metadata for musicians at barcamp philly 2015
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Metadata for musicians
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Presented at Barcamp PhillyNovember 7, 2015 | Philadelphia, PA
Kristin ThomsonFuture of Music Coalition@kristinthomson@future_of_music
MetadataAll the information that describes and identifies your music.
• Text: composer and musicians’ names, dates, genre• Numeric: ISWC codes, ISRC codes, UPC barcode
As music landscape becomes more digital and global, proper metadata is an increasingly important part of your release workflow.
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UPC barcodeAssembled product
4
ISWC codesIdentify each composition
1
ISRC codesIdentify each sound recording/each track
2
ISNI codeIdentifies the creative entity
3
ISWC codesSet of numbers that identify a composition
T-070.076.790-3“Hotel California” by Don Felder, Glenn Frey, Don Henley
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Composition = the musical notes and lyrics, what you’d see on sheet music
ISWCs are unique. Each composition can only have one ISWC
Like a social security number for a composition
International Standard Musical Work Code
ISRC codesSet of numbers that identify a unique sound recording
US Z10 15 12345Country Company
prefixYear Unique digits
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Sound recording = what’s captured in the studio, and what ends up being commercialized on albums, singles, streams
Each recorded track on your album will have its own ISRC
International Standard Recording Code
One single composition can have many ISRCs (original recording, covers, live versions, re-mastered versions)
ISNISet of 16 numbers that identify an individual creative entity
Helps to match works to proper person with similar/same namesJohn Williams famous film score composer vs. John Williams guitarist
0000 0001 2031 4590 ISNI for Brian May from Queen, who is also an author and an astrophysicist
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International Standard Name Identifier
Helps with creators who work in more than one fieldBrian May: composer, guitarist, scientist, author
UPC barcodesSet of numbers that identify a packaged collection of music
71875 18828 2 - 9
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Companyprefix
5 unique digits
Format Random check digit
UPC barcodes can be assigned to albums or singles, whatever is being commercialized and made available in retail
Unified Product Code
Rock YouWillWe
Song title: Composer/songwriter:
Artist: Album release:
Original release year:Record label:
Rock YouWillWe“We Will Rock You”Brian May QueenNews of the World 1977EMI in UK
ISWC for Brian May’s composition: Brian May’s ISNI:
IRSC for Queen’s recording of this song: UPC for News of the World LP vinyl:
Original release year:Record label:
Rock YouWillWeT.010.031.397.0 0000 0001 2031 4590
GB CEE 01 00127 50087 14693 1
1977EMI in UK
Composer songwriter
Publisher
Recording artist
Record label
When you hear a song,
or buy a single
Musical composition
notes and lyrics
Sound recording
what’s captured on tape/
what you hear
there are two copyrightsembedded in the track
HOW THE MONEY FLOWS BACK TO
songwriters, artists,publishers & labels
songwriter
broadcast radio terrestrial broadcast of any AM or FM station
PROs ASCAP, BMI, SESACCsongwriter
publisherperformance of composition
performance of sound recording
How are musicians and songwriters compensated when their music is played on the radio, sold on digital platforms,
webcast, or streamed on interactive services?
For digital stores and on-demand streams, how the money flows depends on what entity negotiated the license.
For record labels that are represented by a digital aggregator/distributor:
For artists who own their sound recording copyrights and use services like CD Baby or TuneCore:
In the US, terrestrial broadcasters do not pay performers or sound recording copyright owners
For record labels that have a direct deal with services:
digital saleiTunes • Amazon
Google Play • eMusic
SR record label artist/band*
mechanical reproduction of composition
sale of sound recording
publisher songwriter
10-50%
9.1¢/track
* Rate of payment from label to artist/band depends on terms of contract, and whether digital sale is classified as a sale or a license.
0.5% Sound Recording Special Payments Fund #
# Labels contribute a small percent of sound recording sales income. If recording was made under the AFM’s recording agreement, payments are disbursed to musicians who were paid scale wages during the recording session.
musicians
SR aggregator
artist/band*
mechanical reproduction of composition
sale of sound recording
publisher songwriter
IODA/The Orchardrecord label
9.1¢/track
@50%
85%
SR only relevant if performer recorded + released songs written by others
sale of sound recording
publisher songwriteraggregator artist/bandCD Baby or TuneCore
91-100%
AFM & SAG-AFTRA Fund
webcast or digital performance
Pandora • Sirius XM • NPR streamingany webcast stations
PROs ASCAP, BMI, SESAC*C
SR SoundExchange
songwriter
publisher
record label
performer(s)
50%
45%
5%
performance of composition
digital performance of sound recording background singers and musicians
* At the end of 2012, Universal Music Publishing Group and Sony/ATV-EMI pulled their digital rights from ASCAP and BMI, seeking to get a higher rate by negotiating directly with webcasters.
UMPG and Sony ATV-EMI* UMPG and Sony ATV-EMIsongwritersC
songwriter
songwriteron-demand
streamSpotify • Rdio • Rhapsody
SR record label artist/band*
streaming mechanical royalty
licensed use of sound recording 10-50%
10.5%
minus payment to PROs
PROs ASCAP, BMI, SESACCpublisher
performance of composition
publishers
UMPG and Sony ATV-EMI*C * At the end of 2012, Universal Music Publishing Group and Sony/ATV-EMI pulled their digital rights from ASCAP and BMI, seeking to get a higher rate by negotiating directly with services.
UMPG and Sony ATV-EMIsongwriters
licensed use of sound recording
PROs ASCAP, BMI, SESACsongwriter
publisherperformance of composition
SR aggregator
artist/bandIODA/The Orchard
record label 50%+
85%
on-demandstream
Spotify • Rdio • Rhapsody streaming mechanical royalty
songwriterpublisher*
C
streaming mechanical royalty
licensed use of sound recording
PROs ASCAP, BMI, SESACC
songwriter
publisherperformance of composition
SR aggregator artist/bandCD Baby or TuneCore
on-demandstream
Spotify • Rdio • Rhapsody
* Services pay streaming mechanical royalties to big publishers directly, or to a mechanical licensing agent like Harry Fox, Songtrust or Music Reports, which then pay their publisher members/clients. Because it is very burdensome for self-published songwriters to collect these royalties, both CD Baby and TuneCore have set up services to help self-published songwriter clients to collect them.
* Rate of payment from label to artist/band depends on terms of contract, and whether digital sale is classified as a sale or a license.
* Services pay streaming mechanical royalties to big publishers directly, or to a mechanical licensing agent like Harry Fox, Songtrust or Music Reports, which then pay their publisher members/clients. Songwriters need to be proactive in seeking out this revenue.
mechanical licensing agent or publisher*
publisher*
Information compiled by the nonprofit Future of Music Coalition, with gracious assistance from many experts and friends.
Poster edition: September 2013www.futureofmusic.org | money.futureofmusic.org
© Future of Music Coalition 2013
Artist Revenue Streamsmoney.futureofmusic.org
* Rate of payment from label to artist/band depends on terms of contract, and whether digital sale is classified as a sale or a license.
mechanical licensing agent or publisher*
performance of composition
performance of composition
big labels
indie labels
self-released
10.5%
minus payment to PROs
9.1¢/track
10.5%
minus payment to PROs
91-100%
For radio and radio-like services, blanket licenses determine who gets paid, and how much.
digital saleiTunes • Amazon
Google Play • eMusic
digital saleiTunes • Amazon
Google Play • eMusic
Music and How the Money Flows infographic
futureofmusic.org/moneyflow
ISWC on the composition: Brian May’s ISNI:
ISRC codes:
UPC codes:
Same: T.010.031.397.0 Same: 0000 0001 2031 4590
Different: unique ISRC for each cover track, identifies that sound recording
Different: unique UPC for each album that includes a recorded cover
Covers of We Will Rock You
Why metadata is importantBoth ISRCs and UPCs are now required for iTunes store, and many other digital platforms. Can’t upload without them
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But it’s more than a minimum requirement. Metadata is the lingua franca of the global, digital music landscape
It underlies discoverability, proper attribution and payment across an increasing number of platforms
Music’s meta problemYou’d think for something this important, there wouldbe master authentication database(s)
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Nope. There is no master database that catalogs ISWCs or ISRCs
Efforts to fix this:1. Global Repertoire Database 2. International Music Registry3. US Copyright Office4. Blockchain?
Search either of these to learn about the valiant efforts and why they failed}
Lacking a global solution…
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Recording Academy’s P+E Wing Best practices for producers, engineers and mastering houses. http://grammy.org
Record labels Indie and major labels dealing with metadata as part of release prep.Aggregators on the front line Digital aggregators like CD Baby, The Orchard are data pipelines. They have improved their dashboards and data ingestion over the years
Lacking a global solution…
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Music Business Association Works on supply chain standards with retailersOrganizes an annual Metadata Summit Infographics and Metadata Standards GuideMusic Biz Academies to help startups understand licensinghttp://musicbiz.org
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Future of Music Coalition Educating musicians, managers about importance of metadataMetadata for Musicians slide decksWorkshops for musiciansUnique challenges for jazz and classical artistshttp://futureofmusic.org/tags/metadata
Lacking a global solution…
Music Business Toolbox Next edition coming out March 2016Tools and templates to manage metadata
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Additional slides from this talk go into detail about:
• What data to keep track of during writing and recording
• Where to get ISRCs and how much they cost
• How to get ISWCs assigned
• Where to get UPC barcodes
• What data ASCAP/BMI and SoundExchange need
• All the other steps you need to take before releasing your music to make sure it’s properly identified on all platforms
Musicians: next steps
In the studio
Prepare for mastering
Production work
8. Submit compositions to your PRO
6. Type out lyrics
7. Design artwork, including all credits
10. Register your new album with SoundScan
9. Submit sound recordings to SoundExchange
12. Submit bio/info to Rovi
13. Register works with US Copyright Office
14. Data, artwork, music to aggregator
*15. Other sites/platformsMusic Biz Metadata Standards Guide
Click on any title to go to that slide
1. Credits: keep track of everyone’s roles & contributions
2. Song titles, album titles, credits, properly spelled
3. Acquire ISRC codes for each track11. Register with Mediabase and BDS
Databases for recognition
Prepare for release
4. UPC barcode for the assembled product
ISWC codes assigned
5. ISNI number for author/individual
Definition The Core Four
In the studioSTUDIO AND RECORDING SESSION DETAILS
Studio name(s)
Date(s) of recording session
Location (city, country) of recording studio(s)
Personnel working on the sessionExecutive producerProducerEngineer(s)
ArrangerConductorRemixer
MixingMastering
Do any producers have deal points? Table of contents
In the studioCOMPOSER/SONGWRITER DETAILS FOR EACH TRACK
Names of songwriters/composers
What they wrote (music, beats, lyrics)
What % of credit they get for their contribution (aka splits)
Name of each songwriter’s publishing company
Which PRO they belong to (ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, other)
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Each songwriters’ ISNI number (if they have one)
In the studioRECORDING ARTIST DETAILS FOR EACH TRACK
Names of featured artists/performers
What they performed or instrument they played
What % of credit they get for their contribution (aka splits)
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Each artists’ ISNI number (if they have one)
In the studioSESSION PLAYER/FREELANCERS FOR EACH TRACK
Names of any session players/session vocalists/freelancers
What they performed or instrument they played
Whether they belong to a union (AFM or SAG-AFTRA), and their local number
Whether this recording session is a union session
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In the studioLICENSES, PERMISSIONS and AGREEMENTS
Did you record any covers? Secure mechanical licenses
Did you use any samples? Get clearances
Various agreements
• Intra-band agreement that spells out creator splits• Producer agreement• Side artists’ agreements
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Song data tracking workbook from Music Business Toolbox
This template and related pre-release checklists will be available in March 2016.
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Preparation for mastering
ISRC codes for each track
UPC barcode for the assembled product
Mastering engineer will need text-based data:Album titleSong titlesPerformers
Mastering engineer would also like to have:
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ISRC codesSet of numbers that identify a unique sound recording
Become a registrant at US ISRC http://usisrc.org
Get ISRCs assigned for free/nominal cost from your aggregator.
US Z10 14 12345Country Company
prefixYear Unique digits
or
If you are on an indie label, your label will generate the ISRC codes using their prefix number.
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http://musicbiz.org/press-releases/music-biz-explains-isrc/ Table of contents
How to get ISRCs from CD Baby (video tutorial) Table of contents
UPC barcodesSet of numbers that identify a packaged collection of music
71875 188282-9Become a registrant at GS1 http://www.gs1us.org/
Get UPC barcode assigned for free/nominal cost from your aggregator (CD Baby, TuneCore, Ditto, DistroKid, etc).
or
If you are on an indie label, your label will generate the barcode.
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ISRC and UPC
Mastering engineer can embed the ISRC on each track
Add your tracks’ ISRCs to your song tracking workbook. You’ll need to enter them in other places
Mastering engineer can also embed UPC barcode
Both ISRC and UPC are now required for iTunes store, and many other digital platforms
Add your project’s UPC barcode to your song tracking workbook. You’ll reference it again
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ISNI
Set of 16 numbers that identify an individual creative entity
Helps to match works to proper personJohn Williams film composer vs John Williams guitarist
0000 0001 2031 4590 ISNI for Brian May from Queen, who is also an author and an astrophysicist
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International Standard Name Identifier
Helps with creators who work in more than one fieldBrian May: composer, guitarist, scientist, author
Production workIf applicable, type out your lyrics• For artwork• For your website
Album artwork• Album name• Song titles• Writer credits
(including PRO and publisher)• Performer credits, including any
session players or freelancers• Recording studio name, location,
date, personnel
P
• For lyric videos• Can be submitted via your
publisher to lyric sites
• Record label (even if it’s yourself)• Copyright notice © and • UPC barcode image• Other credits: photographer,
illustrator, etc.• If relevant, timed length of songs
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GracenoteWrite your bio/one sheet
• Album name• Song titles• UPC barcode on one sheet
Submit your song track data to Gracenote
• Free to do• Submission process via iTunes software on your computer• Delivers album and track data to services
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http://www.gracenote.com/company/faq/owner/ Table of contents
PRO submissionsComposers/songwriters: submit your musical compositions to your PRO• Register your new titles with ASCAP, BMI or SESAC• Free to do if you are already a PRO writer/publisher member• Your PRO will automatically assign ISWC codes to your new titles
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ISWC codesSet of numbers that identify a composition
T-070.076.790-3
Assigned by your PRO (ASCAP, BMI or SESAC) when you upload your repertoire
Keep track of your ISWCs with your other data
“Hotel California” by Don Felder, Glenn Frey, Don Henley
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SoundExchangeSubmit your sound recording information to SoundExchange
• Free• SoundExchange has an online interface and a repertoire template• Tracks digital performances on Sirius XM, Pandora, any webcast
stations
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http://register.soundexchange.com/welcome Table of contents
SoundExchange dataWhat SoundExchange needs• Artist• Track title• Album title• Record label• % of the Featured Artist
Performance Royalty that you claim (aka, your split)
• Do you own the master sound recording of this track? Y/N
Improve music identification by also including:• ISRC for each track• Album UPC• Release date• Recording location• Distributor
(if different from label name)• Publisher
Alternate spellings? Different languages? Talk to SoundExchange
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SoundScan/BDS/MediabaseSubmit your release information to Nielsen SoundScan
• Free to do• Online form• SoundScan tracks retail sales, including downloads from
iTunes, Amazon, CD Baby, Bandcamp, and streams
Submit your release information to Mediabase (owned by Clear Channel) and Nielsen BDS
• Free to do• Online forms available for both Mediabase and BDS• Both services track commercial radio airplay
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http://titlereg.soundscan.com/soundscantitlereg/ Table of contents
http://www.musicinfosystems.com/faq/ Table of contents
Search for “Nielsen BDS how to submit music” Table of contents
Rovi/AMGSubmit your bio and data to Rovi for All Music Guide• Free to do• Need to mail a CD + bio• Powers the bios you see on iTunes, Pandora. • AMG is very selective. Acceptance by Rovi/AMG is not guaranteed
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http://www.allmusic.com/product-submissions Table of contents
US Copyright OfficeRegister your works with the US Copyright Office• Under US law, copyright is automatically granted when you create
the original work or “fix” it to a medium, like tape or hard drive• Use Form SR or Form PA to establish a public record of creation• Official registration provides creators with more legal protections
in event of infringement
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Deliveries to aggregatorData, artwork and music delivered to your aggregator
• Give yourself enough time to do this right• Fill in as many descriptive fields as possible to increase searchability
and proper attribution• Spellcheck everything!• Use consistent spelling, capitalizations (Music Biz Standards Guide)
Your aggregator will deliver to dozens of digital retail stores, streaming services, and discovery platforms.
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Deliveries to aggregatorWhat data aggregators need• Artist name• Album title • Song titles• Are any of the songs covers?
• Names of songwriters• Label name (even if it’s your
name)• Catalog number (if applicable)
• ISRC for each track, or have them assigned by aggregator
• UPC barcode for album, or purchase one from aggregator
• Release date• Genre, secondary genre• Artist location
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http://musicbiz.org/knowledge/whitepapers/ Table of contents
Other sites
• Populate your other platforms with the same data, artwork and music • Give yourself enough time to do this right• Fill in as many descriptive fields as possible to increase searchability
and proper attribution• Spellcheck everything!• Use consistent spelling, capitalizations (Music Biz Standards Guide)
Bandcamp + your own website + social media
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Takeaways
Presented at Barcamp PhillyNovember 7, 2015 | Philadelphia, PA Table of contents
Ultimately, it is the artists’ responsibility to document creators and contributions, and keep track of IDs
Be consistent with spelling, diligent with data entry
Metadata is the text and numbers that uniquely describe and identify your music
Metadata is increasingly important. It underlies discoverability, proper attribution and payment across an increasing number of platforms