Publisher Identifier

Publisher identifiers are assigned by the U.S. ISMN Agency at the Library of Congress. To ensure that a suitable identifier is assigned, a publisher should provide as much information as possible about current and future publication programs and about backlists of publications still available.  Prolific publishers receive short numbers, allowing for more digits to be used for individual music items.  Smaller publishers receive longer numbers, the assumption being that they will issue fewer works requiring unique ISMN.

A publisher operating separate and distinct offices or branches in different places should have a publisher identifier for each office or branch.

• New Publisher Registration Form
• Registered Publishers
  If you have already registered and require a change to your publisher entry, you may do this yourself.  Log in to your account and click on the "Imprint/Publisher" name.  The form containing data you provided previously will appear.  Make the required edits directly in the form.  Be sure to click on "Save Changes."
• Item Registration Form
  After registration, publishers can then register individual items to receive the complete 13 digit ISMN.
  If you have already registered and require a change to your item entry, you may do this yourself.  Log in to your account and click on "View Items."  Select the title of the item requiring change by clicking on the icon at the far left (blue paper and pencil). The form containing data you provided previously will appear.  Make the required edits directly in the form.  Be sure to click on "Apply Changes."

Practicalities

There are no costs assessed by the U.S. ISMN Agency for assigning ISMN to American publishers. Publishers themselves are responsible for printing ISMN on the individual items they publish. Publishers should designate a person to oversee use of ISMN in order to manage smoothly the data entry for ISMN and the application of assigned ISMN to their publications.

Data for each item assigned ISMN by the U.S. ISMN Agency will reside in the ISMN Archive maintained at the Library of Congress.

ISMN once allocated must not be re-used. If a number that has already been used for a title is inadvertently attached to a second title, the number should be obliterated from the second title and a new number generated.  The U.S. ISMN Agency will quickly assist publishers to resolve issues around errors in application.

Qualifying as a Music Publisher

Any person or agency which issues notated music to the public, whether for sale, rental, or free, is a music publisher.  Self-published music receives ISMN just as music from large, well-established businesses.