An ISRC (International Standard Recording Code) is an international means of identification of sound-recordings and music-videos.

Country Code: identifies the country of residence of the registrant. It consists of two letters. (Example: FR = France)

Registrant Code: identifies the producer of the recording at the time the ISRC was allocated. It is an alpha code and is assigned by National ISRC Agencies (PPI being the National ISRC Agency for Ireland) upon application by the producer. (Example: Z03 = Mercury, France)

Year of Reference Code: identifies the year in which the ISRC was allocated to the recording. It consists of the last two digits of the year. (Example: 98 = 1998)

Designation Code: is assigned by the producer and consists of five digits. Numbers are assigned sequentially.

Considering there is a need to differentiate between sound recordings and music-videos, PPI have adopted a way of differentiating between these two with the Registrant Code.

The ISRC should be included in all relevant documentation concerning a recording.

As PPI is listed as Ireland's National ISRC Agency, it is obliged to:

1. Inform all producers in their respective countries about the ISRC system and its benefits and promote its use.

2. Use best endeavors to ensure that all tracks of digital recordings issued by producers after 1 January 1992, have an ISRC number.

3. Inform all producers of the national Country Code.

4. Allocate company codes (Registrant Code) to all producers and inform them of their codes.

5. Ensure that all tracks originated in the country are allocated an ISRC number by the producer.

6. Provide producers with guidelines on the practical implementation of the system and resolve operational problems in liaison with the International Registration Authority (IFPI) to prevent inconsistencies.

7. Keep a record of all company codes and to which companies they were allocated and in accordance with ISO 3901, Annex A.5.2 (ISRC) prepare two listings (in alphanumeric sequence):

a)	Country Code	Registrant	Registrant	Department or person to be contacted
		(Company) Name	(Name & Address)	(is necessary)
b)	Registrant	Country Code	Registrant	Department or person to be contacted
	(Name & Address)		(Company) Code	(is necessary)

8. Act as controller and arbitrator for all ISRC matters in its country.

9. Report periodically, at least once a year to the International Registration Authority (IFPI) on the implementation of ISRC in their respective countries and consult with IFPI before any new code is used to identify a specific recording format.

10. When possible, act as a repository for information on sound recording identification and ownership in their country.

 

How Do I Get an ISRC Code?

In order to obtain an ISRC code please send the following information to isrc@ppiltd.com:

• Contact Name
• Record Company/Label
• Address
• Phone
• Email
• Artist Name

If you have any further questions regarding ISRC codes, please contact the ISRC Department on Tel 01 280 5977 or email isrc@ppiltd.com

Please also refer to the ISRC section on the IFPI website for further information http://www.ifpi.org/content/section_resources/isrc.html:

The latest issue of the ISRC handbook is available from http://www.ifpi.org/content/library/isrc_handbook.pdf