Understanding IPRS & Other Abbreviations
The Indian Performing Rights Society (IPRS) is the Collective Management Organization (CMO) for literary and musical works, representing lyricists, composers, and music publishers.
IPRS administers, in addition to the performing rights, the mechanical and synchronisation rights of its author and composer members. This means it has the right to collect the author's and composer's share even when the publisher is not a member of IPRS.
IPRS licences the "performing right" and the reproduction or "mechanical right."
Key Terminologies at IPRS and Other CMOs and How They Affect Your Royalty Collection
IPI
- IPI stands for Interested Party Information.
- An IPI number (previously known as a CAE number) is a unique international identification number assigned to authors, composers, and publishers by IPRS to uniquely identify them as rights holders. The original CAE stands for Auteur-Compositeur-Editeur, reflecting the French origin of CMOs.
ISWC
- ISWC (International Standard Musical Work Code) is a unique, permanent, and internationally recognized ISO reference number for the identification of musical works.
- The ISWC is administered by the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers (CISAC), an international organisation based in France representing CMOs for authors and composers worldwide. They oversee the allocation and management of ISWCs to facilitate the management of ISWCs to facilitate the management of rights and royalties. ISWCs and ISRCs are crucial for cataloguing music. Once your work is registered with IPRS, the Society will generate the ISWC.
ISRC
- Every master (sound recording) or music video that you release needs an ISRC (International Standard Recording Code), which will be its unique international identifier. This ISRC is linked to that particular master, even if you use that master in a compilation. A different ISRC must be issued only when you modify the master, by editing it or remixing it. In India, the Indian Music Industry is the agency authorised to issue your ISRC Registrant Code.
UPC
- A UPC (Universal Product Code) represents the entire digital product (album, EP, or single), as opposed to just an individual digital track. Manufacturer's UPC codes are typically found on the back of the sound recording's physical packaging and are used by brick-and-mortar retailers and online outlets to gather and track sales information for the entire product. Most digital distributors can generate a UPC for their clients.
HFA
- HFA (Harry Fox Agency) is a provider of rights management services for the music industry, specialising in mechanical licensing, royalty collection, and distribution. It acts as an intermediary between music publishers and users of music, such as streaming services.
PRO
- PRO (Performing Rights Organization) is an organisation that collects performance royalties on behalf of songwriters, composers, and music publishers when their music is performed publicly. Examples include IPRS, ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC.
Neighbouring Rights
- Neighbouring rights refer to the rights of performers and producers of sound recordings to receive compensation for certain uses of their work, such as broadcasting and public performance. These rights are managed by organisations like ISAMRA, SoundExchange and PPL (Phonographic Performance Limited).
About Music Rights Management India
MRM India (previously Joshua Inc) was created with the sole purpose of helping music artists get hassle-free royalties for their work. All you need to do is get in touch with us, and we’ll do the rest. We register your work, amend the work already in the PRO databases, manage cue sheets, and keep track of royalties.