CISAC's ISWC system gets a major overhaul to improve accuracy, efficiency and speed in tracking royalties

By Emmanuel Legrand

 

The International Confederation of Authors Societies (CISAC) has launched a new, modernised version of its global ISWC system, the unique code that identifies music works, with over 100 authors' societies in the world having already migrated to the new system. The project, which was two years in the making, is expected to "improve the accuracy, speed and efficiency of societies’ work in tracking creators’ works and paying royalties," according to CISAC.

 

  The International Standard Musical Work Code is a unique, permanent and internationally recognised ISO reference number for the identification of musical works. The ISWC is part of the CIS plan (Common Information System) which CISAC has developed over the years to ensure that music works were properly identified. Over the last 15 years, more than 50 million ISWC codes have been allocated to music works.

 

  For Jeff King, Chair of Digital Data Exchange (DDEX) and, Chief Operating and Corporate Development Officer of Canada's society SOCAN, the ISWC code "is one of the key identifier terms for musical works within the DDEX standards, and these improvements should speed the flow of information about a registered work’s writers and publishing information throughout the global digital ecosystem.”

 

Improve the flow between societies

 

  The new system, developed since 2018 by Spanish Point Technologies, will help societies and music publishers "manage the trillions of data transactions generated by the growth of music streaming," said CISAC. CISAC revealed that societies collections for digital music rose 27% in 2019 to €2.1 billion and have almost tripled in the last five years.

 

  Over a 100 societies already did a "switchover" in July to the new system and CISAC said it "will also be shortly rolled out for use by the publishing community and digital music platforms" and will "improve the information flow between societies, publishers and platforms, helping keep pace with the explosion of music streaming." 

 

  "We are now working closely with our partners across the music sector to make sure the upgraded system is used universally across the digital music market," said Gadi Oron, Director-General of CISAC.

  “The upgrade of the ISWC could not come at a more timely moment for songwriters and composers, who are now depending more than ever on digital income for their livelihoods," said CISAC President Björn Ulvaeus (pictured, above). "ISWC is one of the most important identifiers in the music industry and I´m delighted that the upgrade is now completed and is being implemented across the sector. It will track music works better and faster and help put more money more quickly into creators’ pockets. The key now is to make sure the system really does go global – it needs to be universally applied to bring the potential rewards it offers to all players.”

 

  CISAC listed the new benefits brought by the new ISWC system:

  > Greater accuracy, with codes assigned centrally, by CISAC, to avoid duplication and inaccuracies. "The new system will end the current practice of having ISWC codes allocated by individual societies, a practice that leads to many data integrity challenges," said CISAC. "Central assignment will guarantee that each song will get only one unique code." 

  > Faster speed, as the new system "dramatically reduces the time it takes to assign ISWCs." The codes will then be ready for use by all partners in the commercial chain (publishers, sub-publishers, digital services) within hours of the work’s release, so that a song used on Spotify, Amazon, Apple Music or others can be monetised without delay.

  > Increased efficiency, as the new ISWC project "takes the friction out of the digital licensing process, reduces costs and brings more value." Oron said the new, fully functioning automated allocation system "will save time and costs for all parties and most importantly, will help deliver more royalties to creators."

 

A real progress

  For data expert Paul Jessop, a UK-based media industry identifiers consultant and member of the ISO standards committee that publishes ISWC, the modernisation of the ISWC system was long overdue to coincide with the way in which music in consumed at the moment. "ISWC is a well thought-out identifier but in operation it suffered from being assigned late – many months too late to be useful in some cases," Jessop told Creative Industries Newsletter. "This new implementation, which has been done within the framework of the same ISO standard as before, should radically improve matters. It might even be available in the studio when a band has turned its jam session into a hit song. "

  Jessop admits that "there are still issues" such as songwriters who aren’t members of a CISAC society "struggle to get codes and the database doesn’t offer an open API that would let people outside a magic circle access the data. But this is real progress."