UPCs and ISRCs both help identify music.

They do not identify the same thing.

The simplest explanation is:

ISRC = recording

UPC = release

What is an ISRC?

An International Standard Recording Code identifies an individual recording.

If an album contains ten tracks, each recording normally has its own ISRC.

An ISRC follows that recording through industry systems.

It can help with:

  • Identification
  • Reporting
  • Catalogue management
  • Royalty matching
  • Distributor transfers

What is a UPC?

A UPC identifies the overall commercial release.

A ten-track album might therefore have:

  • 10 ISRCs
  • 1 UPC

The UPC groups those recordings together as one product.

What about a single?

Even a one-track single can have both.

The track has an ISRC.

The single release has a UPC.

They may look like redundant identifiers when there is only one track, but they serve different purposes.

Who provides the codes?

Many music distributors generate them.

RouteNote currently generates a UPC when an artist doesn’t already have one and can also accept existing ISRC information during upload.

Should you reuse an ISRC when switching distributors?

If the audio is the exact same recording, generally keep the existing ISRC.

This helps services identify it as the same track.

RouteNote also supports reuse of existing identifiers when artists transfer releases.

Should you reuse a UPC?

When transferring the exact same release, retaining the existing UPC can help preserve consistency.

RouteNote has long supported artists reusing existing UPCs when moving from another distributor.

When do you need new codes?

A new recording generally needs a new ISRC.

Examples:

  • New live recording
  • Acoustic version
  • Remix
  • New vocal recording
  • Instrumental
  • Substantially different edit

A distinct commercial release may also require its own UPC.

Keep a catalogue spreadsheet

Record:

  • Track title
  • ISRC
  • Release title
  • UPC
  • Artist
  • Release date
  • Master file
  • Distributor

These numbers seem boring until you need to move a catalogue.

Then they suddenly become extremely important.