reason for that difference, which bears investigation, and the reason established... and this should be reflected here in having two separate entries, which people can readily identify.
(Aren't CDs fun?!!! you get one "fact" established, then something comes along that seems to say: "What d'yer make of that then?!!!")
I'll make the new entry a little later, and move your images over, but won't be bale to shift your "own" over, as it'll take everyone's over too.
@Magic Marmalade: "But where a CD has a barcode, and another comes along with a different barcode, they should be entered separately, as there is some substantive change or alteration in the product, which the barcode change is significant of." - What is the source of your quote, please?
@Magic Marmalade: Yes, I'd prefer that you make the entry and move the images - thank you very much.
@robozuc: My copy of this CD is no 'special edition'.
Yours is a different issue Beggars Road - different product - this is why it has a different barcode.
It will need to be made a separate entry, which, if you want to do, I'll shift your images over one it's created, or I could make the entry and move the images if you'd prefer.
Recap:
A CD with no barcode can appear on the same page as one with, provided all other details are the same (it's the same issue, but with additional information applied, for reasons of compliance with existing commercial practices external to the record company's cataloguing, issuing system).... But where a CD has a barcode, and another comes along with a different barcode, they should be entered separately, as there is some substantive change or alteration in the product, which the barcode change is significant of.
Probably here we have two different versions of the same CD:
barcode 696998908222 normal cd edition
barcode 886974928225 enhanced cd with video material playable on PC
My question is, given the two different barcodes, Enhanced CD can be considered a Special Edition?
Obviously, they are two different products and need two separate entries.
If the info on the release you hold in your hands doesn't match info added to the release here, that probably means that you have different issue and that you should add it as separate release.