What
is an ISWC?
The ISWC (International Standard Musical Work Code) is a unique,
permanent and internationally
recognized reference number for the identification of musical
works.
Where did the ISWC originate?
The ISWC is part of the CIS plan (Common Information
System) which CISAC, the confederation of societies
of authors, has developed in order to respond to the needs for information
in the digital age.
Is ISWC a world-wide standard?
Yes. The ISWC has been approved by ISO (International Organization
for Standardisation). There is an
official document that defines how the ISWC should be structured,
as well as the rules governing its issuance
and application.
What is an ISWC composed of?
An ISWC begins with the letter "T", followed by a nine-digit
unique number (from 00000001 to 999999999),
and an additional check digit at the end. (Written Format: T-345246800-1).
When is an ISWC allocated?
An ISWC is only allocated by a qualified numbering agency when
all the creators have been uniquely identified.
What is the descriptive metadata for an ISWC?
The descriptive metadata for an ISWC includes: · the title
of the work· all composers, authors and arrangers
of the work identified by their CAE/IPI numbers and role codes·
the work classification code
(from the CIS standards list)· in the case of 'versions', for
example arrangements, identification of the
work from which the version was made. Without this minimum information,
an ISWC cannot be allocated.
What will the ISWC do?
The ISWC will uniquely and accurately identify each specific
musical work. The current identification methods
of Musical works, such as by work title, may at times result
in confusion specially when multiple musical works
share the same or similar titles. Since ISWC remains permanently
with a musical work, it will identify that musical
work even after the work is distributed across national boundaries
and languages barriers. The ISWC will support
a wide range of computerized applications, particularly those
involving tracking and exchange of musical works
information. (e.g. Registration, Identification, Royalty Distribution,
etc.).
What will an ISWC not do?
The ISWC identifies musical works, not their manifestations, objects,
or expressions. (e.g. publications, broadcasts,
etc.) The ISWC will not identify recordings, sheet music or any
other type of performance associated with the
musical work. Furthermore, the ISWC will not indicate the shares
of composers or copyright owners of the work (there are often
too many of them and they change with time and according to the
territory and rights), nor the date or the
place where the work was initially published.
How should the ISWC be used?
The ISWC should be integrated within the musical works administration
databases and processes that support
such activities as: · registration and correspondence between
society of authors · publishing and sub-publishing
agreement schedules· licences granted by a society· music usage
reporting· performance collection and identification
royalty administration. When a musical work in correspondence
or in contracts is identified, the ISWC should be
indicated as in the following example:1.1 "I
Love Life" (Smith/Jones) (ISWC T-345246800-1)
Who is responsible for allocating ISWC's?
The International ISWC Agency, which is appointed
by ISO, is responsible for the overall ISWC system maintenance and
administration. The International ISWC Agency will appoint and oversee
the work of Regional and/or Local ISWC numbering agencies. These
agencies will be authorized to receive and process applications
for ISWC and allocate the actual ISWC numbers to the musical works.
What does a local ISWC agency do?
A local ISWC agency allocates the ISWC numbers
to the works under its authority. It will administer a database
for the allocated ISWC numbers and their corresponding descrpitive
metadata. It will also share the available ISWC information with
other local ISWC agencies and societies of authors.
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What determines the authority of a local ISWC agency to assign ISWC
numbers?
The author's CAE/IPI number is the key that determines
whether an agency is authorised to allocate an ISWC. The international
CAE/IPI file indicates the author's society of membership. If that
author's society of membership is within the juristiction of the
local ISWC agency, then the agency is authorized to allocate the
ISWC number. This ensures that the same musical work is not assigned
multiple ISWC numbers by different local ISWC agencies.
May creators and publishers allocate their own
ISWC numbers?
No. ISWCs must be allocated by an authorized national
or regional ISWC agency. If the creators or publishers do not have
a relationship with a national or regional ISWC agency, they may
directly apply for an ISWC number through the International ISWC
Agency.
What happens when creators change society?
The authority which allocates an ISWC for their musical
works is also transferred to the new society.
Who allocates ISWCs to works co-written by creators
of dfferent societies ?
The agency who can allocate the ISWC must verify
with the other agency's that a number has not already been allocated
for the musical work. Once an ISWC is allocated, the agency should
immediately inform all other interested parties, as well as other
agencies
What particular steps should be taken to obtain
an ISWC?
None for new works. Works will be automatically allocated
a number as part of the registration process by the society of authors
in question. As for works already registered, "existing" repertoire,
the ISWC numbers may be allocated at any time.
Which types of musicl works can receive an ISWC?
An ISWC may be assigned to any musical work, published
or unpublished, newly created or already existing as:
Dramatico-musical work-Musical arrangement of a work
Adaptation of the lyrics of a work-Translation of the lyrics of
a work
Recognised excerpt of a work-Medley-Potpourri etc...
Should , adaptations and translations get an ISWC
?
Musical arrangements, adaptations of lyrics and translations
must receive their own unique ISWC numbers. These ISWC numbers are
usually allocated by the agency which administrates the works of
the arranger and/or adapter. The connection between the 'version'
and the original work is indicated in the descriptive metadata of
the ISWC.
May excerpts from other works be numbered too?
All works should be identified in their own rights;
for example, an aria from an opera or a cadenza from a concerto
can receive an ISWC. Similar to the 'versions', the relationship
between excerpts should be indicated in the descriptive metadata
of the ISWC.
May works or 'versions' which breach copyright
obtain an ISWC?
Surprisingly enough, the answer is "yes". The non-authorised
arrangements of a musical work can be identified, if only to ensure
that they will be recognised at an international level as works
infringing the copyrights of others.
Does the work have to be protected by copyright
before receiving an ISWC?
No. ISWC's are allocated regardless of copyright
status. Agencies may 'adopt' authors from the "public domain", according
to their local laws, and allocate ISWC numbers to their works. This
is generally done for reasons of national interest. For example,
the 'traditional' folk repertoire, works in the public domain whose
authors are unknown, can be numbered by an authorized national agency.
Will the ISWC replace the society's own numbering
system?
Almost certainly not. Most organisations will still
require their own internal identification numbers for internal reasons.
On the other hand, the ISWC is the 'lingua franca' which will allow
databases to be linked automatically.
What is the ISWC Agency Manual?
It is a detailed technical document that explains
the present rules and procedures governing the administration and
use of ISWC's.
Is there a list of ISWC agencies?
Yes, a regularly revised list of authorized ISWC
agencies, including their contact information, may be obtained from
the this web site by clicking on 
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