ISRC Structure

How It works

The structure (syntax) of ISRC comprises 12 alphanumeric characters, which should be presented with the 4-character prefix ‘ISRC’ when displayed in printed form.

Click on the ISRC for a breakdown of the code.

Code Identifier

Prefix Code — a five character alphanumeric code allocated by the ISRC Agency

Year of Reference — the last two digits of the year in which the ISRC is assigned to the track — assigned by the registrant

Designation Code — five digit unique code assigned by the Registrant. These numbers must not be repeated in the same calendar year.

ISRC AA-6QZ-20-00047

AA6QZ - Prefix code The prefix code comprises 2 letters followed by 3 alphanumeric characters. This is for compatibility with previous versions of the ISRC standard.

20 - Year of reference The ‘Year of Reference’ element identifies the year in which the ISRC is assigned to the recording. It consists of the last two digits of that year (e.g. 15 for 2015, 20 for 2020).

The ISRC will normally, but not necessarily always, be assigned to the recording in the year in which the preparation of the final production master of the recording is made. The purpose of the Year of Reference element is to refresh the space of codes which may be assigned each calendar year, to ensure that codes assigned in prior years cannot be inadvertently re-assigned.

The year in which the ISRC is assigned may be a different year from the year of recording. The year of recording is important information, but it should be entered into and obtained from the metadata associated with the recording, and not from the Year of Reference element of the ISRC.

00047 - Designation code The Designation Code consists of five digits assigned by the Registrant. Allocation of a new Prefix Code will be accompanied by the range of Designation Codes for which it is authorised for that Registrant. This may be the full range of 00000 to 99999, or a subset of allocated Designation Codes within that range. Registrants must take great care to ensure that they take Designation Codes only from any range allocated to them.

ISRC VALIDITY As with any widely used system, errors may occasionally arise that can cause improperly formed codes to be circulated in place of ISRCs.

There are some checks that may be carried out to determine whether codes meet the requirements of a validly-formed ISRC. These checks may be automated and could be used as part of a system for maintaining data quality. The code should be a 12-character alphanumeric string that fits the structure of ISRC detailed above.

Instances of systemic errors should be reported to the International ISRC Registration Authority.

Click here to download the current spreadsheet of two character codes allocated to ISRC Agencies by the International ISRC Registration Authority.

Download character codes allocated to ISRC Agencies