Applications

Applications FAQ's

What do I get?
You will be allocated an ISRC Registrant Code, which allows Recording Owners and ISRC Managers to assign up to 100,000 ISRCs per year. Even for the largest label this is usually plenty. This Registrant Code will stay with you for life, and the ISRCs you assign will work in any territory of distribution. Once registered with us, there are no additional costs involved with assigning ISRCs for your recordings, and you will never have to re-register or pay any additional fee.

Compared with the costs of other media identifiers, it is a great value at $75 per Registrant. If you were to assign the full 100,000 ISRCs per year, the cost of an individual ISRC is less than 1 cent per ISRC. If you make one album a year for five years, that still works out at only about a dollar a track. We think that's good value.

Why is there a fee?
The application fee helps to cover the costs of administering and supporting the ISRC system in the US. The per-ISRC rate is substantially less than the costs of identifiers for other media (e.g. ISBN for books) and is in line with the expected start-up or registration fees of other industry services. We aim to keep the US ISRC Registrant Code as affordable and accessible as possible.

Is this a recurring fee?
No. This is a one-time fee to cover the costs of processing your request.

Can I obtain ISRCs elsewhere?
ISRC Managers that have been approved by the US ISRC Agency can provide individual ISRCs for artists or labels who do not wish to manage their own ISRC assignment. ISRCs are issued as a part of the recording owners' business arrangement with an ISRC Manager and are provided on a TYPO? songby-song basis. A list of ISRC Managers through which you can obtain ISRCs is available here. If you have any questions about the legitimacy of an entity that is providing ISRCs, you may contact us to determine whether they have been approved.

How long will this take? I need to assign my ISRCs immediately.
We process registration requests each working day, usually throughout the day. This means that your application will be processed on the same business day it is submitted. Once approved, you will be emailed a log-in and password that will provide you immediate access to your Registrant Code and the information you need to begin assigning ISRCs. If you do not receive an email response by the next day, please email us at: isrc@riaa.com.

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