Q: “Our company has just acquired the rights to a recording that already has an ISRC. Do we have to apply for a new ISRC for this recording?”

A: No. The ISRC remains the same, regardless of changed ownership. The first owner of the rights to a recording normally assigns an ISRC. Once assigned that ISRC identifies the recording throughout its life. Changes in ownership do not affect the ISRC. However if changes are made to the recording that involve new artistic input and these affect the rights associated with that recording, and it is re-issued, the new owner must assign a new ISRC, using their Registrant Code. These are some of the modifications to a recording that would require the allocation of a new ISRC:

• Restoration of historical recordings

• Changes in playing time
• Remixes/edits
• Compilations