The music industry runs on a complex system of codes, numbers, and standardized terms. These identifiers help track how music is used and support how royalties are distributed. Whether you’re new to music publishing or already managing an active catalogue, understanding how these identifiers work is an important part of protecting your rights and ensuring you’re paid correctly.
For those just getting started, these terms form the foundation of how music is tracked and monetized. Keeping this information accurate and up to date can help streamline administration and prevent missed revenue.
Collective Management Organization (CMO): An organization, like CMRRA, that manages rights on behalf of rights holders by licensing uses, tracking activity, and collecting royalties earned, and distributing payments. CMOs may represent different types of rights, including publishing and neighbouring rights.
Performance Rights Organization (PRO): An organization, like SOCAN, that ensures songwriters, composers, and publishers get paid royalties when their music is publicly performed, broadcast, or streamed.
Digital Service Provider (DSP): An online platform that delivers music to listeners either through streams or downloads, such as Amazon Music, Apple Music, Meta, Spotify, TikTok, Tidal, YouTube, etc.
ISRC (International Standard Recording Code): A unique identifier assigned to a specific sound recording. This is a global standard identification number that acts as a “digital fingerprint”. The ISRC consists of twelve characters representing country (2 characters), registrant (3 characters), year of reference (2 digits) and designation (5 digits). In Canada, this code can be obtained through Panorama.
ISWC (International Standard Musical Work Code): A unique identifier assigned to a musical work, unrelated to the recording. ISWC numbers are issued by authorized Registration Agencies in each territory, usually PROs. The format of the ISWC number starts with the letter “T” followed by a unique nine-digit number and a check digit (ex. T-345246800-1).
Work Number: The internal registration number CMRRA assigns to a musical work. You’ll see this referenced in royalty statements and catalogues, and it’s used to help match usage files from licensees to the correct work.
CMRRA Account Number: The publisher account number assigned to you when you affiliate with CMRRA. Keeping this on hand makes it easier to reference your account when communicating with our team.
IPI Number (Interested Party Identifier): A unique international identification number assigned to rights holders. IPI’s are issued to both songwriter and publishers via an authorized agency. Ensuring your IPI is correctly linked to your works helps avoid delays in royalty distribution.
Metadata: Refers to key fields of data that are utilized across industry stakeholders to link rights holders to musical works and sound recordings, videos or other assets. As a publisher, providing correct metadata for your musical works is crucial for accurate registrations with CMOs and PROs. This includes Title, Songwriter(s), IPI number(s), ISWC number, plus the details of any associated recording, such as Artist Name, Recording Title (if different from the musical work) and ISRC. Accurate metadata is one of the most important factors in ensuring your works are properly tracked and paid across platforms.
Understanding these codes, and terms helps ensure your music is accurately registered, tracked, and paid. Whether you’re setting up your catalogue for the first time or maintaining an existing one, keeping this information organized and up to date is key to managing your rights and maximizing your royalties.
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