ISRC Agency
ISRC Management
ISRC -the International Standard Recording Code, popularly called ‘ISRC Code’ in Jamaica, is the globally recognized standard numbering system for audio and music video recordings. It is constructed with a 12-digit alphanumeric code, which must follow a particular structure.
Purpose of ISRCs
ISRC enables sound recordings and music videos to be uniquely and permanently identified. ISRC helps to avoid ambiguity among recordings and simplifies the management of rights when recordings are used across different formats, distribution channels or products. The ISRC for a recording remains a fixed point of reference when the recording is used across different services, across borders, or under different licensing deals. (IFPI)
Who Should Request ISRCs?
ISRCs should be requested and embedded by the first owner of a sound recording or music video. Typically it is the executive producer/record label that will be eligible for ISRCs. Artistes will only be eligible for ISRCs where they produce and own their sound recordings.
Where to Get ISRCs
If the recordings are already released for sale on digital distribution on sites like iTunes, Amazon Music, CD Baby and others, they likely already have ISRCs. You may check your user account for the codes or contact your digital distributor/aggregator and request your codes so you can make them available to your collecting Society when registering your works.To code unreleased works, the ISRC prefix can be requested from the ISRC Agency in your territory of residence. JAMMS is the ISRC agency in Jamaica and serves Jamaican residents with ISRC requests. ISRC Agency Contact page. If there is no ISRC Agency in your territory, you can obtain an ISRC from the International ISRC Registration Authority.
Our Role as the National ISRC Agency
In 2015 JAMMS was appointed as the National ISRC Agency for Jamaica. This marked an important point in the history of the local recording industry.
As the National Agency, JAMMS is charged with the role of making ISRC Registrant Codes available to Record Producers. An ISRC Registrant Code is an identification tool used by the global Recording Industry to support Producers (Master Rights Owners) in uniquely identifying each of their sound recordings that have been made available in the digital marketplace whether for downloads or streaming etc.
ISRC enables sound recordings and music videos to be uniquely and permanently identified. ISRC helps to avoid ambiguity among recordings and simplifies the management of rights when recordings are used across different formats, distribution channels or products. The ISRC for a recording remains a fixed point of reference when the recording is used across different services, across borders, or under different licensing deals.
By making access to the ISRC prefix simple and convenient, it avoids the need for our local Producers to request ‘ISRC codes’ from an overseas source, and also avoids the need for Producers’ to rely on their Digital Distributor to assign ‘ISRC codes to their music.
Using ‘ISRC Codes’ raises the standard of doing music business.