What Is ISRC
The International Standard Recording Code (ISRC) is a unique 12-character identifier assigned to individual sound recordings and music videos. It is the international standard for identifying recordings, governed by ISO 3901.
Each ISRC uniquely identifies a specific recording — not the composition. Two different recordings of the same song will have different ISRC codes.
ISRC Structure
An ISRC code consists of 12 characters in the format: CC-XXX-YY-NNNNN
- CC — Country code (2 letters, e.g., US, GB, DE)
- XXX — Registrant code (3 alphanumeric characters, assigned by the national ISRC agency)
- YY — Year of reference (2 digits, the year the ISRC was assigned)
- NNNNN — Designation code (5 digits, assigned by the registrant)
Example: US-AB1-23-00001 identifies a recording registered in the US by registrant AB1 in year 23 with designation 00001.
How ISRC Works
Once assigned, an ISRC follows the recording throughout its lifecycle:
- ISRC is embedded in the audio file metadata (ID3 tags for MP3, Vorbis comments for FLAC).
- Streaming platforms use ISRC to identify and match recordings.
- Royalty collection agencies track performances using ISRC.
- Charts and sales data are compiled using ISRC identifiers.
Where ISRC Is Used
- Streaming platforms (Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music)
- Royalty collection and distribution
- Music charts and rankings
- Radio airplay tracking
- Digital sales reporting
- Content identification systems
How to Get ISRC
ISRC codes are typically assigned by your distributor or record label. Independent artists can obtain ISRC codes through their national ISRC agency or through authorized distributors like Zaventra Music Group.
Important: Never reuse an ISRC code. Once assigned, it permanently identifies that specific recording.
ISRC vs UPC
- ISRC identifies an individual recording (track level).
- UPC/EAN identifies a release (album/EP/single level).
- Each track in an album has its own ISRC.
- The album itself has one UPC.
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