ISRC code checker
Every recording you release needs its own ISRC before it reaches a distributor. Check that a code is shaped correctly, see what each part of it means, and format a clean set for a single, EP, or album.
Check an ISRC
Paste a code in any format. Nothing is sent anywhere — the check runs in your browser.
Format a set for a track list
Enter the registrant code your ISRC agency or distributor gave you, then the first number you want to use. Up to 100 tracks.
How an ISRC is built
An ISRC is always 12 characters, written in four parts. Hyphens are for humans — distributors want the 12 characters with nothing between them.
- GB — country code of the registrant, two letters.
- A1B — registrant code, three characters, issued to you or your label by your national ISRC agency.
- 26 — year of reference: the year the code was assigned, not the release date.
- 00001 — designation code: your own five-digit number, unique per recording within that year.
Registrant codes are issued by ISRC agencies, not generated. If you do not have one, the IFPI ISRC site lists the agency for your country — or your distributor may assign codes for you.
ISRC vs UPC
An ISRC identifies a recording. A UPC identifies the release that recording is sold or streamed as. A ten-track album carries one UPC and ten ISRCs; a single carries one of each. Streaming reports and royalty statements match on both, which is why a wrong code is so expensive to untangle later.
Common mistakes
- Reusing one ISRC across a remaster, remix, or radio edit — each is a separate recording and needs its own code.
- Putting the release year in the year field instead of the year the code was assigned.
- Confusing the letter O with the digit 0, or I with 1, when retyping a code from an email.
- Sending hyphenated codes to a distributor that expects the plain 12 characters.
- Letting two different distributors assign codes to the same recording, so streams report against two identities.
- Losing the list — keep every ISRC with its track, version, and date in one place you can find next year.
Common questions
- What is an ISRC code?
- An ISRC (International Standard Recording Code) is the 12-character identifier for one specific recording. It follows a fixed shape: two-letter country code, three-character registrant code, two-digit year of reference, and a five-digit designation code — for example GB-A1B-26-00001.
- What is the difference between an ISRC and a UPC?
- An ISRC identifies a single recording. A UPC (or EAN) identifies the release it is sold or streamed as. A ten-track album has one UPC and ten ISRCs.
- Can I generate official ISRC codes here?
- No tool can issue codes. Your three-character registrant code comes from your national ISRC agency, or from your distributor if they assign codes on your behalf. Once you have a registrant code, the designation numbers are yours to allocate — that is what this page formats for you.
- Do remixes and remasters need new ISRCs?
- Yes. Any new recording or materially altered version — remix, remaster, radio edit, live take — needs its own ISRC. Reusing a code across versions breaks reporting and royalties.
- Does the year in an ISRC have to be the release year?
- It is the year the code was assigned, not the release date. A code assigned in 2026 for a 2027 release still carries 26.
Codes are one step of many
Diamond Release keeps your ISRCs, UPCs, artwork, and deadlines in one dated plan for each single, EP, or album — so nothing depends on remembering it.