What
Are ISRC Codes?
MAY 11
2010
The
ISRC (International Standard Recording Code) is the international
identification system for sound recordings and music video
recordings.
Each
ISRC is a unique and permanent identifier for a specific recording
which can be permanently encoded into a product as its digital
fingerprint. Encoded ISRC provide the means to automatically
identify recordings for royalty payments.
The
ISRC system is the key to royalty collection for recordings in the
digital information age. ISRC is a unique, reliable, international
identification system. ISRC provides a unique tool for the purpose
of rights administration. ISRC is a useful identification tool in
the electronic distribution of music. ISRC coding is compatible
with standards developed in the field of consumer electronics and
is readable by hardware already used in the recording industry.
ISRC
is cost effective - it can be put into operation without requiring
special investment in equipment or technologies. The ISRC consists
of twelve characters:
Important: The four elements should be separated by hyphens
and the letters ISRC should always precede an ISRC code.
ISRC Elements
The
code elements appear in the following order:
-
Country Code: represented by two letters eg (CA) which
identifies the country of residence of the registrant at the
time the ISRC is allocated.
-
Registrant Code: represented by three digits eg (AA2)
assigned in sequence from the AVLA database that are unique for
each record label/master owner. This code does not change if
ownership of the recording changes or if licensed to another
repertoire owner.
-
Year of Reference: represented by two numbers eg (08)
identifies the year in which the ISRC is allocated to the
recording which will usually be the year in which the full
mastering process for the recording is finalized.
-
Designation Code: five digits assigned by the producer/owner
as they choose eg (00001).
Where To Get
ISRC Codes in Canada
For
additional information, frequently asked questions and to register
for your own ISRC Codes please visit the
AVLA website.
AVLA
Audio-Video Licensing Agency Inc. is a non-exclusive agency that
provides licences on behalf of record companies and producers for
the purpose of broadcasting or duplicating audio and video
recordings in Canada.
Adding ISRC
Codes to your Songs
As
stated in our Terms of Business,
our client's production assets should be supplied "in final form
and in proper working order (ie: ready to manufacture as
supplied)" so your ISRC codes must already be embedded in
your audio files when you supply your Master content to us.
Please
understand that we specialize in manufacturing, duplication, print
and packaging of your CDs. We are not a post-production studio
and, thus, when meta-data needs to be embedded in audio files we
choose to leave that to people with the appropriate software and
expertise.
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