ISRC Validator
ValidatorValidate ISRC music recording codes. Checks the 12-character format and decodes the country, registrant, year, and designation code segments. Runs entirely in your browser.
About this tool
About ISRC Validator
An ISRC (International Standard Recording Code) is a 12-character code, written as CC-XXX-YY-NNNNN, that uniquely identifies a specific sound recording or music video — a country code, a 3-character registrant code assigned to the rights holder, a 2-digit reference year, and a 5-digit designation code. Unlike many identifiers in this niche, the ISRC has no check digit — it's a format-only code.
The validator strips whitespace and hyphens, verifies the 12-character format (2 letters, 3 alphanumeric characters, 2 digits, and 5 digits), decodes each segment, and cross-checks the embedded country code against the full ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 list.
Use this to verify an ISRC pulled from a music distribution platform, royalty statement, or metadata file before using it in a downstream system, to decode which country and registrant an ISRC was assigned by, or to debug why an ISRC is being rejected by a validation layer.
Instant, fully client-side validation with no data ever leaving your browser. Note this checks structural validity only — it does not confirm the ISRC is actually registered to a real recording, which requires a lookup against the International ISRC Registry.
Key Features
- Full 12-character format validation
- Decodes country, registrant, year, and designation code segments
- Cross-checks the country segment against the full ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 list
- Clear error messages for each failure mode
- 100% browser-based, no data ever transmitted
FAQ
ISRC Validator — Frequently Asked Questions
What is an ISRC?
ISRC stands for International Standard Recording Code, a 12-character identifier that uniquely identifies a specific sound recording or music video — a particular recorded performance, not the underlying composition. It's used throughout the music industry for royalty tracking, digital distribution, and rights management.
What do the different segments of an ISRC mean?
The first 2 characters are a country code identifying where the recording was registered. The next 3 characters are a registrant code assigned to the record label or rights holder. The next 2 digits are the last two digits of the reference year (usually the year of registration). The final 5 digits are a designation code assigned sequentially by the registrant.
Does an ISRC have a check digit?
No. Unlike ISBN or ISSN, the ISRC has no built-in check digit — it's purely a structural format. This validator checks that the format is correct and that the country code is a real ISO 3166-1 code, but it can't catch every possible typo the way a checksum would.
Why does my ISRC fail validation?
The most common causes are an incorrect character count, letters where digits are expected (or vice versa) in the wrong position, or a country code that doesn't correspond to a real ISO 3166-1 country.
Tips
- Strip the hyphens before validating if your source formats the code as CC-XXX-YY-NNNNN — this tool accepts it either way
- The first 2 characters are always a country code — if validation fails there, double-check for a typo in that segment specifically
- Since there's no check digit, a structurally valid ISRC isn't guaranteed to be a real, registered recording
- This validator never sends your ISRC anywhere — everything is checked entirely in your browser
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