ISRC vs ISWC — What's the Difference?
Two codes that identify different aspects of music — the recording and the composition. Here's how they compare and when you need each.
Quick Summary
ISRC
Identifies a specific sound recording — the actual audio or music video.
ISWC
Identifies a musical work or composition — the underlying song (melody, lyrics).
One Song, Multiple Codes
A single song can have one ISWC but multiple ISRCs. This is because:
- The ISWC identifies the composition itself — the melody, lyrics, and musical arrangement written by the songwriter(s). There's only one composition.
- Each recording of that composition gets its own ISRC — the original studio version, a live recording, a remix, an acoustic version, a cover by another artist, and a remastered version would each have separate ISRCs.
Example
"Yesterday" by The Beatles has one ISWC for the Lennon-McCartney composition, but separate ISRCs for:
- The original 1965 studio recording
- The 2009 remastered version
- Various live recordings
- Cover versions by other artists
Comparison Table
| ISRC | ISWC | |
|---|---|---|
| Stands for | International Standard Recording Code | International Standard Musical Work Code |
| Identifies | A specific sound recording or music video | A musical work / composition |
| Format | 12 alphanumeric characters (e.g. USRC17607839) | T- followed by 9 digits and a check digit (e.g. T-345246800-1) |
| Standard | ISO 3901 | ISO 15707 |
| Assigned by | National ISRC agencies, labels, distributors | Collecting societies (PROs) via CISAC |
| Used by | Labels, distributors, streaming platforms | Publishers, PROs, collecting societies |
| Tracks | Recording rights (master rights) | Publishing rights (composition rights) |
| Multiple per song? | Yes — one per recording version | No — one per composition |
Who Assigns Each Code?
ISRC — Recording Side
ISRCs are assigned by national ISRC agencies (like the RIAA in the US or PPL in the UK), record labels, and digital distributors. The ISRC belongs to the world of master rights — the rights to a specific recording.
Most independent artists get ISRCs automatically through their distributor (DistroKid, CD Baby, TuneCore, etc.).
ISWC — Composition Side
ISWCs are assigned by collecting societies (Performing Rights Organizations) through the CISAC network. Examples include ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC in the US, PRS in the UK, and GEMA in Germany.
Songwriters and publishers register their works with a PRO, and the ISWC is assigned as part of that process.
Why Both Codes Matter
When a song is streamed, two types of royalties are generated:
- Recording royalties (tracked by ISRC) — paid to the recording owner (label or artist who owns the master)
- Publishing royalties (tracked by ISWC) — paid to the songwriter(s) and publisher(s) who own the composition
Without proper ISRC and ISWC codes, royalties may not reach the correct rights holders. Both codes work together to ensure everyone gets paid.
Validate your ISRC
Use our free ISRC validator to check any code, or learn more about the ISRC format.