# ISRC Lookup Tool — Free Cross-Reference for Spotify, MusicBrainz & The MLC > Free ISRC lookup tool. Cross-reference any 12-character ISRC across Spotify, MusicBrainz, and The MLC in seconds to surface metadata conflicts, missing registrations, and trapped mechanical royalties. No account required. *Published by [TrackForge](https://trackforge.studio) — The Rights Rating Agency* **Tool URL:** https://trackforge.studio/isrc-lookup **Last updated:** 2026-04-11 --- ## What Is an ISRC Lookup? An ISRC lookup is a cross-reference of a 12-character **International Standard Recording Code** against one or more authoritative music metadata sources. The TrackForge ISRC Lookup tool queries three sources in parallel: 1. **Spotify Web API** — commercial availability, canonical artist/title/album, label, markets, release date, and duration. 2. **MusicBrainz** — the open editorial music database, used for independent verification of title/artist/album metadata. 3. **The MLC (Mechanical Licensing Collective) Public API** — US mechanical rights, ISWC resolution, writer splits, publisher splits, and MLC song codes. If any of the three sources disagrees about a field (artist name, release date, duration, etc.), the tool flags it as a conflict. If The MLC returns no match, the tool flags a registration gap — one of the most common causes of trapped mechanical royalties. --- ## Who Uses This Tool - **Record labels** verifying that their catalogue is correctly registered across platforms before a royalty cycle. - **Music publishers** checking that every ISRC is linked to a registered ISWC at The MLC. - **Catalogue buyers** running due diligence on a target catalogue before acquisition. - **Distributors** debugging why a specific track is not paying out as expected. - **Independent artists** confirming that their releases exist correctly in Spotify and MusicBrainz. --- ## How to Use 1. Open [trackforge.studio/isrc-lookup](https://trackforge.studio/isrc-lookup). 2. Choose **Single** mode for one ISRC or **Batch** mode for many. 3. Paste your ISRC(s). ISRCs are 12 characters: 2-letter country code, 3-character registrant code, 2-digit year, 5-digit designation. Example: `GBAYE0601498`. 4. Click **SCAN**. The tool queries Spotify, MusicBrainz, and The MLC in parallel. 5. Review the results: metadata from each source, any flagged conflicts, and writer/publisher splits where available. 6. Export results to CSV (for spreadsheet analysis) or PDF (branded report) if needed. No account is required. ISRCs are processed in real-time and never stored. --- ## What the Tool Returns For each ISRC you submit, the tool returns: ### Spotify block - Canonical track title, artist, and album - Label - Release date - Duration (seconds) - Number of available markets ### MusicBrainz block - Track title, artist, and release - Release date - Independent cross-reference against Spotify ### The MLC block - MLC song code - ISWC (if linked) - Canonical work title and primary artist - All labels linked to the recording - Writer names and writer share percentages - Publisher names and publisher share percentages (summing to 100%) ### Conflicts Any field where sources disagree (e.g., Spotify says artist "Tyler, The Creator" but MusicBrainz says "Tyler The Creator") is flagged with source values and a plain-language note. ### Health status Each ISRC is classified as: - **Clean** — metadata consistent across all sources, MLC registration present. - **Warning** — one or more metadata conflicts detected. - **Critical** — missing from The MLC or missing from one or more sources entirely. --- ## Features - Single and batch ISRC lookup (up to several hundred per batch) - Parallel queries across Spotify, MusicBrainz, The MLC - Automatic conflict detection between sources - MLC registration gap flagging - Writer and publisher share breakdown - ISWC resolution from ISRC - CSV export for spreadsheet analysis - Branded PDF report export - No account required - No data stored — real-time lookups only - Free to use --- ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is an ISRC code? An ISRC (International Standard Recording Code) is a 12-character unique identifier assigned to a specific sound recording. Every time you stream a song on Spotify, Apple Music, or YouTube, the ISRC is the code that identifies which exact master recording was played. It is the foundation of how recorded-music royalties are tracked and paid. ### How do I look up an ISRC code for free? Paste any 12-character ISRC into the TrackForge ISRC Lookup tool at [trackforge.studio/isrc-lookup](https://trackforge.studio/isrc-lookup). The tool queries Spotify, MusicBrainz, and The MLC in parallel and returns metadata, writer/publisher splits, and any conflicts between sources. No account is required and the tool is free to use. ### What is the difference between ISRC and ISWC? An ISRC identifies a specific **sound recording** (the master). An ISWC identifies the underlying **musical work** (the composition). One song written by Lennon & McCartney can have dozens of ISRCs — one for every cover recording — but only one ISWC. ISRCs route performance and master royalties; ISWCs route songwriter and publishing royalties. ### Why would an ISRC not be registered with The MLC? The MLC only tracks US mechanical rights for musical works. If a recording is unreleased in the US, if the songwriter has not filed a work registration (CWR), or if the publisher has not linked the sound recording to the work, the ISRC will return no MLC match. This is one of the most common causes of trapped mechanical royalties. ### Can I look up many ISRCs at once? Yes. Switch the tool into Batch mode and paste up to several hundred ISRCs, one per line or comma-separated. Results can be exported to CSV for spreadsheet analysis or to a branded PDF report. For full-catalogue cross-referencing across 7+ sources (including ASCAP, PRS, SoundExchange, and more), [request a TrackForge Assay](mailto:contact@trackforge.studio?subject=TrackForge%20Assay%20Request). ### Is my ISRC data stored when I use this tool? No. ISRCs submitted to the TrackForge ISRC Lookup tool are processed in real-time and never stored. No personal data is collected or retained. Each lookup queries Spotify, MusicBrainz, and The MLC public APIs live. ### What does "MLC song code" mean? The MLC song code is the unique identifier The MLC assigns to a musical work in its database. It is the key into MLC's writer and publisher share data, and it is how US mechanical royalties are routed to rights-holders. A missing MLC song code typically means the work is not yet registered with The MLC. ### How accurate are the conflict flags? The tool flags differences between sources; it does not judge which source is correct. A conflict simply means "the sources disagree — investigate." In practice, Spotify tends to hold label-provided commercial metadata, MusicBrainz holds community-maintained editorial metadata, and The MLC holds publisher-filed work registrations. Each has its own provenance, so genuine conflicts are common and meaningful. --- ## From Lookup to Assay The free ISRC Lookup tool is a sample of what TrackForge's full **Assay** reveals. The Assay cross-references your entire catalogue across 7+ sources — including MLC ownership chains, SoundExchange, ASCAP, PRS, and Spotify — to quantify trapped royalties, flag duplicate registrations, and produce a cryptographically verifiable evidence bundle. To request an Assay, email [contact@trackforge.studio](mailto:contact@trackforge.studio?subject=TrackForge%20Assay%20Request). --- ## Related Reading - [ISRC Registration Gaps](https://trackforge.studio/research/isrc-registration-gaps) — The 45-point gap between Spotify coverage and MLC work registration, where $569.9M in mechanical royalties disappear. - [The Unclaimed Economy](https://trackforge.studio/research/unclaimed-economy) — 4.25M works with unclaimed US mechanical royalties at the MLC, cross-referenced against 12 data sources. - [Where the Money Goes: Royalty Leakage Map](https://trackforge.studio/research/royalty-leakage-map) — 12 lifecycle stages where music royalties disappear, 160+ failure modes across 15 data sources. - [CWR Workbench](https://trackforge.studio/cwr-tool) — Validate, inspect, and generate Common Works Registration files. The only free public CWR generator. - [Why TrackForge](https://trackforge.studio/why) — The case for independent catalogue verification. --- ## Privacy and Disclaimer **Privacy.** Your ISRCs are processed in real-time and never stored. No personal data is collected or retained. **Disclaimer.** This tool queries public APIs (Spotify, MusicBrainz, The MLC) and may return incomplete data. Always verify results independently before making business decisions. By using this tool you agree to our [Terms of Service](https://trackforge.studio/terms) and [Privacy Policy](https://trackforge.studio/privacy). --- Source: [https://trackforge.studio/isrc-lookup](https://trackforge.studio/isrc-lookup)