Identifiers Used in the Music Industry

Serona Elton
University of Miami

Abstract

The digital age has imposed a greater need to manage information effectively and uniformly across the music industry. There are more transactions involving music that ever before, both as intangible intellectual property, such as musical compositions and sound recordings, and as commercial products, such as CDs and single-track downloads.  In response to this need, a number of identification systems have come into existence.  These systems include unique identifiers such as the International Standard Recording Code (ISRC), the International Standard Musical Work Code (ISWC), the Global Release Identifier (GRid), the International Standard Music Number (ISMN), and the Global Trade Item Number (GTIN). This article examines each of these standards in detail.

Keywords: music industry identifiers, music metadata, music business

Elton, Serona. “Identifiers Used in the Music Industry.” Journal of the Music and Entertainment Industry Educators Association 8, no. 1 (2008): 49-73. https://doi.org/10.25101/8.3

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