ISRC and UPC codes, explained simply

Every track and every release needs two identifiers behind the scenes. You will rarely see them, but they are how streaming platforms track plays and pay royalties correctly.

ISRC — International Standard Recording Code

This identifies a specific recording of a song. Every individual track gets its own ISRC — even a remix or a live version of a song you already released needs a new one.

UPC — Universal Product Code

This identifies the release as a whole — the single, EP, or album. One UPC per release, no matter how many tracks are on it.

Why it matters

These codes are how your streaming numbers and royalties get attributed to you correctly. A distributor that generates them for you automatically removes one more thing you would otherwise have to manage by hand.