How valuable is ISRC? UPC mean anything?

Is an ISRC something very helpful? Does it protect our music well?

It doesn't protect it. It does provide the way to automatically identify unique recordings for royalty payments, especially for performances. So, if you'd like to be paid, use them! Also used for associating your writing/publishing data at ASCAP & BMI.

a UPC is generated automatically from Tunecore when you submit for iTunes. If I enter that info in Waveburner will it help make the burned disc more easily identified by others computers?

No, not as far as identifying the particular CD for titles etc. That's Gracenote (CDDB). A UPC (12 Digit Universal Product Code number) or EAN (13 digit European Article Number) is a number which is exclusively associated with your CD, vinyl LP, single, or t-shirt, coffee mug etc. and is essential for retail sale. It could be entered in Waveburner and the manufacturing plant will insist on it, if the CD is destined for retail sale via distribution channels. If your CD is to be professionally mastered (most likely, it should be) then the mastering studio will enter this data for you when they send it to the plant.

Is a good idea to to submit your record to Gracenote for their CDDB service?

Yes. once everything is completely finalized and you use a completed CD (which won't change) for the submission.

Good luck!

You're welcome.

ISRC codes used to be freely issued, but no longer (now $75). However, unless something changed, Tunecore issues song ID#s for free, so check with them. As I don't use Tunecore I don't know if what they call a song ID is actually an ISRC code, but I think it must be as it has to be in the correct format with country code and registrant identifier (in this case, it would be Tunecore). Their FAQ is here:

http://www.tunecore.com/faq#UPC

They are worth having just in case (fingers crossed) that one of your titles gets picked up and you find yourself being played on radio, T.V. etc. And you have registered your original compositions with ASCAP or BMI, haven't you? You'll need the codes there.

We have not registered our original compositions with ASCAP or BMI yet. Is that something that they charge for?

No. You should register with either one. As a writer, you can only pick one. As to which one, that's a matter for you to decide, but as a new artist/writer, it doesn't matter much, IMO.

Does it handle radio/other media royalties?

Only anything related to the public performance. Radio, T.V, internet and venues where music is played etc.

it's always worth spending time getting the business aspects of your project clearly defined, organized and set up before you start releasing and promoting your music.

Lastly, We have two remixes included with the CD. We have payment all figured out, but as for registering ISRCs for those, is that something we can do with signed agreement of the remixer? Sorry I keep tacking on more questions.

Remixes, singles or any other tracks that differ in any way from an original version recording should have a separate ISRC number.

We're in danger of getting way off topic for a Waveburner or Logic forum, however 😉

Shoot me an email if you have any more non-Apple questions (my contact info is in my profile). I do this stuff all day long, so I can point you in the right direction, hopefully.

No Problem. Just click on the 'Contact' page in the nav. bar.

There is something called a song identifier. ISRC codes are a type of unique song identifier. The RIAA "owns" this type of song identifier. They charge a fee to get one from them

Song Identifiers can be used by individuals or companies for whatever reason they like - as one example, when you are accounted to for the sale of your music, in the information you get may be the name of your song, the name of the artist, a song identifier and other information. You may or may not have use for the song identifier.

ISRCs are not required for distribution. There is no law - be it federal, state, national or international - that requires anyone to get one. Public performance agencies like BMI, ASCAP SESAC etc do not use nor require them or use them for tracking. SoundExchange does not use nor require them for tracking. International collections agencies do not use nor require them for tracking, the digital stores do not require the. Publishers are not able to use them as a method of tracking When your music is delivered to a digital store, they assign their own internal song identifier to the song.

As an example as to why a song identifier cannot be used for tracking, if you distribute a song called "Let It Be" and it has an ISRC issued by the RIAA, this ISRC will be different than than the ISRC for The Beatles song "Let It Be" therefore it cannot "match" one ISRC against the other as they are different. In addition, it is possible that the one song called "Let It Be" and it is not a cover of The Beatles song "Let It Be" but an original song with the same name. Therefore, using a song ID for tracking is not a good method.

TuneCore offers any artist song identifiers at no cost.

Jeff Price
TuneCore