--- title: Add a work by hand description: "Add one work by hand, fix any format messages, and save what you know now so you can complete the rest later." keywords: [add a work, new work, editor, save work, title, writers, recordings, publishers, ISWC, ISRC, format message] --- Use this to put one work into a catalogue by typing it in. You do not need every detail. Save what you know now and complete the rest later. ## Before you start You need to be able to edit the workspace. With view-only access the button is not there. Have the title to hand. Add writers, recordings and publishers now if you have them. ## Steps 1. Go to **Catalogue** and choose **Add a work**. If you left a new work unsaved, the button reads **Resume new work**. Unsaved changes are kept on this device for 24 hours. 2. Type the **Work title**. If you have one, type **Your work reference**, the code that identifies this work in your catalogue. Each work needs its own. If the save is refused because that reference already belongs to a saved work, type a different one, or open the existing work if it is the same work. 3. Choose **Add writer** for each writer. Enter the name and role. Leave the [IPI](/docs/cwr/glossary#ipi) blank if you do not know it yet. Shares are covered in [Writers, publishers and shares](/docs/workspace/catalogue/shares). 4. Choose **Add recording** for each recording. See [Recordings](/docs/workspace/catalogue/recordings). 5. Choose **Add original publisher** if you know the [publisher](/docs/cwr/glossary#publisher). If you have saved your publisher details in **Settings**, the first publisher starts as that one. Type over it if the work has another. 6. Open **Work details every society needs** for the ISWC, language, category, duration and more. See [Additional details](/docs/workspace/catalogue/additional-details). 7. Choose **Save work**, or press Ctrl+S (⌘S on a Mac). The bar at the top then reads **Saved** with a version number. The buttons **Save and go to writers**, **Save and go to recordings**, **Save and go to publishers**, **Save and go to work details** and **Save and finish** save, then take you to that part of the form. ![The Add a work form with the Save work bar at the top, the boxes for the title and reference, and the To do panel beside them.](/docs/img/workspace/add-work-form.png) ## Fix format messages before you save A box whose content does not fit its format shows a message beneath it. Correct it, or clear the box if you do not know the value. - **Your work reference**: 1 to 14 letters, digits or other printable characters, without accents and with no space at the start or end. - **Work identifier (ISWC)**: it looks like T-123.456.789-4 and its last digit checks the rest. See [the ISWC problem](/docs/cwr/problems-and-fixes#iswc-format). - An ISRC on a recording: 12 characters, such as GBAAA2600001. It is a two-letter country code, three letters or digits, then seven digits. See [the ISRC problem](/docs/cwr/problems-and-fixes#recording-isrc-invalid). - **Work duration (HHMMSS)**: six digits, so 000330 is 3 minutes 30 seconds. Minutes and seconds go up to 59, and it cannot be all zeros. - **Copyright date (YYYYMMDD)**: eight digits that make a real date, such as 20200131. - A writer's or publisher's IPI: 9 to 11 digits, with no spaces or punctuation. If the digits fit the format but the number looks mistyped, the box shows a warning, not an error, and the work still saves. A recording's release date and duration are under **Release date and duration**, which opens by itself when one needs fixing. ## What you will see The work joins the catalogue's saved works. A badge on the bar counts what is still to do. [Edit a work](/docs/workspace/catalogue/edit-a-work) explains saving, the recovery copy and the To do list, and [Fix problems on a work](/docs/workspace/catalogue/fix-problems) shows what each problem needs. ## Related - [Edit a work](/docs/workspace/catalogue/edit-a-work) - [Ways to add works](/docs/workspace/add-works/) - [Publisher details](/docs/workspace/settings/publisher-details)