An ISRC does not settle who owns a recording

The system

The International Standard Recording Code (ISRC) is a code that uniquely and permanently identifies a specific sound recording or music video, assigned by the recording's rights owner or an authorised representative. It is administered by the International ISRC Registration Authority, operating under IFPI, whose ISRC site and ISRC Handbook, now in its fourth edition (2021), are described here as retrieved on 16 September 2026.

What the documents establish

The Handbook assigns ISRCs to 'distinct recordings': any recording without one may receive one, a recording that has undergone material change since assignment gets a new code, one that has not must keep its existing code, and re-using an already-assigned ISRC on a different recording is not permitted. Crucially, the Handbook states that ISRC assignment 'should not be confused with copyright registration,' which it calls a separate process. The agency's own site lists three registration paths: self-releasing artists can assign a code online, labels obtain a prefix and assign their own, and platforms can apply to become ISRC Managers.

Craft and rights

Because assignment turns on identifying a distinct recording controlled by its rights owner, nothing in the retrieved edition restricts eligibility based on how a recording was made; the Handbook does not mention AI-generated or AI-assisted recordings at all, so no rule excludes or specifically admits them. The more consequential point for a producer or rights holder is the Handbook's own separation of code from copyright: assigning an ISRC to an AI-assisted track establishes an identifier, not a determination of whether that track is protectable or who, if anyone, owns it, which stays a separate and, for AI output, actively contested question this document does not address.

Outcomes and open questions

Whether IFPI or the Registration Authority will publish specific guidance on assigning ISRCs to AI-generated recordings is not established by the fourth edition, which predates the current wave of generative music tools. A newer edition or bulletin, if issued, should be checked before treating this entry's description of eligibility as the current rule.

• Does my distributor require an ISRC before release, and does its intake form ask how the track was made?
• Am I treating an assigned ISRC as proof of ownership, when the Handbook says it is not?
• Has IFPI issued newer guidance on AI-generated recordings since this fourth edition?

The Handbook's own words draw the boundary clearly: an ISRC tells the industry which recording is which, and says nothing on its own about who made it, how, or who owns the result.