What is an ISRC code?
Every song you release on Spotify, Apple Music or YouTube needs one. The ISRC is how platforms, distributors and collecting societies know which recording was played, and who should be paid for it. Here is what it is, how to read it, how to get one and the mistakes to avoid.
Updated
In short
- A 12-character code that identifies one recording: not the song, not the release.
- Most distributors assign it for free when you upload your song.
- It stays the same for the life of the recording, whatever the release, the distributor or the owner.
- A remix, an edit or a new recording gets a new one.
ISRC: the ID card of a recording
ISRC stands for International Standard Recording Code. Defined by the ISO 3901 standard and run by the International ISRC Agency, part of IFPI, it gives every sound recording and every music video a unique code.
It identifies a recording: one specific performance, captured and produced. The composition behind it has its own code (the ISWC), and so does the single, EP or album it comes out on (the UPC or EAN).
The code travels in your song’s metadata. When the song is streamed, downloaded or played on the radio, the reports sent back carry its ISRC, so the distributor and the collecting societies know which recording it was, and the royalties reach the right owner.
How to read an ISRC
An ISRC has 12 characters, in four parts. It is usually written with hyphens for readability and the letters ISRC in front, but the hyphens are not part of the code: in metadata, it is the 12 characters on their own.
ISRC FR-AB1-26-00042
- FR
Country code
2 characters. Where the prefix was issued, not where the song was recorded or where the artist lives.
- AB1
Registrant code
3 letters or digits. With the country code, it forms the 5-character prefix of whoever assigns the codes: a label, a distributor or an artist.
- 26
Year of reference
The last two digits of the year the ISRC was assigned, not the year the song was recorded or released.
- 00042
Designation code
5 digits, a serial number chosen by the registrant: up to 100,000 codes per prefix and per year.
- Written
- ISRC FR-AB1-26-00042
- In metadata
- FRAB12600042
When a recording needs a new ISRC
The rule: one ISRC per recording, assigned once and never changed. The same recording keeps its code wherever it goes, and a different recording gets its own.
Keep the same ISRC
- The single that comes out again on the EP or album
- The same recording on a compilation or a reissue
- A move to another distributor or label: the owner changes, the code doesn’t
- A remaster, unless it brings significant new creative input
- A new fade or trim that changes the length by 10 seconds or less
Assign a new ISRC
- A remix, a radio edit or an extended version
- An edit that changes the length by more than 10 seconds
- An instrumental, a clean version or an a cappella
- A new recording of the song: re-recorded, acoustic or live
- The music video, which gets its own code, separate from the audio
How to get an ISRC
An ISRC is assigned by the owner of the recording, or by someone on their behalf. There are three ways, depending on how you release your music.
Through your distributor Free
DistroKid, TuneCore, CD Baby and most other distributors generate an ISRC for each song when you upload it, at no cost. It is the simplest option for a self-released song. Note it down: you will need it if you change distributor.
From your national ISRC agency Free or one-off fee
If you release regularly or run a label, get your own prefix and assign your codes yourself, whatever distributor you use. In the US, the RIAA charges a one-time $95 fee; in France, the SCPP issues prefixes for free.
From the International ISRC Agency Paid per code
Where there is no national agency, or for a recording or two, IFPI’s online service assigns codes in exchange for credits. Three credits per code, and one if your recording already has one.
Whichever way you choose, get the ISRC before the release goes out, and keep it with the song’s credits and splits: your collecting society, sync deals and every later release will ask for it.
ISRC, ISWC, UPC: which code is which?
Three codes come up when you release music. They identify different things, and a released song usually has all three.
| Code | Identifies | Assigned by | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISRC | A recording, audio or video | The recording’s owner, often through the distributor | Your single, its radio edit and its live version each have one |
| ISWC | A composition: music and lyrics | Collecting societies (ASCAP, BMI, PRS, SACEM…) when the song is registered | One code for the song, however many recordings of it exist |
| UPC / EAN | A release: single, EP or album | Your distributor, or GS1 if you buy your own | A 5-song EP has one UPC, and five ISRCs |
ISRC mistakes to avoid
A new code when you change distributor
Uploading the same recording under a new ISRC can split its streams and its royalties between two codes. Give the new distributor the ISRC you already have.
One code for two versions
A radio edit or a remix released under the original’s ISRC mixes up their plays and royalties. Every version gets its own.
Confusing the ISRC and the UPC
The UPC identifies the release, the ISRC each recording on it. They don’t go in the same field.
Codes nobody can find
If the only copy sits in a distributor account you closed, finding it again takes time. Keep each song’s ISRC with its credits, splits and final master.
In Trackboard: “ISRC assigned” is part of the Distribution checklist of every song, next to the credits, the splits and the lyrics, so no song goes out without one.
Questions
- Do I need an ISRC to release music?
- To release on streaming platforms and download stores, yes: distributors require one ISRC per song, and generate it for you if you don’t have one.
- How much does an ISRC cost?
- Nothing through most distributors. Your own prefix from a national agency is free in some countries, such as France with the SCPP, and costs a one-time $95 in the US. IFPI’s online service charges per code.
- Do I need a new ISRC for each release?
- No. The ISRC follows the recording, not the release: a single that comes out again on an album keeps its code. Only a different recording, such as a remix or an edit, gets a new one.
- Can an ISRC be changed?
- No. Once assigned, an ISRC stays with the recording for life, even when the recording changes owner, and it is never reused for another recording.
- Where can I find my song’s ISRC?
- In your distributor’s dashboard, on the song’s page. For a released recording, the ISRC search of the International ISRC Agency looks it up by artist and title.
- Does a music video need an ISRC?
- Yes, its own: the video is a different recording from the audio, even for the same song.
Sources: International ISRC Agency: FAQ, ISRC Handbook, US ISRC Agency (RIAA), ISRC France (SCPP).