ISRC stands for International Standard Recording Code. It is a unique, 12-character identifier for a specific sound recording or music video. Think of it as the passport number for one particular audio master, not for the song (composition) itself.

The standard format is:CC-XXX-YY-NNNNN

• CC (Country code) – usually the country of the registrant or an overflow code used in high-volume territories.
• XXX (Registrant code) – identifies the company or individual issuing the code (label, producer, rights owner, or ISRC manager).
• YY (Year) – last two digits of the year the ISRC was assigned. This is not necessarily the recording year.
• NNNNN (Designation code) – a five-digit number that uniquely identifies the recording within that registrant and year.

Once you know this pattern, you can quickly spot impossible years, invalid country codes, or multiple “versions” that should in fact share the same ISRC. Once assigned, an ISRC should remain attached to that recording for its entire life, regardless of which distributor or label handles it later.

In today’s music industry, almost every system that pays or tracks money relies on the ISRC. If the identifier is wrong or missing, data breaks and royalties go missing.

• Accurate royalty collection. Collection societies, neighboring-rights organizations, and DSPs use the ISRC to know which specific recording generated streams, downloads, broadcasts, or sync uses.
• Consistent catalog management. Using ISRC as a stable key keeps your database, statements, and spreadsheets aligned as you change distributors, repackage releases, or license catalog.
• Clean separation of versions. Album version, radio edit, remix, live recording, and remaster each carry their own ISRC so that payouts and analytics are not mixed up.
• Global standard. ISRC is an international ISO standard, recognized by platforms, labels, PROs, and publishers worldwide.

Short version: better, more complete ISRC data means fewer mismatches and fewer lost royalties.

The Soundcharts ISRC Finder is designed for speed and clarity. You do not need technical access to the Soundcharts API to use it.

1. Paste a Spotify track URL or search by title and artist combination.
2. We query the Soundcharts API and match the recording in our database.
3. You get the ISRC for each recording, plus key metadata such as artist, track title, and release.
4. Copy or export the codes into your own systems, spreadsheets, or royalty workflows.

You can also find the ISRC directly inside the Soundcharts platform and API

ISRCs are governed by the IFPI and implemented through national ISRC agencies. These agencies assign registrant codes to entities that are allowed to generate ISRCs.

In practice, you usually get ISRCs in one of three ways:

• Your label or rights-holding company. Most labels have their own registrant code and assign ISRCs to all recordings they control.
• Your digital distributor. For many independent artists and small labels, distributors (DistroKid, TuneCore, CD Baby, etc.) automatically generate and attach ISRCs at delivery time.
• Direct registration with a national agency. Some creators and production companies register as ISRC registrants and issue codes themselves.

You can create your own ISRCs only if you are officially registered as a registrant or ISRC manager in your country. Otherwise, it is safer to let your distributor or label handle it.

Different identifiers serve different parts of the rights chain. They are complementary, not interchangeable.

• ISRC – identifies a specific recording (audio master or music video).
• ISWC (International Standard Musical Work Code) – identifies the composition (melody and lyrics), usually managed by publishers and PROs. One ISWC can be linked to many ISRCs.
• UPC / EAN (Universal Product Code / European Article Number) – identifies a release (album, EP, single, bundle) as a commercial product.

A typical album will have:

• One UPC for the full release.
• One ISRC for each track recording on that release.
• One ISWC per composition that those tracks embody.

You cannot see the ISRC directly inside the regular Spotify app. The easiest way is to use the Soundcharts ISRC Finder (above), which retrieves the official code from the Spotify API.

Beyond our tool, there are several places where your ISRCs may be visible:

• Distributor or label dashboards. Most distributors display the ISRC for each delivered track in their release pages.
• Audio file metadata. ISRCs can be embedded into WAV, MP3, FLAC, and other file formats. Mastering and tagging tools often show this field.
• PRO and neighboring-rights portals. Some societies expose ISRCs in their repertoire searches or member dashboards.
• Industry databases. Databases like Jaxsta, MusicBrainz and label-run catalogs may list ISRCs for officially released recordings.
• Physical product notes. In some cases, CDs or digital booklets include the ISRCs in the credits.

Once you have the correct ISRCs, they should appear everywhere your recordings are referenced or monetized. A few best practices:

• Make ISRC your primary key. Use it as the main identifier in your internal spreadsheets and databases, and join external reports on it rather than on title text.
• Include ISRC in all registrations. When registering works with PROs, neighboring-rights societies, or sync databases, always attach the ISRC for each recording.
• Embed ISRCs in masters. Whenever possible, embed the ISRC into the final audio files before delivery so the identifier travels with the file.
• Audit for duplicates and gaps. Use ISRCs to spot missing tracks, duplicate entries, or mismatches between your catalog and DSPs.

The Soundcharts ISRC Finder is often the first step: identify the correct code, then use the rest of the Soundcharts platform to connect that recording to performance, playlisting, and market data.

Yes. Each unique recording of a song — album version, radio edit, remix, live recording, remaster, or language version — should have its own ISRC. This allows platforms and royalty systems to distinguish between them and attribute usage correctly.

You cannot see the ISRC directly inside the regular Spotify app. However, Spotify exposes ISRCs via its Web API. The Soundcharts ISRC Finder uses that data for you: paste your Spotify track, album, or playlist URL (or search by artist and title), and we display the official ISRC along with track details.

If a recording has no ISRC, it becomes harder for platforms and rights organizations to track it, which can lead to missing or delayed royalties. You should request an ISRC from your distributor or label, or register with your local ISRC agency to obtain one and update your metadata before future deliveries.

No. An ISRC identifies a single recording, while a UPC (or EAN) identifies an entire release such as an album, EP, or single. You can think of the ISRC as a “track ID” and the UPC as the “release ID”.

For a properly delivered recording, the ISRC should be identical across all digital platforms (Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, Amazon Music, etc.). If you encounter multiple ISRCs for what appears to be the same track, it usually indicates separate versions or a metadata error that should be corrected.