The International Standard Recording Code

ISRC International Agency Bulletin 2008/02
ISRC Assignment to Spoken Word Recordings

16 June 2008

The International ISRC Agency confirms that ISRC can be assigned to spoken word recordings and other non-musical recorded audio.

Each National ISRC Agency may allocate Registrant Codes for the purpose of ISRC assignment to spoken word and other non-musical audio recordings using existing allocation procedures. No additional information is required of the Registrant or of the National ISRC Agency.

While the International ISRC Agency strongly recommends that companies or artists should be allowed to use any Registrant Code previously allocated to them to assign ISRCs for non-musical sound recordings, each National ISRC Agency can establish their own regulations concerning Registrant Code allocation to suit national circumstances.

Prospective Registrants may find an ISRC useful or necessary in digital distribution of their spoken word or non-musical recorded content. In the instance of spoken word recordings, the ISRC is not intended to replace the assignment of an ISBN. Where an ISBN identifies product, the ISRC identifies the recording that is embodied in that product, regardless of the format on which it is used.

Registrants should normally assign one ISRC to each of the smallest units of content into which a whole recording is divided. This will be a chapter or a CD track in most instances.

These procedures will be incorporated into the ISRC Handbook in due course.

Enquiries about this arrangement may be addressed to:

International ISRC Agency
c/o IFPI
10 Piccadilly
London W1J 0DD
United Kingdom
isrc@ifpi.org
www.ifpi.org/isrc