ilmumiskuupäeva

Ilmumiskuupäev, with the genitive ilmumiskuupäeva, is the date on which a work becomes publicly available. The term is used in Estonian to refer to the release or publication date across media such as books, films, music releases, software, and video games. It functions as a core piece of bibliographic and commercial metadata, helping to identify editions, determine copyright periods, and establish availability.

In practice, ilmumiskuupäev can differ by medium and market. For a book, it usually corresponds to the publication date assigned by the publisher. For a film or TV series, it may reflect the theatrical release or streaming debut in a region. For music albums and software, it marks the official release date when the product becomes available to consumers. Some items have multiple dates to reflect premieres, regional launches, or platform-specific releases.

Metadata and cataloging: In standardized records, the ilmumiskuupäev is recorded in dedicated date fields labeled as publication date or release date. In Estonian library and archive practice, both ilmumiskuupäev and väljaandmise kuupäev are used depending on the context, with ilmumiskuupäev often favored for media that first appear to the public.

Overall, the concept of ilmumiskuupäev is central to how media items are organized, discovered, and accessed, providing a reference point for editions, versions, and access windows.