What is an ISRC and why It matters

What is an ISRC?

ISRC stands for International Standard Recording Code. This 12-character alphanumeric code uniquely identifies a specific sound recording or music video. Think of it as a digital fingerprint embedded in the track’s metadata—ensuring it can be tracked, credited, and monetized across platforms and territories.

Each new version of a recording—studio, live, remix, or remaster—receives its own ISRC. This ensures that royalty reporting, rights management, and metadata systems don’t confuse one version with another.

The system was introduced in 1986 under the international standard ISO 3901 and is managed globally by the IFPI (International Federation of Phonographic Industry). Since 1989, it has become the default global standard for identifying master recordings and video performances.

Why ISRCs matter

An ISRC isn’t just a technical formality—it’s what makes modern royalty collection and music tracking possible. Without it, your track could go untracked, unpaid, or even rejected by platforms.

It ensures:

• Royalties go to the right people. Every stream, download, or radio play is reported using the ISRC, making sure the rights holder is paid.
• Your recording is uniquely identified, even if the same track exists in different versions (live, remixed, remastered).
• Digital platforms can manage your music correctly. Most distributors and DSPs require an ISRC for uploads.
• Your data stays clean. Clear metadata avoids mix-ups between similar recordings in different territories or systems. Soundcharts can help you track your catalog and keep your metadatas consitent!

If you don’t assign an ISRC, you risk losing revenue and visibility. Platforms may refuse the track, and royalty systems won’t know who to pay.

How is an ISRC structured

The ISRC is composed of 12 alphanumeric characters, broken into four elements:

Example: US-QZ5-25-00001

• US-QZ5 — The prefix code, a five-character block (two letters and three alphanumerics) assigned by the national ISRC agency. Prior to 2019, the first two letters often reflected the country of assignment, but the current ISO 3901:2019 standard treats the prefix as a single unit, without fixed geographic meaning.
• 25 — The year of reference, indicating when the ISRC was assigned. This is not necessarily the same as the recording or release year.
• 00001 — The designation code, a five-digit number that uniquely identifies the recording within the registrant’s annual sequence.

Once assigned, an ISRC is permanent—it should never change, even if the track switches distributors or rights holders.

Where to get an ISRC code

There are three main ways to get an ISRC:

• Through a distributor: If you use platforms like DistroKid, TuneCore, or Unchained Music, an ISRC is usually assigned automatically when you upload your track. It’s often listed in your release dashboard or metadata report.
• From a national agency: If you want to create your own ISRCs, you can apply for a registrant prefix from the agency in your country. In the U.S., this is handled by the RIAA. The one-time fee is around $95. Once approved, you can generate codes yourself, following IFPI rules.
• Via a third party: Some label services, aggregators, or mastering engineers can assign ISRCs for you—especially if they’re authorized by your local agency.

Creating your own ISRCs gives you more control, but also more responsibility. You’ll need to track your assignments, avoid duplicates, and make sure codes are valid and consistent. This is especially useful for labels managing large catalogs or artists with many versions of the same track.

ISRC vs. UPC: What’s the difference?

People often confuse ISRCs and UPCs, but they serve different purposes:

• An ISRC identifies a specific recording—like a single song, remix, or alternate take.
• A UPC (Universal Product Code) identifies a product—like an album, EP, or a full digital release.

If a playlist includes five versions of the same track, each version needs its own ISRC. But the playlist as a product might have one UPC. ISRCs help track plays and royalties, while UPCs are used for sales, inventory, and charting.