ISRC codes: The code that identifies each recording.

What an ISRC identifies

Sources checked on 23 October 2026

The ISRC Handbook (4th edition, 2021) is the manual for the standard, ISO 3901:2019. It keeps three identifiers apart:

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A CD or a download does not get an ISRC of its own. The handbook says “A CD or MP3 file shall not have an ISRC assigned to it” (A.11.2); the recordings on it have theirs.

How the code is built

The handbook says “The code itself consists of twelve characters.” Since the 2019 edition of the standard they fall into three parts. The handbook’s own example, AA-6Q7-20-00047, is made up and is not a real code:

• AA6Q7 is the Prefix Code, five characters. It replaced the earlier two-letter country code followed by a registrant code.
• 20 is the year of reference: the “year in which the ISRC is assigned”, not the year the recording was made.
• 00047 is the designation code, five digits.

The hyphens are only there to make it easier to read; the code is the twelve characters.

When a recording needs a new ISRC

A new version of a recording gets its own code. The handbook works through the common cases:

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For a song released as a single and then on an album, Spotify’s track eligibility page says: “It can depend on the distributor, but single and album versions of a song should share one ISRC.” If you are unsure, ask your distributor before you upload.

How to get ISRC codes

Distributors can assign codes for you when you upload. DistroKid’s help page says “DistroKid will generate an ISRC for every song you upload.” TuneCore’s help page says “a TuneCore ISRC will automatically be generated for you.” We could not open those two pages directly, so the wording comes from their search listings. Check your distributor’s current page before uploading.

In the US you can also get your own prefix and assign codes yourself. The US ISRC Agency says “There is a one-time $95 administrative fee for the allocation of a Rights Owner Prefix”, with “no additional costs involved with assigning individual numbers.” You must be in the US or a US territory to get a prefix from it.

How to find an ISRC

Start with your own records. IFPI’s FAQ says you can “search free-of-charge in the International ISRC Database”, at isrcsearch.ifpi.org.

Put the code in the file

The handbook says “the ISRC should if possible be encoded alongside the recording” (4.9). For MP3 files, IFPI’s FAQ says “It is therefore recommended that an ISRC be encoded into the ID3 tag.” For CD it says “ISRCs must be encoded for each track in the Pre-Master for CD.”

Keep the codes with the release

In Release manager, each track on a release has its own ISRC field and the release has a UPC field. The release’s delivery check names any track that still has no ISRC.

The music release checklist shows where identifiers fit among the other release tasks, from the audio and artwork to delivery and launch.