An ISRC number, or International Standard Recording Code, is a unique 12-character code used to identify sound recordings and music video recordings. It helps track sales, streams, and royalties for each specific recording.
The International Standard Recording Code (ISRC) is a unique identifier for sound recordings and music video recordings. It consists of 12 characters in the format “CC-XXX-YY-NNNNN”, where:
CC: Two-character country code of the registrant.
XXX: Three-character registrant code assigned to the rights holder.
YY: Last two digits of the year the ISRC was assigned.
NNNNN: A unique five-digit number identifying the specific recording.
ISRCs are crucial for tracking music sales, streams, and broadcasts. They help ensure that artists and rights holders receive proper royalties. Each recording, including remixes and covers, requires a separate ISRC.
Is the ISRC code different from a UPC code? Yes, it is.
The ISRC is your Sound/Video Recording Identifier. The International Standard Recording Code (ISRC) is the standard unique international identifier for sound and music video recording itself. The ISRC is tied to the recording in the track and not the carrier of the track (CD/Vinyl/Digital Album or individual digital sound/video file).
The UPC is your Release Identifier. The Universal Product Code (UPC) is the standard unique identifier for the release that carries your audio or video performance(s). The UPC may identify a single, an EP, an LP and the various versions thereof (digital download, CD, vinyl, tape, or DVD).
When you publish your music using Hillbilly Studio Records you music will be assigned both the ISRC code and a UPC for the songs for free. These numbers are only free when using Hillbilly Studio Records for distribution. You can obtain them on your own and then supply them to us when we publish them for distribution. If you already have them you just need to supply them to us before we publish your songs for distribution.