The short answer
An ISRC is a 12-character international code for one sound recording or music video, and it stays with that recording for life. A UPC is a 12-digit barcode number that identifies the release itself, the single or album as a product. You need both to publish any release on streaming platforms, and your distributor or label usually assigns them.
Many munshids and reciters ask at their first release: “what does ISRC mean?” and “my distributor asked for a UPC, where do I get one?” The two codes are not red tape; they are how platforms recognise your recording and credit its earnings.
What is an ISRC?
An ISRC, the International Standard Recording Code, identifies sound recordings and music videos uniquely and permanently, according to the International ISRC Agency. It has 12 alphanumeric characters in three parts: a 5-character prefix allocated by an ISRC agency, the last two digits of the year the code is assigned, and a 5-digit designation code set by the registrant that must not repeat within the same year. An ISRC does not identify the composition, the lyrics or the performer, only the recording.
What is a UPC?
A UPC is the product number that identifies the whole release in digital and physical stores, not a single track. GS1, the body that issues these numbers, says UPC is the common name for the 12-digit GTIN-12, used mostly in North America, while the 13-digit GTIN-13 is known as EAN and used in Europe and the rest of the world. Spotify describes a UPC as a 12–14 digit code that identifies your product.
What is the difference between ISRC and UPC?
The core difference: ISRC identifies the recording, and UPC identifies the release that holds the recordings. An album of 10 tracks has one UPC and 10 ISRCs:
| Aspect | ISRC | UPC |
|---|---|---|
| Identifies | One sound recording or music video | The release as a product: a single or album |
| Length | 12 alphanumeric characters | 12 digits (or 13 as EAN) |
| Reference body | The International ISRC Agency and its agencies | GS1 |
| Usually assigned by | The distributor or label, or the recording owner | The distributor or label |
| Does it change? | No, it stays with the recording for life | Each release and format gets its own |
When do you need a new ISRC?
You need a new ISRC when the musical content of the recording changes, not when the file format or the place it is published changes. These are the rules from the International ISRC Agency and Spotify:
- A remix or an edit: a new code.
- A change in playing time of more than 10 seconds: a new code.
- A live or acoustic version: its own code, as Spotify asks.
- A remaster: generally keeps the same code, unless the process adds significant new creative input.
- A single and its album version: one shared code, according to Spotify.
- A change of file format or bit rate: the same code.
An ISRC is never reused once assigned, and a recording that already has one must not get a second code.
Where do you get ISRC and UPC codes?
The easiest route is for your distributor to assign both codes when you deliver the release, which is what happens in most cases. These are the steps in order:
- Confirm you own the recording rights; according to the International ISRC Agency, only the recording rights owner, or someone acting on their instruction, may assign an ISRC.
- Check first whether the recording already has an ISRC from an earlier release; if it does, use it and do not request a new one.
- Ask your distributor to assign the codes, or supply your own if you have them; Spotify says a label or distributor usually assigns ISRCs.
- If you want your own codes, the International ISRC Agency offers self-releasing artists an online assignment service for a fee, and UPC numbers come from GS1 in your country.
- Keep the codes in one record next to each recording's title; they stay with your work even if you change distributor.
Why does the ISRC affect your Spotify royalties?
The ISRC affects your earnings because Spotify assesses royalty eligibility recording by recording. Since April 2024 each track needs at least 1,000 streams in the previous 12 months, plus a minimum number of listeners, and Spotify says each ISRC has to qualify on its own. So if the single and the album version arrive with two different codes, the streams split between them and neither may reach the threshold.
What about recitations and nasheeds?
The same rule applies: every surah or nasheed recording has its own ISRC. If a reciter records the same surah again, that is a new recording with a new code; if you gather previously released recitations into a complete mushaf, they keep their codes and the mushaf gets a new UPC as a new release. A percussion-only version of a nasheed is a different recording from its music version, so each has its own code.
This is the standard Injaz Digital works to: distribution to 100+ platforms, with metadata, rights and sales reports in one place, and protection for recitations and nasheeds on YouTube from the same team.
FAQ
Do I pay for an ISRC?
Usually not, because most distributors assign one as part of the release. If you want your own, the International ISRC Agency's service for self-releasing artists is paid.
Does the ISRC change if I switch distributor?
No. The code stays with the recording for life, and Spotify says it should stay with you whoever distributes the track later.
Does a music video need an ISRC?
Yes. ISRC identifies sound recordings and music videos, and each has its own code.
What is the difference between ISRC and ISWC?
ISRC identifies the recording, while ISWC identifies the musical work itself, the composition.
Sources
- International ISRC Agency: What is ISRC
- International ISRC Agency: FAQs
- International ISRC Agency: When to assign
- International ISRC Agency: When not to assign
- International ISRC Agency: Assign ISRC online
- GS1: The difference between GTIN, EAN and UPC
- Spotify for Artists: Glossary of music industry terms
- Spotify for Artists: Track monetization eligibility