Imagine you’ve written a song – a sincere, profound one with hit potential. It’s already playing on TikTok, on the radio, and has even made it into a TV series. But someone else is getting paid for it, and it’s not you. To prevent this from happening, musical creativity must not only be created – it must be legally secured, properly registered, and tracked. This is where IPI, ISWC, and ISRC codes come in – three “superheroes” of music identification, without which payments and copyright protection in the music world would be simply impossible.
IPI code
The Interested Parties Information (hereinafter IPI) code is a unique international identifier for songwriters and music publishers. The code makes it possible to accurately identify authors, link them to musical works, and ensure payment of royalties. The IPI system assigns 11-digit IPI numbers to participants in the creative process, such as songwriters, or any other individuals and institutions interested in a musical work, such as music publishers. This system is used to identify rights holders and the Collective Management Organization (hereinafter referred to as CMO) with which they work. The IPI number acts as an identifier when linked to a musical work registered with the CMO.
CMOs use IPI codes to identify authors and rights holders when distributing royalties, remuneration, and other payments between parties. This greatly simplifies the payment calculation process and makes it more accurate, as each author or rights holder can be identified by their IPI number rather than just their name. This is especially important in the case of people with identical names, unusual spellings, or unique characters in their names.
IPI codes are usually assigned to songwriters, and this concept covers any roles related to songwriting, such as composers, lyricists, etc. Music publishers are also assigned IPI codes. If an artist uses a pseudonym, stage name, or is both a songwriter and a music publisher, the artist may have multiple IPI numbers for each of these roles.
In order to obtain an IPI number, you must register as a member of the OCU, which in turn is a member or client of the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers (hereinafter referred to as CISAC). After registration, the OCU will assign an IPI number to the artist. Information about the artist and their IPI number will be securely stored in an international database managed by the Society for the Protection of the Copyrights of Swiss Songwriters, Composers, and Music Publishers (hereinafter referred to as SUISA) on behalf of CISAC so that other CMOs around the world can identify the artist when using their musical works.
In Ukraine, only the UAAAP NGO is responsible for entering authors’ names into the global author database. If you are a member of the OCA but do not know your IPI number, you can usually find it in your account information, or you can contact the OCA support service.
ISWC code
The International Standard Musical Work Code (hereinafter referred to as the ISWC code) is an eleven-digit code consisting of numbers and letters. It is assigned to a new musical work when it is registered with the relevant OKU. Its purpose is to uniquely identify a musical work and link it to the relevant basic metadata, including the title, the names of the songwriters, and their IPI numbers. The ISWC can then be used in databases and data exchange formats where rights information is added, such as publication information and author shares. This information makes it easier to track usage and make correct payments to authors when their musical work is used. Each unique musical work can only be assigned one unique ISWC code. Thus, if a musical work has multiple sound recordings, there may be multiple ISRCs for those sound recordings, but they will all be linked to the single ISWC code assigned to the musical work.
ISWC codes are assigned to musical works by ISWC Registration Agencies designated by the ISWC Registration Authority. A list of agencies that assign ISWC codes can be found on the ISWC Network website – https://www.iswc.org/agencies. In Ukraine, the Ukrainian Agency for Copyright and Related Rights (UAACR) is the registration agency, and only this organization can assign such codes.
There are some minimum requirements for descriptive metadata to obtain an ISWC code, but if you have worked on a musical work with other songwriters, you must have the IPI code number of each songwriter in order to register the musical work and assign an ISWC code.
The requirements for descriptive metadata for assigning an ISWC code include:
- the title of the work;
- all songwriters identified by their IPI number and role code;
- in the case of a version of a work, such as an arrangement, the identification data of the original work on which the version is based.
The ISWC code serves as an identifier for musical works in most music industry databases and data exchange formats. This code is unique and is required to receive payments from CMOs and other types of income for the use of your musical works. The code will be used to link musical works to sound recordings and provide artist reports on playbacks and revenues.
The ISWC code identifies a musical work regardless of its copyright status and regardless of agreements related to the publication or distribution of royalties for the use of the work. This means that the ISWC code does not change when a new agreement is concluded for a work, when the agreed distribution changes, or when the work enters the public domain. The ISWC code is used to identify musical works (including versions, etc.), regardless of whether these works are printed, recorded, or simply remain unpublished. Also, works that are not protected (or are no longer protected) by copyright law will have their own ISWC.
An ISWC code can be assigned to any musical work, new or existing, without distinction. Assigning an ISWC code to an arrangement or adaptation does not automatically mean that the rights holders have authorized that arrangement or adaptation. The ISWC code identifies the work, but does not confer copyright or any other status.
ISRC code
The International Standard Recording Code (hereinafter referred to as the ISRC code) is a unique identifier assigned to sound recordings and music videos and assigned to them on a permanent basis. The use of the ISRC code ensures efficiency and accuracy when referring to a specific sound recording in a large data set. This avoids ambiguities that may arise, for example, when it is necessary to differentiate between different mixes or cover versions of the original version, or when metadata is translated into different languages.
The ISRC code links a sound recording to its basic metadata, including the musical work. The ISRC code is also a twelve-digit code consisting of numbers and letters that is assigned to a sound recording or music video. The ISRC code is used to track how and when sound recordings and music videos are used on various media platforms, such as radio, television, and streaming services. The identifier helps ensure that performers and record owners are paid correctly when their recordings are used. It is also used to link a sound recording to a musical work.
ISRC codes are used for accurate data management, tracking, and administration by many players in the music industry:
- Digital service providers;
- Distributors;
- Record labels
- Music publishers;
- Organization of Collective Management
Each sound recording has a unique ISRC code, which means that different recorded versions of the same musical work, such as a studio version, live version, remix, or cover, will have their own unique ISRC code. Music videos are also assigned ISRC codes. Music videos include elements of video production and filming, with their own authors, which goes beyond sound recording.
Thus, if you release a recording and use the same audio track in a music video, the video must be assigned its own ISRC code.
Any music producer can request an ISRC prefix, a unique string of five alphanumeric characters that allows the creation of 100,000 unique ISRC codes.
Any music producer can request an ISRC prefix, which is a unique string of five alphanumeric characters that allows you to create 100,000 ISRC codes per year. Requests for ISRC prefixes should be sent to the ISRC registration authority in the producer’s location or to the International ISRC Registration Authority. Any copyright holder or exclusive license holder for a sound recording may, if the sound recording does not have an ISRC code, use the services of an ISRC manager to assign one. ISRC managers are organizations, such as digital aggregators or distributors, that have been designated to assign ISRCs upon request. It is the ISRC code that always identifies your sound recordings and music videos.
In the music industry, codes are not technical details, but the key to money and legal protection. The IPI code identifies the author, the ISWC code identifies the musical work, and the ISRC code identifies the recording. If you are serious about your creativity, these three abbreviations should be in your vocabulary.
copyright / intellectual property / IPI / ISRC / ISWC
