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.
What an ISRC is and why you might need to look one up
An ISRC (International Standard Recording Code) is a 12-character alphanumeric code that uniquely identifies a specific sound recording or music video. It is embedded in audio files, used by DSPs to track streams and downloads, and used by royalty collection societies to match performances to the correct rights holders. You might need to look up an ISRC if you are trying to verify the code assigned to your own recordings, audit a back catalogue, investigate why a track is not generating royalties correctly, or confirm whether a recording already has an ISRC before issuing a new one. Issuing a duplicate ISRC for a recording that already has one causes metadata conflicts at DSPs and royalty collection societies.
The IFPI ISRC search tool
The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) operates the global ISRC registry. The IFPI ISRC search is available at isrc.ifpi.org and allows you to search for recordings by ISRC code or by artist and title. The database is the authoritative global record of issued ISRCs and is updated by member labels, distributors, and national ISRC agencies. If an ISRC was correctly registered by a legitimate distributor or label, it should appear here. Note that the database reflects what has been formally registered — ISRCs issued by smaller distributors or self-releasing artists who did not register centrally may not appear.
PPL DataBank (UK recordings)
PPL (Phonographic Performance Limited) maintains the UK's national repertoire database, PPL DataBank, which contains ISRC data for recordings registered by PPL members. If a recording is registered with PPL — which is required for UK artists seeking PPL neighbouring rights royalties — the ISRC will be listed in the DataBank. PPL DataBank is accessible to PPL members and can be searched by recording title, artist name, or ISRC. For UK independent artists, this is often the fastest way to confirm whether your recordings are correctly registered and whether their ISRCs are on file.
Distributor dashboards
If you distributed your music through a digital distributor, your ISRC codes are almost certainly visible in your distributor account dashboard. DistroKid, TuneCore, CD Baby, Amuse, and most other major distributors display the ISRCs assigned to each release. Log in, navigate to the release, and look for the track-level metadata — the ISRC will typically appear alongside the UPC for the release. If you used different distributors for different releases over time, you will need to check each account separately. Download or record the ISRCs in a master catalogue spreadsheet to avoid future confusion.
Checking ID3 tags in the audio file itself
ISRCs are often embedded directly in the audio file as part of its metadata. For WAV files, the ISRC is typically stored in the BWF (Broadcast Wave Format) AXML chunk. For MP3 files, it appears in the ID3 TSRC tag. You can check these using a metadata viewer such as MediaInfo (free, available for macOS and Windows) or Kid3 Tag Editor. Open the file and look for the ISRC or TSRC field. This method is useful for older recordings where you no longer have access to the original distributor account and where the ISRC was embedded at mastering stage.
What to do if no ISRC exists for a recording
If none of the above methods return an ISRC for a recording, one of three things is likely true — the recording was never assigned an ISRC, the ISRC was assigned but never registered centrally, or the recording predates widespread ISRC adoption. In any of these cases, you should issue a new ISRC. UK labels and distributors obtain ISRCs through the PPL (which acts as the UK ISRC agency), or through a distributor that issues ISRCs as part of the distribution process. Never fabricate or reuse an ISRC from another recording. If you are auditing a back catalogue with missing ISRCs, Code Group Music's metadata administration service can assign and register correct codes for the full catalogue.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use an ISRC finder to check if my recordings are registered?
Yes. The IFPI ISRC search and PPL DataBank are the most reliable free tools for checking whether a recording has been assigned and registered an ISRC. If the recording does not appear in either database, it may have been assigned an ISRC by a distributor without being centrally registered, or it may not have been assigned one at all.
Is it free to look up an ISRC?
Yes. The IFPI ISRC search at isrc.ifpi.org is a free public tool. PPL DataBank requires PPL membership, but PPL membership is also free.
What if my distributor assigned me an ISRC but it is wrong?
Contact your distributor immediately. An incorrect ISRC — one that belongs to a different recording or that was formatted incorrectly — will cause royalty matching failures at DSPs and collection societies. The distributor will need to correct the metadata and resubmit to all DSPs.
Can two recordings have the same ISRC?
No. An ISRC must be unique to a single specific recording. If you discover that two recordings share the same ISRC, that is a metadata error that needs to be corrected urgently. It will cause royalty misattribution at every DSP and collection society that uses that code.
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