International Standard Musical Work Code (ISWC)

Why does one have to get an ISWC when an ISRC has already been assigned? Is there any difference between both internationally recognised standardization processes when both are for musical sounds?

The International Standard Musical Work Code (ISWC) is a unique identifier used to identify musical works or compositions while International Standard Recording Code (ISRC) is also a unique identifier for sound recordings performed by an artist. To read more about ISRC, please click here.

In early 2000, precisely 2002, the France-based International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers (CISAC) with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) developed an eleven-digit alphanumeric unique code called ISWC.

The code which is assigned by CISAC is used by music rights organizations and other organizations involved in the music industry to identify and track musical works.

The ISWC is important for several reasons.

Firstly, it allows for the accurate identification and tracking of musical works, which is essential for the proper distribution of royalties to the correct rights holders. The parameters it helps identify and track for a musical composition include song title, songwriter(s), music publisher(s), and/ or music ownership share(s).

Secondly, it provides a standardized format for identifying musical works, which can be used across different music rights organizations and countries.

In addition to its use in the music industry, the ISWC is also used by other organizations, such as libraries and archives, to catalog and organize musical works.

It is also used by researchers and scholars to identify specific musical works in their research.

Overall, the ISWC plays a crucial role in the music industry, providing a unique and standardized way of identifying and tracking musical works.

The ISWC is an eleven-digit alphanumeric code consisting of a letter, followed by nine digits (numbers), and the 11th is a check digit.

The first letter is usually “T”, the other nine digits/numbers are unique to the specific musical work and range from 00000001 to 999999999, while the check digit is a number also. An example of ISWC is T-659 263 884-1.

As earlier mentioned that this eleven-digit alphanumeric digit is unique and can’t be shared or reassigned. So, how does one get one?

ISWC number is usually assigned by an ISWC Registration Agency, and this agency can be a local or regional one. The local agency usually covers a territory while the regional agency covers multiple territories.

Creators and Publishers can request their ISWC from local or regional registration agencies within their territory because the ISWC Registration Authority never assigns a code to a creator or publisher, only registration agencies appointed by it. And these local or regional registration agencies are sometimes Collective Management Organizations (CMOs). If a creator or publisher does not have a connection with any CMOs, can check for an ISWC registration agency within its territory.

Meanwhile, an intending registrant who is a CMO can register as a local or regional agency.

Requesting to have an ISWC code assigned to a musical composition/work, the following information needs to be given: song title, all composers, authors and arrangers who were part of the work, and version of musical composition (original, cover, remix, and others).

The International Standard Musical Work Code (ISWC) is a unique identifier used to identify musical works or compositions.

ISWC: The Key to Collecting Royalties for Your Music

The International Standard Musical Work Code (ISWC) is a unique identifier used to identify musical works or compositions.

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