Universal Music Group Adopts ISNI as ‘Digital Passport’ for Artists and Creators
Written by djfrosty on February 25, 2025
Universal Music Group has adopted the International Standard Name Identifier (ISNI), a globally recognized identifier for public personas involved in content creation, including music, the companies announced on Tuesday.
ISNI acts as a “digital passport” for artists, songwriters, producers and other music contributors, ensuring accurate identification and crediting within the music metadata ecosystem. It’s meant to compliment other identifiers like ISRC for music recordings and ISBN for books, linking UMG’s internal records to collection society identifiers such as IPN and IPI. This linkage provides a consolidated view of creators’ works and revenue streams, enhancing discoverability and simplifying licensing, distribution and royalty collection.
UMG’s partnership with the ISNI International Agency (ISNI-IA) marks a big step for the music industry, making UMG one of the first major labels to integrate ISNI on this scale. As an official ISNI Registration Agency, UMG has assigned ISNIs to over 100,000 contributors in its database, including most artists, songwriters and musicians involved with UMG releases in the past five years.
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The goal, according to ISNI, is to reduce confusion between similarly named artists and simplify metadata management for digital service providers. ISNI coverage extends to performers, producers and other collaborators as well.
Kim Beauchamp, senior vp of process innovation and advanced operations at UMG and chair of DDEX, stated, “This partnership exemplifies our dedication to ensuring every creator is accurately recognised and rewarded for their work. By integrating ISNI into our systems, we are empowering creators and setting a new standard for the industry.”
Dubbing it a “major milestone for ISNI in the music sector,” ISNI-IA executive director Tim Devenport said UMG’s “vast catalogue and commitment to accurate creator identification will drive industry-wide improvements and awareness, benefiting artists, rights holders and service providers alike.”
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IDENTIFYING THE IDENTIFIERS:
ISRC (International Standard Recording Code):
- Unique 12-character alphanumeric code assigned to sound recordings and music videos
- Acts as a “digital fingerprint” to track sales, streams, radio plays, etc.
- Facilitates accurate identification and management across platforms and services
ISNI (International Standard Name Identifier):
- Global standard for uniquely identifying public personas (individuals or organizations) involved in content creation and distribution
- Ensures proper attribution and crediting
- Connects different identification systems, aiding cross-referencing and data management
IPN (International Performer Number):
- Unique ID for performers and their contributions to creative works
- Used by collection societies to manage rights and royalties
- Helps ensure performers receive accurate credit and payment
IPI (Interested Party Information):
- A 9 to 11-digit international identifier for songwriters and publishers
- Used by performing rights organizations to link creators to their musical works
- Supports accurate tracking of performances and royalty distribution
ISWC (International Standard Musical Work Code):
- Unique, permanent reference number for identifying musical works
- Includes information like title, creators and their roles, as well as any derivative works
- Used to track, identify, and ensure proper remuneration for music creators by collective management organizations, publishers, DSPs