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There are several identifiers used in the music industry to identify people, companies, and intellectual property. Knowing the identifiers that have been assigned and making sure they are included when information is communicated can help rightsholders get the credit they deserve and get paid more quickly and accurately. The MLC does not require any of these identifiers to be provided when becoming a Member or registering a work/song with us. However, including this information is strongly recommended and can be added whenever it is known. From: Quote from “Know Your Identifiers | Mechanical Licensing Collective”

At A Glance

IPI

Stands for: Interested Party Information
Assigned by: Performing Rights Organization
Assigned to: Songwriters, Composers, Lyricists (writer IPI), and Publishers and Publishing Administrators (publisher IPI)

Parties with an interest in musical works (aka songs or compositions), such as songwriters, composers, lyricists, and music publishers, are identified in the Interested Party Information (IPI) standard. One identifier in the standard is the IP Base Number. This identifies the natural person or legal entity and is kept private. The related identifier, the IP Name Number, represents a particular public identity such as a stage name or writer pseudonym that is related to an IP Base Number, and is made publicly visible. When people refer to the IPI as an identifier, they are usually referring to the IP Base Number. For example, the composer commonly known as Prince, would have one IP Base Number assigned to him as a natural person, with multiple related IP Name Numbers, one for the name “Prince” and one for the name “Nelson Prince Rogers.” The IPI standard is widely used by performing rights organizations around the world to ensure that the royalties they pay are routed to the appropriate party. It is assigned the first time a songwriter, composer, lyricist, or other rightsholder registers with a performing rights organization, and it is subsequently associated with related musical works when they are registered with the organization. For more information, visit https://www.cisac.org/What-We-Do/Information-Services/IPI

ISWC

Stands for: International Standard Musical Work Code
Assigned by: Performing Rights Organizations
Assigned to: Musical works (aka songs or compositions)

Musical works (aka songs or compositions) are identified with an International Standard Musical Work Code (ISWC). An ISWC is a unique 11-character international identifier assigned to a musical work. For example, the musical work “Yesterday,” written by Paul McCartney and John Lennon has the ISWC T-801.412.391-3. The ISWC is helpful when activity or information related to musical works needs to be tracked or managed, such as in the processing of public performance or mechanical royalties. It is assigned the first time a musical work is registered with a qualified ISWC agency. In the U.S., ISWCs are assigned when musical works are registered with one of the U.S. performing rights organizations. For more information, and to access a publicly available database of ISWCs, visit https://iswcnet.cisac.org.

Don't Forget Derivatives

An ISWC is a unique identifier for a musical work. But do not forget that a musical work could be a derivative, (meaning it is based on another musical work). For example, there could be a public domain song, and an arrangement of that song. They are considered separate musical works and they should have separate ISWCs. While the first song may be in the public domain, this does not automatically mean that the derivative arrangement is in the public domain.

IPN

Stands for: International Performer Number
Assigned by: Performing Rights Organization
Assigned to: Artists and musicians (vocalists and instrumentalists) and other performers on sound recordings IPI

Performers on sound recordings are identified with an International Performer Number. An IPN is a unique 8-digit number. It is assigned when a performer is registered with a performers’ rights organization, such as SoundExchange in the U.S. and it is subsequently associated with related sound recordings when they are registered with the organization. For more information, visit https://www.scapr.org/tools-projects/ipd/

ISRC

SEE ISRC

Stands for: International Standard Recording Code
Assigned by: Record Labels or Distributors
Assigned to: Sound Recordings and Music Videos

ISNI

Stands for: International Standard Name Identifier
Assigned by: ISNI Registration Agencies 
Assigned to: Contributors to creative works and those companies active in their distribution or administration

Public identities of contributors to creative works and those active in their distribution, such as songwriters/composers, recording artists, music publishers, and record companies, can be identified with an International Standard Name Identifier (ISNI). Beethoven, The Rolling Stones, Atlantic Records, and Warner Chappell all have ISNIs. It was originally developed as a generic tool for identifying contributors to all creative works though its early application was in identifying creators of textual works by libraries and archives. ISNI codes are assigned in a central database when data from approved data contributors is received. The ISNI International Agency (a UK based non-profit company) serves as the Registration Authority, and it appoints Registration Agencies. Many songwriters, composers, lyricists, and recording artists have an ISNI because their music has been cataloged in a library. For more information, visit https://isni.org/

MLC Song Code

See also

• TheMLC.
• MLC Public Search

ICPN

• See also:
  • Quote from “ISRC, ICPN, ISNI: External IDs and product codes”
  • Support - luminatedata.com

ICPN is an umbrella term for any of the standard barcodes that distinguish entities at the Product level. Every version of a Release—digital or physical—sold separately as a unique Product is identified by ICPN. Release Group and Release Dashboards list every ICPN contained within that entity; Product Dashboards have just one.

Release Groups and Releases appear in CONNECT once component entities have been registered at the Product level; our logic automatically groups Products into those higher-level entities.

Valid ICPNs include UPC (Universal Product Code, 12 digits), EAN (European Article Number, 13 digits), JAN (Japanese Article Number) and GTIN (Global Trade Item Number).

Sources

• Know Your Identifiers | Mechanical Licensing Collective