Learn about the text and numeric based data that identifies music and powers the digital music landscape. Presented at Barcamp Philly November 7, 2015

1. Metadata for musicians
Click here for
Table of contents
Presented at
Barcamp Philly
November 7, 2015 | Philadelphia, PA
Kristin Thomson
Future of Music Coalition
@kristinthomson
@future_of_music

2. Metadata
All the information that describes and identifies your music.
• Text: composer and musicians’ names, dates, genre
• Numeric: ISWC codes, ISRC codes, UPC barcode
As music landscape becomes more digital and global,
proper metadata is an increasingly important part of
your release workflow.
Table of contents

3. UPC barcode
Assembled product
4
ISWC codes
Identify each composition
1
ISRC codes
Identify each sound recording/each track
2
ISNI code
Identifies the creative entity
3

4. ISWC codes
Set of numbers that identify a composition
T-070.076.790-3
“Hotel California” by Don Felder, Glenn Frey, Don Henley
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Composition = the musical notes and lyrics, what you’d
see on sheet music
ISWCs are unique. Each composition can only have one ISWC
Like a social security number for a composition
International Standard Musical Work Code

5. ISRC codes
Set of numbers that identify a unique sound recording
US Z10 15 12345
Country Company
prefix
Year Unique digits
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Sound recording = what’s captured in the studio, and what
ends up being commercialized on albums, singles, streams
Each recorded track on your album will have its own ISRC
International Standard Recording Code
One single composition can have many ISRCs (original
recording, covers, live versions, re-mastered versions)

6. ISNI
Set of 16 numbers that identify an individual creative entity
Helps to match works to proper person with similar/same names
John Williams famous film score composer vs. John Williams guitarist
0000 0001 2031 4590
ISNI for Brian May from Queen, who is also an author and an astrophysicist
Table of contents
International Standard Name Identifier
Helps with creators who work in more than one field
Brian May: composer, guitarist, scientist, author

7. UPC barcodes
Set of numbers that identify a packaged collection of music
71875 18828 2 - 9
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Company
prefix
5 unique
digits
Format Random
check digit
UPC barcodes can be assigned to albums or singles,
whatever is being commercialized and made available in retail
Unified Product Code

8. Rock YouWillWe

9. Song title:
Composer/songwriter:
Artist:
Album release:
Original release year:
Record label:
Rock YouWillWe
“We Will Rock You”
Brian May
Queen
News of the World
1977
EMI in UK

10. ISWC for Brian May’s composition:
Brian May’s ISNI:
IRSC for Queen’s recording of this song:
UPC for News of the World LP vinyl:
Original release year:
Record label:
Rock YouWillWe
T.010.031.397.0
0000 0001 2031 4590
GB CEE 01 00127
50087 14693 1
1977
EMI in UK

11. Composer
songwriter
Publisher
Recording
artist
Record
label
When you
hear a song,
or buy
a single
Musical
composition
notes and lyrics
Sound
recording
what’s captured
on tape/
what you hear
there are two copyrights
embedded in the track

12. HOW THE MONEY
FLOWS BACK TO
songwriters, artists,
publishers & labels
broadcast radio
terrestrial broadcast of any AM or FM station
PROs ASCAP, BMI, SESACC
songwriter
publisher
performance of composition
performance of sound recording
How are musicians and songwriters compensated when
their music is played on the radio, sold on digital platforms,
webcast, or streamed on interactive services?
For digital stores and on-demand streams,
how the money flows depends on what entity negotiated the license.
In the US, terrestrial broadcasters
do not pay performers or
sound recording copyright owners
For record labels that have a direct deal with services:
AFM & SAG-AFTRA Fund
webcast
or digital performance
Pandora • Sirius XM • NPR streaming
any webcast stations
PROs ASCAP, BMI, SESAC*C
SR SoundExchange
songwriter
publisher
record label
performer(s)
50%
45%
5%
performance of composition
digital performance of sound recording background singers
and musicians
* At the end of 2012, Universal Music
Publishing Group and Sony/ATV-EMI
pulled their digital rights from ASCAP
and BMI, seeking to get a higher rate
by negotiating directly with webcasters.
UMPG and Sony ATV-EMI* UMPG and Sony ATV-EMI
songwritersC
performance of composition
For radio and radio-like services,
blanket licenses determine who gets paid, and how much.
Music and How the Money
Flows infographic
futureofmusic.org/moneyflow

13. ISWC on the composition:
Brian May’s ISNI:
ISRC codes:
UPC codes:
Same: T.010.031.397.0
Same: 0000 0001 2031 4590
Different: unique ISRC for each
cover track, identifies that
sound recording
Different: unique UPC for each
album that includes a recorded
cover
Covers of We Will Rock You

14. Why metadata is important
Both ISRCs and UPCs are now required for iTunes store,
and many other digital platforms. Can’t upload without them
Table of contents
But it’s more than a minimum requirement. Metadata is
the lingua franca of the global, digital music landscape
It underlies discoverability, proper attribution and
payment across an increasing number of platforms

15. Music’s meta problem
You’d think for something this important, there would
be master authentication database(s)
Table of contents
Nope. There is no master database that catalogs
ISWCs or ISRCs
Efforts to fix this:
1. Global Repertoire Database
2. International Music Registry
3. US Copyright Office
4. Blockchain?
Search either of these to
learn about the valiant efforts
and why they failed
}

16. Lacking a global solution…
Table of contents
Recording Academy’s P+E Wing
Best practices for producers, engineers and mastering
houses. http://grammy.org
Record labels
Indie and major labels dealing with metadata as part
of release prep.
Aggregators on the front line
Digital aggregators like CD Baby, The Orchard are data
pipelines. They have improved their dashboards and data
ingestion over the years

17. Lacking a global solution…
Table of contents
Music Business Association
Works on supply chain standards with retailers
Organizes an annual Metadata Summit
Infographics and Metadata Standards Guide
Music Biz Academies to help startups understand licensing
http://musicbiz.org

18. Table of contents
Future of Music Coalition
Educating musicians, managers about importance of metadata
Metadata for Musicians slide decks
Workshops for musicians
Unique challenges for jazz and classical artists
http://futureofmusic.org/tags/metadata
Lacking a global solution…
Music Business Toolbox
Next edition coming out March 2016
Tools and templates to manage metadata

19. Table of contents
Additional slides from this talk go into detail about:
• What data to keep track of during writing and recording
• Where to get ISRCs and how much they cost
• How to get ISWCs assigned
• Where to get UPC barcodes
• What data ASCAP/BMI and SoundExchange need
• All the other steps you need to take before releasing your
music to make sure it’s properly identified on all platforms
Musicians: next steps

20. In the studio
Prepare for mastering
Production work
8. Submit compositions to your PRO
6. Type out lyrics
7. Design artwork, including all credits
10. Register your new album with SoundScan
9. Submit sound recordings to SoundExchange
12. Submit bio/info to Rovi
13. Register works with US Copyright Office
14. Data, artwork, music to aggregator
*
15. Other sites/platforms
Music Biz Metadata Standards Guide
Click on any title to go to that slide
1. Credits: keep track of everyone’s
roles & contributions
2. Song titles, album titles, credits,
properly spelled
3. Acquire ISRC codes for each track
11. Register with Mediabase and BDS
Databases for recognition
Prepare for release
4. UPC barcode for the assembled product
ISWC codes assigned
5. ISNI number for author/individual
Definition The Core Four

21. In the studio
STUDIO AND RECORDING SESSION DETAILS
Studio name(s)
Date(s) of recording session
Location (city, country) of recording studio(s)
Personnel working on the session
Executive producer
Producer
Engineer(s)
Arranger
Conductor
Remixer
Mixing
Mastering
Do any producers have deal points?
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22. In the studio
COMPOSER/SONGWRITER DETAILS FOR EACH TRACK
Names of songwriters/composers
What they wrote (music, beats, lyrics)
What % of credit they get for their contribution (aka splits)
Name of each songwriter’s publishing company
Which PRO they belong to (ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, other)
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Each songwriters’ ISNI number (if they have one)

23. In the studio
RECORDING ARTIST DETAILS FOR EACH TRACK
Names of featured artists/performers
What they performed or instrument they played
What % of credit they get for their contribution (aka splits)
Table of contents
Each artists’ ISNI number (if they have one)

24. In the studio
SESSION PLAYER/FREELANCERS FOR EACH TRACK
Names of any session players/session vocalists/freelancers
What they performed or instrument they played
Whether they belong to a union (AFM or SAG-AFTRA),
and their local number
Whether this recording session is a union session
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25. In the studio
LICENSES, PERMISSIONS and AGREEMENTS
Did you record any covers? Secure mechanical licenses
Did you use any samples? Get clearances
Various agreements
• Intra-band agreement that spells out creator splits
• Producer agreement
• Side artists’ agreements
Table of contents

26. Song data tracking workbook
from Music Business Toolbox
This template and related
pre-release checklists will be
available in March 2016.
Table of contents

27. Preparation for mastering
ISRC codes for each track
UPC barcode for the assembled product
Mastering engineer will need text-based data:
Album title
Song titles
Performers
Mastering engineer would also like to have:
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28. Sample mastering dashboard Table of contents

29. ISRC codes
Set of numbers that identify a unique sound recording
Become a registrant at US ISRC http://usisrc.org
Get ISRCs assigned for free/nominal cost from
your aggregator.
US Z10 14 12345
Country Company
prefix
Year Unique digits
or
If you are on an indie label, your label will generate
the ISRC codes using their prefix number.
Table of contents

30. http://musicbiz.org/press-releases/music-biz-explains-isrc/ Table of contents

31. http://usisrc.org Table of contents

32. How to get ISRCs from CD Baby (video tutorial) Table of contents

33. UPC barcodes
Set of numbers that identify a packaged collection of music
71875 188282-9
Become a registrant at GS1 http://www.gs1us.org/
Get UPC barcode assigned for free/nominal cost from your
aggregator (CD Baby, TuneCore, Ditto, DistroKid, etc).
or
If you are on an indie label, your label will generate
the barcode.
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34. http://www.gs1us.org/ Table of contents

35. ISRC and UPC
Mastering engineer can embed the ISRC on each track
Add your tracks’ ISRCs to your song tracking
workbook. You’ll need to enter them in other places
Mastering engineer can also embed UPC barcode
Both ISRC and UPC are now required for iTunes store,
and many other digital platforms
Add your project’s UPC barcode to your song
tracking workbook. You’ll reference it again
Table of contents

36. ISNI
Set of 16 numbers that identify an individual creative entity
Helps to match works to proper person
John Williams film composer vs John Williams guitarist
0000 0001 2031 4590
ISNI for Brian May from Queen, who is also an author and an astrophysicist
Table of contents
International Standard Name Identifier
Helps with creators who work in more than one field
Brian May: composer, guitarist, scientist, author

37. How to get an ISNI Table of contents

38. Production work
If applicable, type out your lyrics
• For artwork
• For your website
Album artwork
• Album name
• Song titles
• Writer credits
(including PRO and publisher)
• Performer credits, including any
session players or freelancers
• Recording studio name, location,
date, personnel
P
• For lyric videos
• Can be submitted via your
publisher to lyric sites
• Record label (even if it’s yourself)
• Copyright notice © and
• UPC barcode image
• Other credits: photographer,
illustrator, etc.
• If relevant, timed length of songs
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39. Gracenote
Write your bio/one sheet
• Album name
• Song titles
• UPC barcode on one sheet
Submit your song track data to Gracenote
• Free to do
• Submission process via iTunes software on your computer
• Delivers album and track data to services
Table of contents

40. http://www.gracenote.com/company/faq/owner/ Table of contents

41. PRO submissions
Composers/songwriters: submit your musical
compositions to your PRO
• Register your new titles with ASCAP, BMI or SESAC
• Free to do if you are already a PRO writer/publisher member
• Your PRO will automatically assign ISWC codes to your new titles
Table of contents

42. BMI works registration Table of contents

43. ISWC codes
Set of numbers that identify a composition
T-070.076.790-3
Assigned by your PRO (ASCAP, BMI or SESAC) when
you upload your repertoire
Keep track of your ISWCs with your other data
“Hotel California” by Don Felder, Glenn Frey, Don Henley
Table of contents

44. ASCAP ACE search Table of contents

45. SoundExchange
Submit your sound recording information to SoundExchange
• Free
• SoundExchange has an online interface and a repertoire template
• Tracks digital performances on Sirius XM, Pandora, any webcast
stations
Table of contents

46. http://register.soundexchange.com/welcome Table of contents

47. SoundExchange data
What SoundExchange needs
• Artist
• Track title
• Album title
• Record label
• % of the Featured Artist
Performance Royalty that you
claim (aka, your split)
• Do you own the master sound
recording of this track? Y/N
Improve music identification
by also including:
• ISRC for each track
• Album UPC
• Release date
• Recording location
• Distributor
(if different from label name)
• Publisher
Alternate spellings? Different languages? Talk to SoundExchange
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48. SoundScan/BDS/Mediabase
Submit your release information to Nielsen SoundScan
• Free to do
• Online form
• SoundScan tracks retail sales, including downloads from
iTunes, Amazon, CD Baby, Bandcamp, and streams
Submit your release information to Mediabase
(owned by Clear Channel) and Nielsen BDS
• Free to do
• Online forms available for both Mediabase and BDS
• Both services track commercial radio airplay
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49. http://titlereg.soundscan.com/soundscantitlereg/ Table of contents

50. http://www.musicinfosystems.com/faq/ Table of contents

51. Search for “Nielsen BDS how to submit music” Table of contents

52. Rovi/AMG
Submit your bio and data to Rovi for All Music Guide
• Free to do
• Need to mail a CD + bio
• Powers the bios you see on iTunes, Pandora.
• AMG is very selective. Acceptance by Rovi/AMG is not guaranteed
Table of contents

53. http://www.allmusic.com/product-submissions Table of contents

54. US Copyright Office
Register your works with the US Copyright Office
• Under US law, copyright is automatically granted when you create
the original work or “fix” it to a medium, like tape or hard drive
• Use Form SR or Form PA to establish a public record of creation
• Official registration provides creators with more legal protections
in event of infringement
Table of contents

55. http://copyright.gov/eco/ Table of contents

56. Deliveries to aggregator
Data, artwork and music delivered to your aggregator
• Give yourself enough time to do this right
• Fill in as many descriptive fields as possible to increase searchability
and proper attribution
• Spellcheck everything!
• Use consistent spelling, capitalizations (Music Biz Standards Guide)
Your aggregator will deliver to dozens of digital retail
stores, streaming services, and discovery platforms.
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57. Deliveries to aggregator
What data aggregators need
• Artist name
• Album title
• Song titles
• Are any of the songs covers?
• Names of songwriters
• Label name (even if it’s your
name)
• Catalog number (if applicable)
• ISRC for each track, or have
them assigned by aggregator
• UPC barcode for album, or
purchase one from aggregator
• Release date
• Genre, secondary genre
• Artist location
Table of contents

58. http://musicbiz.org/knowledge/whitepapers/ Table of contents

59. Other sites
• Populate your other platforms with the same data, artwork and music
• Give yourself enough time to do this right
• Fill in as many descriptive fields as possible to increase searchability
and proper attribution
• Spellcheck everything!
• Use consistent spelling, capitalizations (Music Biz Standards Guide)
Bandcamp + your own website + social media
Table of contents

60. Takeaways
Presented at
Barcamp Philly
November 7, 2015 | Philadelphia, PA Table of contents
Ultimately, it is the artists’ responsibility to document
creators and contributions, and keep track of IDs
Be consistent with spelling, diligent with data entry
Metadata is the text and numbers that uniquely
describe and identify your music
Metadata is increasingly important. It underlies
discoverability, proper attribution and payment across
an increasing number of platforms