ISRC, ICPN, ISNI: External IDs and product codes

ISRC, ICPN, ISNI: External IDs and product codes

We attach at least one unique alphanumeric identifier to every musical entity in our database. These include our own Luminate IDs, industry-standard codes like ISRC and ISNI, platform/provider IDs and codes from various music databases.


Luminate compiles as many external IDs as we can verify for each musical asset in our database. Use ID Search to look up items by any valid ID. 


Why do we need these identifiers?

Assigning standard identifiers to artists, recordings and products is crucial. 


Uniqueness

Standard IDs like ISNI and ISRC give each artist and musical work at least one unique, distinct reference. This avoids confusion (such as when two artists have the same name) and promotes accurate attribution throughout the industry.

Read more: Methodology 101: Musical entities


Content management

There’s a vast ocean of music and music data, with more produced every day. Identifiers make it possible to track, manage, catalog and reference hundreds of millions of creative works. 

Read more: Music Data Enrichment


Rights management

Identifiers play a vital role in managing intellectual property rights. They enable licensing, royalty distribution and copyright enforcement—all of which ensures that creative work is valued properly. 

Read more: Musical Rights 


Standardization

Adopting standard identifiers ensures consistency and compatibility on a global scale. It promotes industry-wide collaboration and simplifies processes across platforms and borders. 

Read more: Music Registration


View Luminate IDs and External IDs on any Dashboard by clicking MORE DETAILS > at the bottom right of the Details pane. Or visit Music Data Enrichment’s Data Explorer to browse artist and musical work IDs.

Recordings, Products and Artists

Recordings, Products and Artists are identified by industry-standard codes called ISRC, ICPN and ISNI. These three ID types are used throughout CONNECT and Music Data Enrichment. 





ISRC: International Standard Recording Code

An ISRC identifies a unique Recording of a Song. Every version of a track (studio recording, live, demo, remixed, remastered) and every way a track is released (on an EP, single, album, soundtrack, Greatest Hits, Now That’s What I Call Music! CD) represents an ISRC. 


Song 

     ↳Recording/ISRC

     ↳Recording/ISRC

     ↳Recording/ISRC

​

CONNECT tracks streaming, song sales, Airplay and some digital product sales based on activity attached to ISRCs. They’re the building blocks of our database and fundamental to our activity tracking.
See an example: Song Dashboard with listed ISRCs

Browse Recordings/ISRCs from the Recordings pane at the bottom of a Song Dashboard. Some Recordings have alternate titles that describe live, remastered or other versions.



ISRCs are listed in the Recording Code column. Click any ISRC to visit its Recording Dashboard. 
See an example: Recording Dashboard
All ISRCs under a Song umbrella have their own Recording Dashboards. 

Navigate directly to a Recording Dashboard by performing an ID Search with an ISRC. Or go to a Song Dashboard > Recordings to browse all associated ISRCs.


ISRC: USJT10800007

Click the ISRC at top right to copy it to your clipboard.



ICPN: International Code Product Number

ICPN is an umbrella term for any of the standard barcodes that distinguish entities at the Product level. Every version of a Release—digital or physical—sold separately is identified by ICPN. Release Group and Release Dashboards list every ICPN attached to that entity; Product Dashboards have just one. 


            Release Group 

↳Release 

       ↳Product/ICPN

       ↳Product/ICPN


CONNECT tracks product sales based on activity attached to ICPNs. Release Groups and Releases appear in CONNECT only after component Products have been registered. Our logic sorts and combines Products into those higher-level entities.

See an example: Product Dashboard with ICPN
A Product Dashboard includes the ICPN at the top right. Click an ICPN to copy it to your clipboard. 
Valid ICPN formats

There are several ICPN/barcode standards used throughout the world.


Valid ICPNs include UPC (Universal Product Code, 12 digits), EAN (European Article Number, 13 digits), JAN (Japanese Article Number) and GTIN (Global Trade Item Number).




​

ISNI: International Standard Name Identifier

An ISNI is a unique identifier attached to a musical artist or musical group. ISNIs help distinguish between artists with the same name and ensure proper attribution for artists’ work. 


Solo artists, musical groups and individual members of a group all have unique ISNIs, as in the below examples of BLACKPINK and BLACKPINK members Rosé and Jisoo. (So do Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, David Crosby, Stephen Stills, Graham Nash, Neil Young, Neil Young & Crazy Horse, the band Crazy Horse and every member of Crazy Horse). 

See an example: BLACKPINK member ISNIs
BLACKPINK, the musical group, has a different ISNI than BLACKPINK members Rosé and Jisoo, below.


Click the ISNI at top right to copy it to your clipboard.








Musical works 

A musical work is a unique musical composition consisting of words, melody and essential creative characteristics. Musical works are registered with various rights organizations and databases separately from ISRCs. 



ISWC: International Standard Work Code 

An ISWC is an internationally recognized alphanumeric identifier assigned to a musical composition. 


One ISWC can be linked to multiple ISRCs, like Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide” and its many recordings over the decades. The “Landslide” ISWC, which identifies Stevie Nicks as the composer, is attached to dozens and dozens of ISRCs on various streaming platforms. These ISRCs include alternate recordings from the same artist as well as remixes and covers by other artists.


ISWCs are essential to Music Data Enrichment products, especially WorksMatch. 



BOWI: Best Open Work Identifier 

BOWI identifies musical compositions and other creative works as an alternative to ISWC. The BOWI database and registration process is maintained by Luminate Music Data Enrichment. Read more here. 



IPI: Interested Party Information

IPIs help identify songwriters and publishers that have creative and legal ownership over a work. They’re used by Performing Rights Organizations (PROs, like ASCAP or BMI) to help manage rights, credits and royalties. An IPI is assigned to each party with a stake in rights management for a musical work; one composition can have several attached IPIs.





Luminate IDs

Every musical entity in CONNECT is assigned a unique Luminate ID. The Luminate ID is always part of the Dashboard URL.


Use Luminate IDs to ID Search, navigate directly to a Dashboard or submit a Help ticket. Luminate IDs are useful when cross-checking entries, submitting data corrections or requesting title merges. 

See an example: Luminate ID and Dashboard URL

If you’re logged into CONNECT, you can use a Dashboard URL containing a Luminate ID to navigate directly to any entity. 


Click MORE DETAILS > to see the Luminate ID listed with other metadata under the DETAILS tab.


The Luminate ID for Diana Ross, ARC030F099276749CCA2CE41C60EA4F9F2, is part of the URL for her Artist Dashboard:


https://app.luminatedata.com/artist/ARC030F099276749CCA2CE41C60EA4F9F2/




 


Other searchable IDs

In addition to critical identifiers like ISRCs and ICPNs, we list other useful IDs under the Dashboard External IDs tab. You can search CONNECT using any of the following ID types or use our listed IDs to cross-reference entries in other databases. 


Provider IDs 

We list available identifiers for songs, artists and albums on streaming platforms, including:

  • APPLE

  • SPOTIFY

  • ANGHAMI (Middle East and North Africa)

  • MELON (South Korea)

  • FLO (South Korea)

See an example: Song with Provider IDs
 
Database IDs

We include IDs associated with entries in other music databases:

  • GRACENOTE

  • TMS (Tribune Media Services)


Legacy IDs

Some IDs are associated with entries in our legacy Music Connect database and are still searchable in CONNECT:

  • MC_RECORDING

  • MC_RECORDING GROUP

  • MC_RELEASE

  • MC_RELEASE_GROUP

  • MC_SONG

  • MC_PRODUCT


We also include a few IDs from other legacy Luminate products and companies:

  • NIELSEN

  • BDS (Broadcast Data Systems)

  • SOUNDSCAN

See an example: Release with Legacy IDs
Sleater-Kinney - The Hot Rock (Remastered)

 




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