Faq's

Assignment

FAQs for Assignment

Should I issue multiple ISRCs for a single track (e.g. due to a change in ownership)?
Can I assign ISRCs for recordings owned by others?
What if a recording has more than one copyright owner? Who should apply?
Can I assign ISRCs to previously released material e.g. on a CD that has already been mastered without including the ISRCs?
Can I assign ISRCs to recordings that I have licensed?
Do I need separate ISRC Registrant Codes for video and audio?
When do changes in a recording merit a new ISRC?

FAQs for Assignment

Q. Should I issue multiple ISRCs for a single track (e.g. due to a change in ownership)?

No. An ISRC should uniquely identify the recording to which it was assigned, and changes in ownership should not affect a recording's ISRC.

If you now have your own Registrant Code but have in the past obtained ISRCs through third parties, you do not need to re-issue ISRCs for these recordings.

Q. Can I assign ISRCs for recordings owned by others?

If you are registered as a Recording Owner, ISRCs should only be assigned to recordings that you own. There are separate provisions available for assigning ISRCs for others. The information on Registrant Types can be found here. If you feel that you have applied for the wrong type of Registrant Code, please contact us: isrc@riaa.com.

Q. What if a recording has more than one copyright owner? Who should apply?

The owners can designate one of the copyright owners to assign ISRCs for recordings whose rights are shared.

Q. Can I assign ISRCs to previously released material e.g. on a CD that has already been mastered without including the ISRCs?

Yes. Assign ISRCs to your previously mastered recordings and maintain a good record of the assignments. If you ever re-master, your ISRCs can be included at that time.

Q. Can I assign ISRCs to recordings that I have licensed?

We have a provision that allows you to assign ISRCs to recordings that you have licensed, provided that a) ISRCs have not already been assigned; and b) the licensor, which is the entity responsible for assigning the codes, is either unable or unwilling to do so.

If you believe this applies, please contact: isrc@riaa.com.

Q. Do I need separate ISRC Registrant Codes for video and audio?

A music video recording is always different from a sound recording even if the same sound recording occurs in the music video recording. This means that a seperate ISRC must be assigned to the music video recording.

The same Registrant Code can be used to assign ISRCs for sound recordings and music video recordings. 

Q. When do changes in a recording merit a new ISRC?

A new ISRC must be issued when:

• A sound recording is re-mixed or edited.
• If a new fade changes the length of a track by more than 10 seconds.
• Edits that change the length of a sound recording by more than 10 seconds (playing time is measured from the first recorded modulation to the last recorded modulation).
• A previously released sound recording is partially used as part of a compilation.
• A 'full restoration' of a historical recording is performed by re-mastering, re-pitching, re-equalizing, de-noising or de-clicking a sound recording to meet contemporary quality standards. The registrant of the recording has discretion when making the determination between full re-mastering (sound restoration) and simple re-mastering (reproduction without sound restoration).

For a complete description of situations that require a new ISRC, please consult the most recent ISRC Handbook - available at http://www.ifpi.org/content/library/isrc_handbook.pdf.

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