Music Metadata, Guide

An estimated 25% of music royalties are lost or delayed due to incorrect or incomplete metadata.

Key Music Identifiers Explained

The music industry uses several standardized codes to identify songs, recordings, and rights holders. Understanding these is essential.

Unique identifier for each specific recording. Assigned by labels or distributors. Different versions (remixes, live) get different ISRCs.

Unique identifier for the underlying musical work (composition). Assigned by collection societies. Multiple recordings of the same song share one ISWC.

Unique identifier for each songwriter and publisher in the CISAC global database. Essential for routing royalties to the correct party.

Broader identifier linking all creative works by a single person across industries. Used to disambiguate common names.

Identifies the product (album, EP, single) for retail and distribution. Different from ISRC which identifies individual tracks.

Universal Product Code

Identifies the product (album, EP, single) for retail and distribution. Different from ISRC which identifies individual tracks.

Essential Metadata Fields

Complete metadata covers five categories. The more complete your metadata, the more accurately your royalties are tracked.

RELEASE INFORMATION

• Release Date
• Release Title (Album/EP)
• Label
• Distributor
• Territory Rights

Common Metadata Problems & Their Impact

Royalties attributed to wrong or non-existent accounts. Societies can't match payments.

Collection societies can't identify the correct rights holder. Royalties held in suspense.

Some writers overpaid, others underpaid. Disputes and recoupment issues.

Harder for societies to match the composition across recordings and territories.

Same song registered differently in different territories. Royalties fragmented.

Publisher's share of performance royalties goes uncollected.

Conflicting claims create disputes that freeze royalty payments.

Song is invisible to sync supervisors searching catalogs by mood and genre.

No genre/mood tags

Use consistent spelling of names across all platforms and registrations

Keep a master spreadsheet of all songs with ISRCs, ISWCs, and splits

Register ISWC codes through your PRO or publisher as early as possible

Include all contributors — don't forget producers who contributed creatively

Update metadata immediately when splits change or errors are found

Use official legal names, not stage names, for ownership registration

Tag songs with detailed genre, mood, and tempo data for sync discovery

Verify IPI numbers with your PRO before submitting registrations

JukeHouse validates and registers your song metadata with 60+ collection societies — ensuring accurate tracking and maximum royalty collection.