There are five key identifiers in the music industry that are essential for you to know. Since many The term "song" does not have a legal definition. It is frequently used to mean "musical work” – the composition and lyrics (if any) created by songwriters and composers. However, it could also refer to a “sound recording” (a specific recording of a musical work), or a “performance” (a live performance of a musical work). have the same titles, Anyone who contributes to creating or performing a musical work, a live performance, or a sound recording. can have the same names, titles and names get misspelled or exist in different languages and have different letters and characters in their alphabets, using text alone to identify them all and pay creators isn’t accurate enough.
So, these five key identifiers are unique codes essential for receiving Money paid for the right to use a musical work, performance, or sound recording, typically, but not always, in the form of recurring payments., renumerations and other payments for the use of your An original musical composition with or without lyrics. and Typically, the recorded performance of a musical work protected as a phonogram under copyright law. every time they are used. A company that represents songwriters, supporting their career development, monetizing musical works, and protecting copyrights. , A company that invests in, manufactures, distributes, promotes, and monetizes sound recordings on behalf of the artist., Collective Management Organization: An organization that acts collectively on behalf of the rights holders it represents and collects and pays remuneration to rights holders., and Digital Service Provider: an online platform that provides streaming or download services to consumers., just to name a few, will use these codes to uniquely identify you, your musical works, and your sound recordings. They will use them to count and track the number of plays of sound recordings and report that and revenue information back to you, your CMO, music publisher, record label, or A company or service that delivers music to digital streaming platforms and physical retail stores., so you can get paid.
The key music industry identifiers are:
IPI - Interested Party Information. The unique identifier for songwriters and publishers
ISWC - International Standard Musical Work Code. The unique identifier for musical works
ISRC – International Standard Recording Code. The unique identifier for sound recordings and music videos.
IPN - International Performer Number. The unique identifier for performers
ISNI - International Standard Name Identifier. The unique identifier for people, organizations, and companies involved in creative activities.
We explore these in detail throughout this topic, so keep reading.
The IPI, ISWC, ISRC, IPN, and ISNI are unique codes that apply to you as a creator and your work. These identifiers are essential for getting paid royalties for the use of your musical works and sound recordings.
Do I need all five identifiers?
If you write, perform, record, and release music, then yes.
If you’re exclusively a A person who makes an original contribution to the creation of a musical composition or lyrics., you will need an IPI, and possibly an ISNI and, in all cases, an ISWC for each musical work you contribute to.
If you're exclusively a In the context of music, a creator playing a musical work live or on a sound recording., you will usually only need an IPN and possibly an ISNI.
In all cases, an ISRC needs to be assigned to each distinct sound recording or music video you created or contributed to.
But if you are a songwriter and performer, or more, then you might well need them all.
Explore this collection to learn more about all these identifiers.
Quiz
Test you Metadata Identifiers knowledge?
Illustration credit: Martin Fabricius Rasmussen