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!