CISAC to upgrade global music identifier system

CISAC to upgrade global music identifier system


The ISWC system creates a unique code that identifies musical works and links them to their creators. It plays a key role in the functioning of the digital music market, allowing millions of creators to get efficiently and fairly paid for their works.

Service such as Spotify and Apple Music offer more than 40 million tracks. ISWC codes ensure the effective identification, collection and distribution of digital royalties.

The International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers noted that royalty collections from digital services have grown 164% over the last five years, topping €1 billion (£877m) in 2017. 

Tens of millions of ISWCs have been assigned worldwide since the code was created in 2002. The codes help collection societies track the use of musical works they represent across the globe. CISAC pioneered the identifier in the late ‘90s. In 2002, it was adopted as an industry standard.

The latest modernisation to the system will help speed up the process by which authors’ societies assign an ISWC code for use by digital service providers and publishers.


Spanish Point Technologies CEO Donal Cullen said: “This next generation ISWC system will help societies manage the marked increase of music streaming services and provide greater data accuracy. Using modern cloud technologies and our innovative matching engine, the improved ISWC systems will assist societies in exchanging information with each other and music users, such as digital service providers and publishers. This will encourage greater use of the ISWC and should lead to more creators’ works being accurately identified and paid for.”

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