Metadata

Understanding ISRC codes, DDEX standards, music identifiers, and why clean metadata is the foundation of every royalty payment.

27 articles

What is Music Metadata and Why Does it Matter?
Pillar guide

What is Music Metadata and Why Does it Matter?

Music metadata is the structured information attached to every recording and composition; it is the invisible infrastructure that determines whether your royalties reach you. Poor metadata is the most common cause of payment failures, misattributed streams, and permanently uncollected income.

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Catalog Transfer Standard 1.0: What It Means for Labels

Catalog Transfer Standard 1.0: What It Means for Labels

DDEX's Catalog Transfer Standard (CTS) 1.0, released in 2022, provides a standardised format for transferring music catalogue data between distributors. It addresses one of the most painful operational problems in music: switching distributors without losing or corrupting catalogue metadata.

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DDEX ERN Explained: How Music Actually Gets Delivered to DSPs

DDEX ERN Explained: How Music Actually Gets Delivered to DSPs

DDEX ERN (Electronic Release Notification) is the international standard format for delivering music metadata from distributors to streaming platforms and stores. Understanding ERN is essential for labels and distributors who need to ensure their releases are ingested correctly by DSPs with accurate metadata.

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DDEX Message Types: The Complete Reference Guide

DDEX Message Types: The Complete Reference Guide

DDEX publishes multiple message type standards, each serving a different function in the music data supply chain. ERN, MEAD, PIE, DSR, MWDR, and BWARM are all DDEX standards that different parts of the music industry use to communicate standardised data. This guide explains each one.

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How to Get a GS1 Barcode for Music in the UK

How to Get a GS1 Barcode for Music in the UK

Physical music releases — CDs, vinyl, and cassettes — require a GS1 barcode (EAN-13 in the UK and Europe) for retail sale and physical distribution. This guide explains what GS1 barcodes are, how they differ from ISRCs and UPCs, and how to obtain one for a UK release.

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IPN vs IPI: The Two Identifier Types Explained

IPN vs IPI: The Two Identifier Types Explained

IPN (International Performer Number) and IPI (Interested Parties Information) are both music industry identifiers, but they operate in different copyright layers and are assigned by different organisations. Confusing them is common — this guide explains exactly what each one does and why both matter.

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ISNI vs IPI: Understanding Your Music Identifiers

ISNI vs IPI: Understanding Your Music Identifiers

ISNI and IPI are two different persistent identifiers used in the music industry to identify creators. They serve different purposes and are issued by different organisations. Understanding both — and having them linked — is important for royalty matching and AI metadata systems.

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ISRC Code Finder: How to Look Up, Verify and Assign Your Recording Codes

ISRC Code Finder: How to Look Up, Verify and Assign Your Recording Codes

Searching for an ISRC code? Whether you need to look up an existing code on a recording or find out if a track has been assigned one, here are the tools and steps to use.

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ISRC Code Finder: How to Look Up an ISRC for Any Recording

ISRC Code Finder: How to Look Up an ISRC for Any Recording

An ISRC (International Standard Recording Code) is the unique identifier attached to every commercially released recording. If you need to find an ISRC for an existing track — whether your own or someone else's — there are several reliable lookup tools and methods available.

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Do Cover Songs Need Their Own ISRC? (Yes — Here's Why)

Do Cover Songs Need Their Own ISRC? (Yes — Here's Why)

Every new recording needs its own ISRC — including cover versions, alternate mixes, acoustic sessions, and live recordings. Reusing an original artist's ISRC on your cover is one of the most common metadata errors in independent music and it causes royalty misattribution for both artists.

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Music Release Metadata Checklist (Pre-Release Best Practices)

Music Release Metadata Checklist (Pre-Release Best Practices)

Metadata errors made at the point of release are the hardest to fix and the most costly — they cause royalty misattribution, streaming platform conflicts, and chart ineligibility that compounds over time. This checklist covers everything to verify before you submit a release to your distributor.

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Publisher IPI vs Writer IPI: What's the Difference?

Publisher IPI vs Writer IPI: What's the Difference?

IPI (Interested Parties Information) numbers identify the parties who receive royalties from a musical work. A writer IPI and a publisher IPI are separate numbers that serve different functions in the royalty distribution chain. Self-publishing songwriters typically need both.

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DDEX ERN 4.3 Explained: What Independent Labels Need to Know About the Latest Standard

DDEX ERN 4.3 Explained: What Independent Labels Need to Know About the Latest Standard

DDEX ERN (Electronic Release Notification) is the industry standard for delivering music metadata from distributors to streaming platforms. Version 4.3 is the current standard. Independent labels rarely interact with ERN directly, but understanding it explains why metadata errors happen, which distributors are more reliable, and what DDEX compliance actually means when a distributor claims it.

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How to Embed ISRC Codes in WAV Files Using BWF axml Chunks

How to Embed ISRC Codes in WAV Files Using BWF axml Chunks

Most ISRC codes are registered in external databases but never embedded in the audio file itself. Embedding your ISRC in the BWF (Broadcast Wave Format) axml chunk of your WAV master means the code travels with the file permanently, survives format conversions, and provides an additional layer of protection against metadata loss in the distribution chain.

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What Is an IPN (International Performer Number) and How Do UK Artists Get One?

What Is an IPN (International Performer Number) and How Do UK Artists Get One?

An IPN (International Performer Number) is the globally unique identifier for performers in the neighbouring rights ecosystem. It allows PPL, SoundExchange, and their international counterparts to unambiguously identify performers across jurisdictions — and is essential for the correct routing of international neighbouring rights royalties.

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What Is an ISNI? How UK Musicians Get a Persistent Creator Identity

What Is an ISNI? How UK Musicians Get a Persistent Creator Identity

An ISNI (International Standard Name Identifier) is a 16-digit identifier that uniquely identifies a person or organisation involved in creative work. For musicians, ISNI solves a real problem: the same artist name appears across hundreds of databases with inconsistent spellings, different associated works, and no single authoritative reference. ISNI provides that reference.

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DDEX Explained: Why Metadata Standards Matter for Your Royalties

DDEX Explained: Why Metadata Standards Matter for Your Royalties

DDEX is the industry standard that governs how music metadata travels between distributors and platforms. Most independent artists have never heard of it. Most royalty errors trace back to it.

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ISRC vs UPC: What's the Difference?

ISRC vs UPC: What's the Difference?

ISRC and UPC are both identifiers used across the music industry, and both are required for a correctly set up release; they identify completely different things. Confusing them, or failing to apply them correctly, causes royalty matching failures and distribution problems.

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What is an ISRC Code and How Do I Get One?

What is an ISRC Code and How Do I Get One?

An ISRC code is the unique identifier attached to every commercial recording; without one, your track cannot be tracked, matched, or paid correctly across streaming platforms, broadcast, and neighbouring rights collection. Here is everything independent artists need to know.

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What Is an ISWC Code? The Musical Work Identifier Explained

What Is an ISWC Code? The Musical Work Identifier Explained

An ISWC code identifies the underlying composition, not the recording. Without one, international royalty matching breaks down. Here is what ISWC codes are, why they matter, and how to obtain one.

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ISRC vs ISWC vs UPC: What Each Code Does and Why You Need All Three

ISRC vs ISWC vs UPC: What Each Code Does and Why You Need All Three

Three codes (ISRC, ISWC, and UPC) identify your music at different levels. Confusing them is one of the most common causes of royalty gaps. Here is a plain-English explanation of each.

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What Is DDEX? The Music Industry Data Standard Explained

What Is DDEX? The Music Industry Data Standard Explained

DDEX is the technical standard that governs how music metadata is communicated between distributors, platforms, and collection societies. If your distributor does not follow it, your royalties are at risk.

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How to Fix Music Metadata Errors on Spotify and Other Streaming Platforms

How to Fix Music Metadata Errors on Spotify and Other Streaming Platforms

Metadata errors on streaming platforms can cost you royalties, damage your artist profile, and frustrate listeners. Here is how to identify errors and what you can actually do to fix them.

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What Is a Music Catalog Audit and Why Do You Need One?

What Is a Music Catalog Audit and Why Do You Need One?

A catalog audit is the process of systematically reviewing your releases for metadata gaps, registration errors, and uncollected royalties. Most artists who commission one find something they were missing.

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How Missing Metadata Causes Unpaid Royalties and What to Do About It

How Missing Metadata Causes Unpaid Royalties and What to Do About It

Missing or incorrect metadata is the single most common cause of unpaid royalties in the music industry. Here is the exact mechanism by which this happens and how to prevent it.

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ISRC Codes Explained: The Invisible Number That Controls Your Royalties

ISRC Codes Explained: The Invisible Number That Controls Your Royalties

Without an ISRC code, your track cannot be reliably identified by any platform or collection society. Here is how they work, why they matter, and how to make sure yours are correctly issued.

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The Five Metadata Mistakes Independent Artists Make That Cost Them Royalties

The Five Metadata Mistakes Independent Artists Make That Cost Them Royalties

Metadata errors are one of the most common reasons royalties go unpaid, and most artists never know it is happening. Here are the five mistakes we see most often and how to fix them.

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