Publishing Administration Terminology

Performing Rights Organization (PRO)

A PRO is a Performing Rights Organization that collects performance royalties for songwriters, composers, and publishers. By law, PROs must send 50 percent of the total performance royalties to the songwriter's and composer's designated home addresses. The other 50 percent is the publisher’s share, and PROs may treat the publisher’s share differently.

For example, ASCAP requires self-published songwriters to start their own publishing company in order to collect the publisher’s share, which includes paying the large publisher set-up fee, setting up your publishing company’s bank account, and a ton of administrative hassle. BMI, in contrast, allows self-published songwriters to simply collect both the songwriter’s share and the publisher’s share in one lump 100 percent share without creating a publishing company.

CAE/IPI Number

In musical rights management, a CAE or IPI number is used to identify rights holders within performing rights organizations. A CAE number is 9 digits long and should not be confused with your PRO account number. A CAE is also a public record, and you can find it online. 

ISWC Code

The International Standard Musical Work Code (ISWC) identifies a musical work as a unique intangible creation. It relates to the result of an intangible creation of one or more people, regardless of copyright status, distributions, or agreements that cover this creation.

ISWC Code breakdown:

The ISWC code for a musical work is usually stored in a database on a computer system. It is divided into three elements:

• the letter T (the "prefix element")
• nine digits (the "work identifier")
• A numeric check digit

When an ISWC is written or printed the letters ISWC shall precede it. For ease of reading only, hyphens and dots may be used as separators.

For example:

ISWC T-034.524.680-1

The ISWC cannot appear on the musical work (the intangible creation) itself. It should, however, be printed on all correspondence pertaining to the work to which it has been allocated. The ISWC should always be printed in a type large enough to be easily legible. The ISWC should also be printed along with the copyright notice.

Please note: Symphonic does not provide ISWCs, as we don't have access to this information for every songwriter.