Understanding the Music & Sound Recordings Category
The Music & Sound Recordings category, identified by the Google product category ID 855, encompasses a broad range of physical and digital audio media. Located within the Media parent category, this classification is essential for merchants selling audio content to ensure their products are correctly indexed within Google Shopping. By providing the specific ID 855 or the full path Media > Music & Sound Recordings, you help Google's automated systems correctly interpret the nature of your inventory.
What Belongs in this Category
This category is intended for items primarily containing music, spoken word performances, or field recordings intended for listening. Examples found in the US market that fit this category include digital albums, audio cassettes, music CDs, and vinyl records (LPs). Whether you are selling a newly released digital album, a classic rock record, or a collectible cassette tape, these items fall squarely under this classification. It also includes specialized audio content such as spoken word recordings, including historical archives or individual soundtracks, provided the primary format is an audio recording intended for home playback.
Examples of items that belong here include:
- Digital albums and audio tracks sold for download.
- Music CDs featuring various genres of recorded music.
- Vinyl LPs and records intended for high-fidelity playback.
- Music cassette tapes, including both commercial music releases and blank media used for audio recording.
- Spoken word audio recordings, such as literary readings, sound archives, or recorded performances that do not contain visual elements.
What Does Not Belong Here
It is vital to distinguish this category from neighbouring classifications within the Media parent group to ensure your data quality remains high. Items that contain text, visual components, or instructions for manual labor belong elsewhere. For example, books and printed literary works should be placed in the Books category. Similarly, any audio-visual media, such as movies, documentaries, or television shows recorded on DVD or Blu-ray, must be categorized under DVDs & Videos. If your product is a collection of musical notes printed on paper, it belongs in Sheet Music rather than as a sound recording. Furthermore, publications like magazines and newspapers, as well as instructional documents like product manuals or carpentry project plans, must be placed in their respective categories to avoid feed errors.
When to Choose a Subcategory
Google taxonomy encourages the use of the most specific category available. If your product fits one of the following subcategories, you should map it to the subcategory rather than the general Music & Sound Recordings category. The subcategories are: Music CDs, Records & LPs, Music Cassette Tapes, Spoken Word & Field Recordings, and Digital Music Downloads. For example, a vinyl record should be categorized as Records & LPs to provide the most precise mapping, while an MP3 or WAV download should be categorized under Digital Music Downloads. Using these specific subcategories helps refine the search experience for customers looking for particular formats.
Implementing Category Data in Your Feed
To implement this in your Google Merchant Center feed, you must use the google_product_category attribute. You can input the category using either the numeric ID or the exact path. The two accepted values for this category are:
- Numeric ID: 855
- Full Path: Media > Music & Sound Recordings
Remember that this attribute is optional; if you do not provide it, Google will attempt to categorize your product automatically. However, manual assignment is always preferred because automated systems may misinterpret product titles, leading to poor categorization. This category does not require the specific attributes often seen with apparel, such as gender or size, as it is a media-based category. Always keep in mind that the product_type attribute remains a separate, free-form field that you should use for your own internal inventory management, as it does not replace the mandatory or optional google_product_category classification.