---
title: "Glossary"
description: "Plain-English definitions of the Common Works Registration (CWR) terms used in the Workbench and in this documentation."
sidebar_position: 3
sidebar_label: "Glossary"
mdx:
  format: md
---

# Glossary

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Common Works Registration (CWR) is the standard file format used to exchange musical-work registrations with collecting societies. A registration identifies the work, its writers and publishers, and the rights shares being declared. The Workbench creates and checks CWR 2.1 Revision 8 files and reads society acknowledgement responses.

## Common Works Registration (CWR) {#cwr}

The standard file format publishers and collecting societies use to exchange musical-work registrations.

## Musical work (the composition or song, not its recording) {#work}

A musical composition or song. One musical work can have many different sound recordings.

## New registration (CWR code: NWR) {#transaction_type_nwr}

A registration sent for a musical work that has not previously been registered.

## Update to an existing registration (CWR code: REV) {#transaction_type_rev}

A correction or update to a musical work that has already been registered.

## Society acknowledgement response (ACK) {#society_acknowledgement}

The response file a society returns to report what happened to submitted registration transactions.

## Writer or publisher identity number (IPI) {#ipi}

The Interested Parties Information identifier used to distinguish writers, publishers and other rights parties.

Example: 00123456789

## International work identifier (ISWC) {#iswc}

The International Standard Musical Work Code assigned to a composition, not to a sound recording.

Example: T-000.000.000-0

## Recording identifier (ISRC) {#isrc_recording}

The International Standard Recording Code assigned to a particular sound recording, not to the underlying musical work.

Example: GBABC2600001

## Performance-right, mechanical-right and synchronisation-right shares (PR/MR/SR) {#shares}

Separate shares for performance, reproduction and synchronisation rights. Each right type must total 100% across the parties in a registration.

## Music publisher {#publisher}

A party that owns, controls or administers rights in a musical work under an agreement with writers or another publisher.

## Original publisher (CWR publisher type: E) {#publisher_type_e}

The original publisher in the work’s publisher chain.

## Administrator (CWR publisher type: AM) {#publisher_type_am}

A publisher that administers rights on behalf of another rights holder.

## Sub-publisher (CWR publisher type: SE) {#publisher_type_se}

A publisher appointed to collect or administer rights in specified territories.

## Controlled writer or publisher {#controlled}

A rights party the submitting publisher directly represents for the right and territory being registered.

## Composer (CWR designation: C) {#writer_designation_c}

A writer credited with composing the music.

## Author (CWR designation: A) {#writer_designation_a}

A writer credited with writing the lyrics.

## Composer and author (CWR designation: CA) {#writer_designation_ca}

A writer credited with both the music and the lyrics.

## Collecting society {#society}

A collective management organisation (CMO) or performing rights organisation (PRO) that licenses rights and distributes royalties for its members or represented parties.

## Destination rules (recipient profile) {#recipient_profile}

Additional generation or validation checks required by the society intended to receive the file.

## Society work reference (cross-reference) {#cross_reference}

A society-assigned work number returned in an acknowledgement so the submission can be matched to the society’s records.