Every recording and every release you have published carries a code. Stores use those codes, not your name or title, to decide whether a delivery is new or already on their shelves. Understand the two codes and you will never lose a stream count by accident.
ISRC: one code per recording
ISRC stands for International Standard Recording Code. It is a twelve-character code that identifies one specific recording: a studio version, a remix, a live version or a radio edit. Each of those is a different recording and needs its own ISRC. The same recording keeps its ISRC forever, whether on a single, an album or a compilation.
The code has four parts: a two-letter country prefix, a three-character registrant code for whoever issued it, two digits for the year of assignment, and a five-digit serial number. IFPI administers the system internationally and, in most countries, a national agency issues registrant codes. Your distributor can issue ISRCs from its own registrant code if you have none; you can also apply for your own.
UPC: one code per release
UPC stands for Universal Product Code. It identifies a product: the single, EP or album as a whole, not the tracks inside it. Its European equivalent is the thirteen-digit EAN, and stores treat the two as the same thing. The codes come from GS1, the organisation behind barcodes in every industry, and distributors usually hold a range to assign to releases.
A release has exactly one UPC, however many tracks it contains. If you later re-issue it with a different track list, title or artwork, stores usually treat it as a new product and expect a new UPC. If nothing about the product changes, the UPC should not change either.
Why the codes must travel with you
Stores build their catalogue around these codes. When a delivery arrives with an ISRC they already know, they usually link it to the existing track page, keeping the play count, playlist placements, saves and lyrics. When a delivery arrives with a new ISRC for the same audio, the store usually creates a second track starting from zero, and the old one disappears once the previous distributor removes it.
The same applies to the UPC and the release page. Moving a catalogue with the original codes and original release dates is therefore the most important detail of a safe switch. Mazufa Records keeps your existing ISRC and UPC codes when you transfer a catalogue. If a previous distributor refuses to let a UPC it assigned be reused, the ISRCs can usually still be kept, protecting the track-level history.
- Keep the ISRC: the track page, its streams and its playlist placements usually survive
- Keep the UPC: the release page and its original release date usually survive
- Change both: stores usually see a brand-new release with no history
Where to find your codes
Your current distributor dashboard is the first place to look; most show the ISRC on each track and the UPC on each release, and many export the whole catalogue as a spreadsheet. Your royalty statements are the second place: every line that pays you is tied to an ISRC and usually to a UPC. The delivery confirmation emails sent when each release went live often list both.
If none of these is available, several stores show the ISRC in the track details or credits view. The international ISRC search run by IFPI lets you search by artist and title. The audio files you originally uploaded sometimes carry the ISRC in their embedded metadata.
Common mistakes
The most common mistake is assigning a new ISRC to an existing recording because the old one was never written down. The second is reusing one ISRC for two versions, such as a clean edit and an explicit version, which stores usually reject or merge incorrectly. The third is thinking the UPC belongs to the artist; it identifies the product, so a compilation containing the same track needs a different UPC.
Keep one catalogue sheet with a row per recording: title, version, ISRC, the UPC of every release it appears on, and the original release date. Update it the day a release goes live. Five minutes now saves weeks later.
Three practical steps
- Export your full catalogue with ISRC, UPC and release dates today.
- Never assign a new code to a recording or release that already has one.
- Give every new version, remix or edit its own ISRC before delivery.
Questions people ask
Can I get my own ISRC registrant code?
Usually yes. National ISRC agencies, coordinated by IFPI, issue registrant codes to labels and self-releasing artists, free or for a small fee depending on the country. Codes issued by a distributor remain valid after you leave it.
Do I need a new ISRC for a remaster?
Usually yes. A remaster counts as a new recording under the standard, so it should carry a new ISRC. A simple re-upload of the same audio keeps the old one.
My previous distributor assigned the UPC. Can I keep it?
Often yes, but it depends on that distributor, because the UPC range belongs to them. Ask in writing before you move; if they refuse, keep the ISRCs and accept a new UPC.