ISRC Managers
Within the international ISRC system, the principle is that only the producer or exclusive rights holder may assign ISRC codes to recordings. In practice, however, this task is often carried out by distributors and aggregators. These parties can issue ISRCs on behalf of their clients, but only when they have been officially designated as an ISRC Manager.
ISRC Managers: clear agreements for proper code allocation
To operate as an ISRC Manager, a formal agreement with the national ISRC authority is required. In the Netherlands, this role is fulfilled by Sena. Such an agreement ensures that ISRCs are issued in accordance with the international rules of IFPI and that the associated metadata is recorded consistently. This directly contributes to reliable identification of recordings in the chain and therefore to the correct distribution of revenues.
Internationally, we see that many parties have already formally implemented this role. Examples include distributors and service providers such as DistroKid, CD Baby, LANDR and The Orchard. These organizations have an ISRC Manager agreement through their national IFPI organization and are therefore allowed to assign ISRCs on behalf of their clients.
An important principle within the ISRC system is that each producer remains identifiable through their own producer prefix in the ISRC code. This prefix is an essential part of the identification of a recording and ensures that repertoire remains linked to the correct rights holder. For this reason, it is not allowed for a producer to use their own producer prefix to create ISRCs for other parties or clients. For such services, specially assigned ISRC Manager prefixes must be used, which are only available within a formal ISRC Manager agreement.
This separation preserves the distinction between producers and prevents rights and repertoire from becoming mixed. This is not only important for transparency in the market, but also for correct data processing by distributors, platforms and collective management organizations.
Sena facilitates the appointment of ISRC Managers in the Netherlands and supervises compliance with international rules. Sena charges an annual fee for entering into an ISRC Manager agreement. This fee covers the costs for managing prefix codes and safeguarding the ISRC system in the Netherlands.
For more details, visit the IFPI ISRC Manager website:
ISRC Manager information
If you are interested in an ISRC Manager agreement, please contact the Sena Service Desk via servicedesk@sena.nl.