This fall, Spotify reached a milestone – On October 6, Music Business Worldwide magazine reported that 100,000 songs are uploaded to the popular streaming service every single day. The influx of new music is so huge that it’s almost impossible to keep up. Most of the technical and physical limitations that previously existed […]
/ 16/12/2022 / Kristian DugstadThis fall, Spotify reached a milestone – On October 6, Music Business Worldwide magazine reported that 100,000 songs are uploaded to the popular streaming service every single day.
The scope of new music is so vast that it is barely possible to take it all in. Most of the technical and physical limitations that existed in the past no longer exist.
This may be good for creativity, but it also means that copyright management has become far more complex than before.
The international network of management organizations that TONO is part of handles enormous amounts of data and large cash flows.
– The money for a single stream is often divided between as many as ten or more rights holders who in turn may be members of various rights organizations around the world, says Membership Manager Jan Espen Storo.
The companies have very good systems for this, and by and large, you, the music producer, don't need to do anything.
At the same time, it is largely true that knowledge is power. Therefore, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with your musical ID papers.
Everyone who becomes a member of TONO is assigned a membership number that is used internally with us and in our direct communication with you. What you may not have known is that an IPI number is also created at the same time.
IPI stands for Interested Party Information, and all individuals or legal entities that have rights in an artistic work, whether it's music or something else, are given such an identification number. The number is used by all collecting societies.
It is important that members who collaborate with copyright holders abroad are aware that this number exists.
When registering a work in TONO with foreign songwriters, it is useful if you have their IPI number. Similarly, it is practical if your IPI number is registered if your collaborators register the work with their management organization.
You can find your IPI number on my TONO.
You can read more about IPI here: https://www.cisac.org/services/information-services/ipi
ISWC stands for International Standard Musical Work Code and is a global, permanent ID marking of musical works.
The system is managed by CISAC, the international umbrella organization of TONO societies. As of today, the system is used in 79 countries, and 52 million musical works have been registered.
– All music registered with TONO is automatically assigned an ISWC. As the Author, you do not need to deal with this number in principle, but if you need it, you can of course find it in the member service My TONO, says Jan Espen Storo, Member Manager at TONO.
ISWC is an important identification tool used by TONO companies worldwide. The number is an important tool that contributes to effective management, also across borders.
Would you like to find the ISWC for your work? It is available under work details on mitt.tono.no.
The ISWC system is under continuous improvement. In November 2022, CISAC announced upgrades that will lead to improved efficiency and greater accuracy. The next goal is to implement the system throughout the music industry value chain.
International Standard Recording Code (ISRC)
If you have ever recorded and released music, you may be familiar with the acronym ISRC. It may sound confusingly similar to ISWC, but it is something different, and just as necessary.
ISRC is an ID marking for recorded music, and stands for International Standard Recording Code. All recordings released in Norway must have an ISRC, and the system is managed by Gramo.
While the ISWC identifies the work itself, an ISRC applies to a specific recording. If you record and release ten different versions of your song, you will need ten different ISRCs. However, the ISWC is the same for all of them.
Another important difference is that ISWC is created automatically by TONO when the work is registered. An ISRC, however, is created via Gramo, and must be added to each individual recording during mastering.
Read more about ISRC at www.gramo.no/isrc
In order for a work to be assigned an ISWC code, it must be registered. This is both in the interest of TONO's members, as TONO can only collect money and pay out on registered music, but it is also an obligation.
TONO members must ensure that their list of works is kept up to date at all times.
To register, or as it says on My TONO, report, a new work, you only need to provide the title and length of the work, as well as who the authors are. In other words, there is no need to wait until the music has been recorded or performed.
In fact, we ask that TONO registration be the first thing you do when you have created a new work. If the music finds its way to the public before it is registered, it can cause problems.
TONO can only pay out money based on music we know has been used. And we never pay out money for music that is not registered. At best, we can invoice for the public use of your music, for example at a concert or radio, and keep the money until the work is registered. But that is not an ideal solution.
There is no reason to wait to register. In the worst case, we may not be able to collect any money for the use of your music at all.
If a new song is made available on a streaming service without first being registered with TONO, those who created the music and lyrics risk losing their money completely.
A number of services require TONO to document that the music being played is managed by us. This documentation consists of your registration in My TONO. If the work is not registered, we cannot charge you on your behalf. In that case, your TONO payment for this use may be lost forever.