Guides / ISRC codes

ISRC codes explained

Last reviewed 20 October 2026

An ISRC is the ID number for one recording. It is how streaming services, PPL and radio logs know that the audio they played is your audio, so it is how the money for that recording finds its way back to whoever owns it.

1. What an ISRC is

ISRC stands for International Standard Recording Code. It is a 12-character code given to one specific recording, and it stays with that recording for good. The system is run worldwide by IFPI, the recording industry's international body, and in the UK by PPL.

The thing to hold on to is that an ISRC identifies a recording, not a song:

Your track and somebody's cover of it are two recordings, so they have two ISRCs.
Your original mix and the radio edit are two recordings, so they have two ISRCs.
The song underneath all of them, the composition, has a different code altogether, the ISWC, which comes through your songwriting society, not through an ISRC. Why the song and the recording are separate is its own guide: every song is two copyrights.

Stems, rough mixes and bounces you never release do not need ISRCs. Codes are for the versions that go out into the world. Music videos can have them too.

2. How to get ISRCs in the UK

There are two routes, and most independent artists only ever use the first.

Let your distributor assign them

When you upload a release to a distributor and leave the ISRC field empty, most distributors assign a code for you. For a self-released single this is usually all you need. The code is built from your distributor's prefix rather than your own, but it is still the permanent ID of your recording, and you keep using it even if you move distributor later.

Get your own prefix from PPL

PPL is the ISRC agency for the UK. You can ask for an ISRC prefix when you join PPL as a recording rightsholder, or, if you only want codes and not membership, register online and choose the ISRC only option. Existing members ask through their myPPL account. With your own prefix you assign codes yourself, which suits you if you run a label, release a lot, or want every code in your catalogue to come from one place.

If you are not based in the UK, you get a prefix from your own country's ISRC agency, not from PPL. IFPI lists the agencies by country.

Either way, the codes should not cost you anything per track. Be wary of a website selling ISRCs one at a time.

3. How to read one

Twelve characters, in three parts. IFPI's own example is AA-6Q7-20-00047:

Part	Example	What it is
Prefix	`AA6Q7`	Five characters allocated by the ISRC agency to whoever is assigning the codes: you, your label or your distributor.
Year	`20`	The year the code was assigned. Not necessarily the year it was recorded.
Designation	`00047`	Five digits the code owner picks, one per recording, never repeated within a year.

The hyphens are only for reading. In metadata and upload forms you usually type the 12 characters without them.

4. When you need a new code

The rule of thumb: if the audio has changed, it is a new recording and needs a new ISRC.

Situation	Code
Radio edit, extended mix, clean version, instrumental	New ISRC
Remix, re-record, live or acoustic version	New ISRC
An edit that changes the length by more than 10 seconds	New ISRC
The same single later released on your EP or album	Same ISRC
The same master on a compilation	Same ISRC
The same master moved to a new distributor	Same ISRC
Licensing someone else's recording for your release	Their ISRC, not a new one
A remaster	Depends. See below

Remasters are the grey area. IFPI says a remaster usually keeps its code unless there is significant new creative input. PPL's guidance leans towards a new code for a remaster. If you have remastered something and are not sure, ask PPL before you release it.

Key takeawayOne ISRC per version you release. Same audio, same code, wherever it appears. Different audio, new code.

5. Common mistakes

Sharing one ISRC between versions. If the radio edit and the full mix go out on the same code, plays and royalties for the two get mixed up.
Taking a new code when you switch distributor. Reuse the original. A new code can look like a new recording to the services, and the play count and playlists the track already had may not carry across.
Reusing a code for a different track. Once assigned, a code belongs to that recording for good, even if the release it was made for never came out.
Assigning codes from your prefix to somebody else's recording. A prefix is for recordings you or your company own.
Not keeping a list. Write down every code, the exact version it belongs to and its length. You will need it when you register with PPL.

6. After you have one

An ISRC on its own does not collect anything. It is the reference other systems use, and in the UK the one that matters most is PPL. If you own the master, register each recording with PPL using its ISRC, with the full line-up of performers. PPL uses those registrations to pay out for radio, TV and music played in public, and it holds back the rightsholder's share for recordings that are missing the required details.

To check whether a recording already has a code, IFPI runs a public ISRC search at isrcsearch.ifpi.org. It covers most commercially released recordings, but not every code ever issued.

Making the track with other people? On Collabspot every collaborator signs off on their own credit, so the line-up you register is one everybody has already agreed to.

Try Collabspot free

Sources

IFPI, ISRC structure
IFPI, When to assign an ISRC
IFPI, ISRC FAQ
PPL, How do I get an ISRC?
PPL, How do I ensure accurate PPL payments?
PPL, What data is mandatory when I register a recording?
IFPI, ISRC search

This guide explains how ISRCs generally work in the UK. It is not legal or financial advice, and PPL and IFPI have the final word on their own rules. For anything contractual, talk to a music solicitor.