ISRC and UPC Checklist for Client Releases: Don't Ship Without These
Published · by Loopin
Masters get rejected by distributors over missing or duplicated codes more than over sound. Run this ISRC and UPC checklist, in this order, before any client file goes out.
Step 1: lock the master before you assign anything
Codes follow files. Finish the master first, whether it came from a human engineer or from free online mastering, then assign codes. If a client sends a new mix afterwards, it is a new file, and the checklist starts again for that track.
Checklist: 1) final master approved in writing; 2) file named with artist, title and version; 3) loudness checked, about −14 LUFS for streaming; 4) true peak at or under −1 dBTP.
Step 2: give each recording one ISRC, once
An ISRC is a 12-character ID for one recording: country code, registrant code, year, then a five-digit number. The same recording keeps the same ISRC on the single, the EP and the album. Our what is an ISRC code post covers the format.
Checklist: 5) one ISRC per track; 6) never reuse a code on a different recording; 7) record each code next to the file name in your session notes. Ask the client whether they already hold codes for existing releases, and get them in writing before you invent new ones; a duplicated ISRC can hold a release up.
Step 3: new version, new ISRC
A radio edit, clean version, instrumental, sped-up edit or substantially different remix is a different recording and normally gets its own ISRC. A level-only change is a judgment call, so ask the distributor how they treat re-delivered masters.
Checklist: 8) list every version you are shipping; 9) one ISRC each; 10) mark explicit or clean on each file. Beat makers: an instrumental version of a client track is a version too.
Step 4: one UPC per release, not per track
A UPC (barcode) identifies the release as a product: a single, an EP, an album. A four-track EP has one UPC and four ISRCs. If the same song is also released alone as a single, the single gets its own UPC and keeps the song’s ISRC. Most distributors assign a UPC for you; use theirs unless the client already has one.
Checklist: 11) UPC assigned per release; 12) track order, titles and spelling match the delivery sheet; 13) artist name spelled identically on every track; 14) release date set at least a week out.
Step 5: check metadata against the file names
Compare the delivery sheet line by line against your files: titles, versions, writers, explicit flags, track numbers. A mismatch between the file “Midnight_v3” and the title “Midnight” becomes an inbox full of rejection emails.
Checklist: 15) file names and titles match; 16) credits and splits agreed with the client; 17) artwork delivered at the size the distributor asks for; 18) a last listen to the exact file being uploaded.
Step 6: send it, then archive it
Upload only after steps 1 to 5, then save the final WAVs, the sheet of codes and the date in one folder per client. When a client returns in a year asking for the code, you answer in ten seconds. The overall workflow lives in the mastering delivery checklist.
Nothing here is legal advice: distributors differ on edits and re-deliveries, and your client’s distributor has the final say. If you are unsure how a change affects codes, ask them before you upload. Need a fast preview version for the client while they sort the codes? Run it through the free masterer and send that, clearly labelled as a preview, so nobody uploads the wrong file.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between ISRC and UPC?
An ISRC identifies one recording and stays with it across releases. A UPC identifies the release as a product, such as an EP, and one UPC covers all its tracks.
How many ISRCs does an EP need?
One per track, so a four-track EP has four ISRCs and one UPC.
Does a remastered version need a new ISRC?
Not automatically. A radio edit or substantially different mix is a new recording; for a re-mastered file with the same performance, ask the distributor.
Who assigns the codes?
Most distributors assign UPCs and ISRCs for you. A client who already holds codes should supply them so existing releases stay linked.
Can I reuse an ISRC on a different song?
No. Each recording gets its own code and it is never reused.
When in the workflow do I add the codes?
After the master is approved and before upload, and record them next to the file names so any later version is easy to trace.