ISWC vs. ISRC: Which one do you need?
ISWCs and ISRCs are two music unique identifiers that you need to know about if you are a professional artist. They are the codes that differentiate your compositions and recordings from all other works and recordings worldwide.
There may be only one letter of difference between their acronyms, but don’t be fooled: ISWCs and ISRCs serve very different functions. It’s important to understand what they are and how they impact your music catalog management so you can get paid the royalties you are owed.
Key Takeaway:
- An ISWC is assigned to a unique musical work, and is used worldwide to identify that work. An ISWC is not assigned to a recording.
- An ISRC is a unique code assigned to an individual recording. An ISRC is not assigned to a work.
That’s the short answer. Now let’s get into the details.
What is an ISWC?
An ISWC (International Standard Work Code) is a unique identifier assigned to a single musical work. ISWCs are used to identify musical works (songs or compositions) across the global music industry, distinguishing each individual work from every other work worldwide. An ISWC is not assigned to a recording.
ISWCs are used to:
- Link songwriters and rightsholders to their musical works;
- Track performances and uses of musical works;
- Ensure accurate royalty payments to rightsholders;
- Facilitate identification of works internationally, especially for compositions with similar titles or by creators with common names.
What does an ISWC look like?
ISWCs consist of 11 characters: the letter “T” followed by 9 digits and a check digit.
Example: T-034.524.680-1
How can you get an ISWC for your work?
ISWCs are issued by CISAC (International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers) through performing rights organizations. Creators cannot request ISWCs directly from CISAC.
To request an ISWC, follow these steps:
- Become a member of a PRO, such as ASCAP, BMI, or SOCAN.
- Assemble all necessary metadata for your work. This includes, but is not limited to, the title of the composition, names of all contributors, their IPI (Interested Party Information) numbers, and more.
- Register your work with your PRO. The PRO will forward the necessary information to the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers (CISAC), which assigns the ISWC.
Remember that ISWCs are unique to compositions (not recordings) and are critical for tracking royalties, including performance royalties, globally.
Note: If your work has already been registered but lacks an ISWC, you can contact your PRO to verify if one has been assigned or to request its allocation. It is possible that your musical work is not eligible to receive an ISWC.
Get your ISWC faster with MusicTeam®
With MusicTeam® eligible songwriters can request ISWCs before even registering their work and receive them in 2-4 days. You can use our free music catalog management tool to manage your musical works metadata and make sure you are paid what you are owed, easily and efficiently.
To obtain an ISWC this way, you’ll need to provide the following information:
- Work title
- IPI
- Names of writers (songwriters, composers or lyricists)
What is an ISRC?
An ISRC (International Standard Recording Code) is a unique code assigned to individual sound recordings and music video recordings. It serves as a digital fingerprint that identifies a specific recording, allowing for tracking and management of rights across different formats, distribution channels, and products. An ISRC is not assigned to a work.
ISRCs are used to:
- Track sales, streams and radio plays;
- Simplify rights management and ensure proper attribution and collection of royalties for sound recordings across the global music industry.
An ISRC is permanent and remains unchanged throughout a recording’s lifetime, even if ownership changes.
What does an ISRC look like?
An ISRC is a 12-digit alphanumeric code. It is made up of four parts:
- Country Code: Represents the country where the registrant is based (2 characters)
- Registrant Code: Identifies the organization or individual assigning the ISRC (3 characters)
- Year of Reference: Indicates the year the ISRC was assigned (2 characters)
- Designation Code / Serial Number: A unique identifier for the specific recording within that year (5 digits)
Example: AA-6Q7-20-00047
Note: When written for human readability, hyphens are added for clarity, but they are not part of the actual code.
How can you get an ISRC for your recording?
There are several ways to get an ISRC for a recording:
1. Contact your national ISRC agency: Contact your national ISRC agency to request a Registrant Code:
b. CONNECT Music Licensing in Canada
c. For other countries, refer to the IFPI’s list of national ISRC agencies worldwide. If your country lacks a national agency, you can apply directly through the International ISRC Registration Authority on IFPI’s website.
Once you have a Registrant Code, you can create unique ISRCs for each of your recordings.
2. Use a digital distributor: Music distributors like MusicTeam® can generate ISRCs for your recordings as part of their release process.
Things to remember about ISRCs
Each ISRC is assigned to a particular recording, not the musical work itself. Different recordings, edits, and remixes of the same song should have separate ISRCs.
Your ISRC can be encoded into the recording during the mastering process, but it should be included in all relevant documentation. Managing your ISRCs is a lot easier when you use a music catalog management tool as you can add additional metadata to your recording.
ISRCs are required for commercial music releases and are used by distributors, retailers, and various audio platforms including Spotify and Apple Music.
Sign up to learn more
MusicTeam® is an all-in-one music catalog management platform. When you sign up, you access the support you need to effectively manage all your music metadata, including ISWCs, ISRCs and other music unique identifiers.
We’ll help you streamline the entire process of managing your works and recordings. Get your music heard by the right audience. Sign up today!
