International Standard Work Code (ISWC)

An ISWC (International Standard Musical Work Code) is a unique 11-character code that identifies a musical composition. Each song has only one ISWC, but if there are any adaptations, arrangements, or translations of the original composition, they should have their own unique ISWCs. This is because they represent new works and often have different songwriter share splits. Collection societies are responsible for issuing ISWCs upon work registration. An ISWC is typically represented in the following format: T-123.456.789-Z.