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 entries in CONNECT by any valid ID.
Why do we need these codes?
Assigning standard identifiers to artists, recordings and products is crucial for several reasons.
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.
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.
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.
Standardization
Adopting standard identifiers ensures consistency and compatibility on a global scale. It promotes industry-wide collaboration and simplifies processes across platforms and borders.
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 Dashboards list every ISRC attached to that song. Browse ISRCs from the Recordings pane at the bottom of a Song Dashboard; click any ISRC to visit its Recording Dashboard.
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. All Recordings must be registered with us via ISRC.
Song
↳Recording/ISRC
↳Recording/ISRC
↳Recording/ISRC
Recording Dashboards include ISRCs at the top right. Click an ISRC 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.
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 groups Products into those higher-level entities. All Products must be registered with us using an ICPN.
Release Group
↳Release
↳Product/ICPN
↳Product/ICPN
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).
A Product Dashboard includes the ICPN at the top right. Click an ICPN to copy it to your clipboard.
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 member Rosé. (So do Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, David Crosby, Stephen Stills, Graham Nash, Neil Young, Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Crazy Horse and every other member of Crazy Horse).
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.
If you’re logged into CONNECT, you can use a Dashboard URL to navigate directly to any entity. For example, here’s the URL for the Diana Ross Artist Dashboard pictured below:
https://app.luminatedata.com/artist/ARC030F099276749CCA2CE41C60EA4F9F2/
Use Luminate IDs to ID Search, navigate directly to a Dashboard via URL or submit a Help ticket. Luminate IDs are useful when cross-checking entries, submitting data corrections or requesting title merges.
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)
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
More to know
Glossary: Acronyms, key terms and definitions
Music registration: Add entries to our database
Data Explorer: Search hundreds of millions of musical IDs
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