The International Standard Recording Code
Frequently asked questions regarding ISRC
- Where do we apply to get an ISRC?
- Does our company have to be a member of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) or my national music industry trade association in order to be eligible to assign ISRCs to our recordings?
- How is an ISRC constructed?
- Are the hyphens included when encoding an ISRC onto a CD?
- Our company has just acquired the rights to a recording that already has an ISRC. Do we have to apply for a new ISRC for this recording?
- What sorts of changes to an existing recording that already has an ISRC require a new ISRC?
- Our company uses an in-house code for identifying our sound and music video recordings. We then use this in the desgination code of the ISRC. Sometimes an in-house code may apply to two versions of the same recording because we have remastered some of our backstock for re-issue. Can we use the same ISRC for the new remastered version?
- If a recording has been issued without an ISRC, can it be assigned one retroactively?
- Our company issues both sound and music video recordings. Do both types of product get an ISRC?
- Does the ISRC System distinguish between sound and music video recordings released by the same company?
- Which part of our company should be responsible for issuing ISRCs to our releases?
- What happens when an ISRC is assigned to the wrong item? How can the problem be solved? Can we re-use the ISRC on the item for which it was originally intended?
- Can ISRCs be applied to promotional material?
- How are Classical recordings identified using an ISRC?
- What is the difference between a ring tone and a ring sound? And can an ISRC be used to identify them?
Where do we apply to get an ISRC?
Does our company have to be a member of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) or my national music industry trade association in order to be eligible to assign ISRCs to our recordings?
- ISO Country, e.g. GB for the UK, or US for the USA, DE for Germany, etc
- Registrant Code, a three alpha-numeric unique reference
- Year of Reference, the last two digits of the current year, e.g. ‘03’ for 2003
- Designation Code, a five digit unique number, e.g. ‘00013’
The ISO Country Code and the Registrant Code are issued by the National Agencies or by the International ISRC Agency; the rest of the identifier is then allocated by the entity wishing to identify their sound or music video recordings.
Are the hyphens included when encoding an ISRC onto a CD?
More detailed information about ISRC implementation in software can be found in the ISRC Handbook, Section 4.10
Our company has just acquired the rights to a recording that already has an ISRC. Do we have to apply for a new ISRC for this recording?
The first owner of the rights to a recording normally assigns an ISRC. Once assigned that ISRC identifies the recording throughout its life. Changes in ownership do not affect the ISRC. However if changes are made to the recording that involve new artistic input and these affect the rights associated with that recording, and it is re-issued, the new owner must assign a new ISRC, using their Registrant Code.
What sorts of changes to an existing recording that already has an ISRC require a new ISRC?
- Restoration of historical recordings
- Changes in playing time
- Remixes/edits
- Compilations
Our company uses an in-house code for identifying our sound and music video recordings. We then use this in the desgination code of the ISRC. Sometimes an in-house code may apply to two versions of the same recording because we have remastered some of our backstock for re-issue. Can we use the same ISRC for the new remastered version?
A new ISRC should be assigned whenever a recording has been re-issued in a revised or re-mastered form, even if both items have the same in-house code.
If a recording has been issued without an ISRC, can it be assigned one retroactively?
If the recording has changed ownership, and did not have an ISRC originally and is being released unchanged by the current rights holder, the Registrant Code should be that of the current rights holder. The Year of Reference should be the year of allocation of the new ISRC.
Our company issues both sound and music video recordings. Do both types of product get an ISRC?
Does the ISRC System distinguish between sound and music video recordings released by the same company?
It is left to the discretion of the National ISRC Agencies to decide the appropriate method of administering this distinction, more detailed information is available in the ISRC Handbook, please see Section 3.6
Which part of our company should be responsible for issuing ISRCs to our releases?
It is important that ISRCs are actually encoded into appropriate digital products. And since ISRCs are normally allocated at the point prior to the preparation of the final production Pre-Master it is recommended that the responsibility for assigning ISRCs is linked to the area responsible for this process.
What happens when an ISRC is assigned to the wrong item? How can the problem be solved? Can we re-use the ISRC on the item for which it was originally intended?
Can ISRCs be applied to promotional material?
How are Classical recordings identified using an ISRC?
Because the rights often vary from movement to movement, it is recommended that separate ISRCs be allocated to each part (e.g. track) of a composite recording as well as an overall ISRC to the recording as a whole. More detailed information is available in the ISRC Handbook, please see Section 4.9.11
What is the difference between a ring tone and a ring sound? And can an ISRC be used to identify them?
More detailed information is available in the ISRC Handbook, please Section 4.9.12