An ISRC identifies a specific recording; a UPC identifies a release. The ISRC follows a single track everywhere it goes and is what ties your accumulated streams to that recording, permanently. The UPC identifies the package it was released in, whether a single, EP or album. You do not buy either separately in most cases, because distributors issue both free with your release. The most important practical rule is this: the same recording keeps the same ISRC forever, even if you change distributors, and a remaster or new version gets a new one. Get that wrong and your play counts do not follow you.<\/b><\/p>\n
That is the summary. This guide covers what each code does, how to get them, when a new one is required, and the mistakes that cost artists their history.<\/span><\/p>\n ISRC stands for International Standard Recording Code. It is a 12-character identifier that stays attached to one specific recording for its entire life.<\/span><\/p>\n What it does:<\/b><\/p>\n One recording, one ISRC, forever.<\/b> If you switch distributors and deliver with the same ISRC, your history follows. Deliver with a new one and platforms treat it as a brand-new track with zero streams. This is the single most consequential detail in <\/span>switching distributors without losing streams<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n UPC stands for Universal Product Code, the same barcode system used in retail. In music it identifies a release rather than a recording.<\/span><\/p>\n So a five-track EP has one UPC and five ISRCs. If you later release one of those tracks as a standalone single, that release gets a new UPC while the track keeps its original ISRC.<\/span><\/p>\n Through your distributor, free, in almost every case.<\/b> Reputable distributors issue both automatically when you submit a release, at no extra cost. If a distributor charges separately for identifiers, that is a fee worth questioning, and it belongs in the list in <\/span>hidden distribution fees<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n You can also register directly with a national ISRC agency to obtain your own registrant code, which lets you issue ISRCs yourself. This is worth doing if you run a label, release very high volume, or want identifiers that are unambiguously yours rather than issued under a distributor’s prefix. For most independent artists it is unnecessary.<\/span><\/p>\n Important either way:<\/b> whoever issues them, confirm you can carry them to another distributor later. Any service worth using will allow it.<\/span><\/p>\n This is where artists get confused. The rule is about the recording, not the release.<\/span><\/p>\nISRC: The Recording’s Fingerprint<\/b><\/h2>\n
\n
UPC: The Release’s Barcode<\/b><\/h2>\n
\n
How to Get Them<\/b><\/h2>\n
When a New ISRC Is Required<\/b><\/h2>\n