UPC codes and ISRC codes Best Practices

[Tapmusicband]

Hey everyone just had a great talk with a publisher who worked for Warner Brothers for years and was sharing with me about UPC codes and ISRC codes. He told me the money follows the numbers which makes logical sense. I came to understand that it is really important to have these codes for your released songs and to have them registered to you and not your distributor. They are not expensive and, according to him, can bring in up to 40% more income. When a DSP generates a code for your song that is owned by them that gives them rights to the monies paid for the song. We are going with his advice, which I never even thought of before, as the publishing admin of T.A.P.  Every penny counts in this business of music. Something to think about and look into. 

Cindy for T.A.P.     https://pandora.app.link/30JxFDsOhJb

[NADRIP]

Hi Cindy, I'm not an expert just a person trying to put music out and do the best for myself, like you.  However, what I understand is that all the money will go to you that should go to you either way.  If you leave our distributor, the UPC and IRSC codes will go with you to your new distributor/label.

Now, this line of thinking came from an idea that what if someone hears the song and likes it and wants to contact you as owner to pay you for using it in some way?   Then that person might look at the original UPC / ISRC codes to see who originally registered them, and would end up contacting your original distributor not you, and your original distributor might not be great about passing on the contact to you. So you might lose some mystical great opportunities.

However, as the world has changed, today it's normal practice to let distributers handle UPC/ISRC codes and if someone wants to contact you, they will understand that most people let their distributor register those codes and probably won't even bother with that method.  I mean, if I loved your song and wanted to pay you all sorts of money for it for some use, I would start with your artist social pages and website not with who registered your ISRC & UPC codes.  In the 1800s when the publisher you talked to was working most of his career, they didn't have web pages everywhere - it was a different world - and many people from that old world aren't really connected online and don't really understand how much that world has changed.

Registering those codes yourself, especially the UPC code, can be expensive, I've heard.  So, as you say, every penny counts.

Though as I say I'm not an expert and if someone can explain to me how exactly it is that by paying for my own original codes I will make more money I'm interested in hearing what you have to say and will reconsider my current position if what you have to say makes sense.  But I really don't see a scenario in today's world where, say, a Disney executive hears my song and decides it would be perfect for an upcoming movie and then doesn't try to contact me through my artist socials, but instead looks up who registered the UPC/ISRC codes and tries to reach me through my distributor.  That's just not how people operate anymore.

[Tapmusicband]

Thanks for sharing and I appreciate your thoughts as I am no expert either. However I am working with a distributor/artist advocate named Keith Kirk. He owns Motif Music. motifmusic.io I own World Fusion Music Productions LLC  wfmpllc.com which T.A.P. is a part of. He is the expert. We are having Keith as our guest speaker in July and he will be pulling back the curtain to help us see what we need to know to be best organized with our music to get the most money. The date will be the 11th and the time will be 12:00. He is an expert and has been in the business with all the changes for the last 10 years. I like working with him because I personally know him and he is really all about helping indie artists. We all need help understanding this crazy business and learning about the most recent changes as it is changing every month and will continue to be a beast to ride for all of us. Best to you!

[NADRIP]

Hi Cindy, thanks for the further clarification.  I understand Keith Kirk's area of expertise and work experience in the music industry, including Warner Brothers, was as a metadata analyst, and that's the area he normally focuses on.  So, he has made the point many times that bad metadata makes it more challenging for people to get paid, at least delaying the payment process.  I'm not aware of this particular claim by him that you state, of needing to own one's own UPC and ISRC codes, and, honestly, he's not an expert in these codes, he's an expert in metadata.  So, one thing I'm wondering is if you perhaps misunderstood his comments about UPC and ISRC codes?  For instance, UPC and ISRC codes are often included in metadata, and if one were to carelessly not include the correct codes in a song's metadata, I can see how he would point out that would make it much harder to get paid.  As these codes are normally included in metadata, then "money follows the numbers" which is what you quoted him as saying.  I have no doubt he would say that "it is really important to have these codes for your released songs" as part of the metadata.

Please do this for me.  After his speech, if you have a better understanding, please post an update!  I'm super interested, and I'm sure others are too.  If after his speech, you confirm that Keith believes that one can make more money owning one's own UPC/ISRC codes, and can give a cogent reason for that belief, please let me know!  (He's been on many YouTube videos and podcasts in the past and I'm not aware of him ever making such a claim so to my knowledge this would be new.)  On the other hand, if you perhaps misunderstood him, and he was more referring to you need to "own" your metadata, ie have correct metadata, part of which is having correct UPC and ISRC codes, then you can clarify that's what he was talking about (which is something he's actually said in the past.)  Looking forward to your update!

[Tapmusicband]

Hi NADRIP,

Happy Friday and hope you had a good week:)  Keith has actually started working with T.A.P. which is an arm of World Fusion Music Productions LLC. I meet with him to discuss best publishing strategies and business plans for the music. He is helping us get T.A.P. better organized as of last month. I am much relieved to have his help! He explained to me why I needed to own the ISRC code and the UPC code. I had no idea this was necessary. He explained in great detail and convinced me so now we own both. WFMP is putting on, sponsoring, this event in July for him because I have come to believe his knowledge can help other artists. I am part of the independent artist movement and see that the biggest problem among us is our lack of business sense and understanding of the details of how this crazy music business actually works. I personally am a business woman and have been in clothing, pet products, art & framing and equine events and services but have not yet encountered an industry as complicated and inefficient as the music industry in the way the actual creator gets paid. I am thankful to be part of the movement in building new models that are slowly going to change things to make things more simple and straight forward when it comes to paying us artists. I would suggest you come to the event in July or better yet reach out directly to Keith. He is a very nice guy and a strong artist advocate.

[NADRIP]

Hi Cindy, respectfully, can you state the reason why me owning those codes would make me more money?  I'm confused because if it was explained to you so well, how are you not able to state the reason in a simple, concise way?

I'm sure you're a great person.  And I'm happy this is something you want to do for yourself.  I'm not convinced, and actually I'm going to pass for myself unless you can give me a clear reason.  But I believe everyone else should make their own decisions.  I wish you luck!

[robpayneiii]

There is a logical explination as to why the ISRC and UPC codes should be from only one source and be ASSIGNED and SPECIFIC to you as an ARTIST or RECORD LABEL.

The reason the ISRC/UPC codes need to be unique to your brand of music is for an un-obvious reason.

If you use different music distribution labels to distribute your music — it has the potential to create CATASTROPHIC failure to your Pandora Station when their internal system indexes your over-all total MUSIC CATALOG if your wanting it to play and reference — from one specific Pandora Radio station .

And the only way around that problem is if PANDORA FIXED it manually on their end or allowed a management module to be created to claim that song to the specific radio station artist profile — (If pandora or some other company can even fix the issue or even wants to fix it being they can get more bang for the buck by watering down indie artist streaming play vs majors label streams).

For a LIVING EXAMPLE —- of this CATASTROPHIC failure as of the time of this writing, SUNDAY DECEMBER 15, 2024,

Look up Rob Payne III or Rob Payne iii on Pandora and check the songs on the catalog for that specific Artist Radio Station Page. (If its not fixed —- It will claim its only 9 songs total in my entire music catalog for this radio station on pandora when it should be saying its more then that- as of 12/15/2024 - pray for a brother that they fix it soon…)

Currently its saying only songs on this station is:
1) Everyone Is Real, By Rob Payne III
2) I’m The H.N.I.C. , By Rob Payne III
3) Tapz-N-Tabz , By Rob Payne III
4) Squat With It B!tch , By Rob Payne III
5) So What I’m Saying Is (BOTH VERSIONS) , By Rob Payne III
6) Still Official , (BOTH VERSIONS), By Rob Payne III
9) I Want You To Be My Girl, By Rob Payne III

<———— all distributed under CD Baby at time of print
For Rob Payne III Radio Station

But if you look up my NEW MUSIC RELEASES which includes the following songs ONLY populate the following songs on that artist stations catalog which apprears to be seperate but obviously the same name of ROB PAYNE III — Look up the following songs:

1) Keep It Movin, by Rob Payne III
2) Ma, I Apologize, by Rob Payne III
3) One Nite To Get It Right, by Rob Payne III
<————- all distributed under the name DIstrokid at time of print

In other words it’s better to keep your own UPC and ISRC codes unless you’re planning to only ever stay with one distribution source. Else you will be taking 15 inches of vinyl in your (CENSORED) instead of the 12 that spins on a record player and missing out on money.

Hope this helps to create a visual understanding in your head as to why you should take charge of your own business affairs for your ISRC and UPC code.

———————IN MORE DETAIL— (THE BORING STUFF)— DETAIL FOR NERDS ONLY OR NEWSY MORE INQUISITIVE FOLKS———-

- ISRC codes are intrinsic to each Recording Label or Distribution Company. Meaning that if you get some kind of Placard for unit sales and or streams, it will index the ISRC code that corresponds to “That Specific” music distributor.

It’s like renting a car. The car belongs to budget or enterprise and its still in their name but you are contracted to be responsible to use that particular car based on the paperwork and contractual terms.

So you can rent multiple cars from each company if you can afford to and like, but each car need to go back to its owners inventory management system.

So in the case of music distribution, if a company such as Pandora, is NOT set up to auto recognize that the same Artist Profile is using a few different distribution sources or they PURPOSELY TURN OFF the management console module on the back-end for a particular artist. The radio station will create 2 or even more —- DIFFERENT - UNIQUE STATIONS that report back to SOUND EXCHANGE, THE MLC, and your PRO paperwork wise and they will be able to make it harder for you to get extra streams unless a persons specifically request them songs.

This is what happened to my Pandora Radio Station since they deactivated a feature that allows you to match your song to your music profile.

Not sure if it was on purpose by some internal source at Pandora with no Pay, Someone paid them to do disrupt the music play of the new songs, or if its pure coincidant, But it sure did happen to my Artist Radio Station Page and is NOT FIXED as of 12/15/2024.

My Radio Station should only house and shelf and file the entire catalog for Rob Payne III / Rob Payne iii For example,

In my case, when my radio station was structured, I applied to artist submissions to get the songs approved, once the song were approved you then had to manually match your songs to the artist name, that tool has sense been either removed or turned off on my end of the management console. (Go Figure)…

Now the system is different and is solely relying on music distributors input to Pandora Music and what ever other deals they got going on to exclude indies like myself.

My Rob Payne III Pandora Radio Station is like it’s watered down to force no radio play for the new songs under the new distributor. So yes, in a sense NOT Controlling your ISRC and UPC codes will have you in a headlock when it comes to keeping all your music streams under one roof for your artist page.
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