National Library of Australia - Home page
Users Manual About Publishers Directory Application Forms Help Links
Ismn logo

 

 

ABOUT ISMN

 

International Standard Music Number
ISMN
A unique number for the identification of printed music publications

enhancing awareness of music published in Australia and promoting the Australian music publishing industry

What is the Australian ISMN Agency?

The Australian ISMN Agency is an initiative of the National Library of Australia and operates as a free service to Australian music, with the support of APRA and AMCOS and the Australian Music Centre. The Agency has sole responsibility for assigning publisher identifiers and an ISMN for all music titles published in Australia, on behalf of the International ISMN Agency located in Berlin. Details of all publishers registered with the Australian ISMN Agency are sent to the International Agency for publication in the printed Music Publishers' International ISMN Directory. The Australian Agency will support on-line searching of Australian publishers.

Background

Following the enormous success of ISBN (International Standard Book Number) for the book trade, music publishers craved a similar vehicle for their printed music. The International Association of Music Librarians, Archives and Documentation Centres (IAML) - UK Branch, approached the International ISBN Agency with a proposal for a ten digit numbering system for music. After the scheme's initial publication in ISBN Review, it found wide acclaim. ISO working groups accepted ISO/TC46 as an approved work project. A meeting in Ottawa saw an agreement reached between European and North American music experts. The draft proposal for the ISMN numbering system was quickly processed and ISMN became officially available at the end of 1993. This coincided with the publication of the standard proper in Geneva.

In August 2000, the Director-General of the National Library of Australia, Jan Fullerton, indicated to the International ISMN Agency in Berlin that the Library was willing to host an Australian ISMN Agency. This offer was accepted in September 2000. Operation of the ISMN Agency fits the National Library's strategic objective of collecting and preserving Australian published music and cooperating with others to ensure comprehensive national coverage of music. The establishment of the Agency was announced in the October 2000 issue of the National Library of Australia Gateways.

The Australian ISMN Agency became operational in November 2001 and began issuing ISMNs to publishers in December 2001.

What is an ISMN?

The International Standard Music Number (ISMN) is a unique number used to identify music publications. It is used to identify a particular piece of music or item, such as an instrumental or vocal part, whenever information about music publications needs to be recorded or communicated. An ISMN is for print, electronic, microform or braille formats of music publications, whether available for sale, hire, gratis, or for copyright purposes only. An ISMN is not used for stand-alone sound or video recordings or for publications about music, each ofwhich has their own international numbering system.

Why should you have an ISMN?

The ISMN is a quick and valuable tool for identifying and locating an exact item of music, including individual parts. For composers, publishers, libraries, performers and other users, the ISMN provides a unique way of permanently identifying different manifestations and published versions of scores and parts. For publishers and retailers, it can assist in stock control, identification, quick and efficient ordering and distribution of items. An ISMN can be easily converted to bar-codes for electronic point of sale, hire or loan systems.

What music items should receive an ISMN?

  • scores
  • miniature (study) scores
  • vocal scores
  • sets of parts (instrumental, vocal)
  • separately available individual parts
  • popular music folios · anthologies of music of any style
  • other media that are an integral component of a music publication (e.g. a recording that is one of the 'parts' of a composition)
  • song texts or lyrics published with the printed music (if available separately)
  • commentaries published with printed music
  • song books (including hymn books)

What form of music publication does the ISMN cover?

  • print
  • facsimile
  • microform
  • Braille
  • electronic
The following items should not receive an ISMN
  • books about music
  • stand-alone sound or video recordings
  • music periodicals

How do you request an ISMN for a piece of music?

Firstly you need to register as a "publisher" with the ISMN agency, whether you are a major commercial publisher, a boutique publisher or are publishing your own music.

When registered, you are assigned a publisher's prefix and a block of ISMN numbers for your published works. These numbers can be used for your current, future and previously published works. As a publisher, you can allocate these ISMN numbers yourself and notify the Agency, or you can request the Agency to allocate them for you.

Staff at the Agency will create a cataloguing record for these items (including Cataolguing-in-publication record if requested) on the National Bibliographic Database, to facilitate visibility and access to your publication, nationally and internationally.

What does the number mean?

As of 1st January 2008 the ISMN will consist of 13 digits (e.g. 979-0-2712-0234-0). The 979-0 element will replace the 'M' in the 10 digit ISMN. This reflects the Bookland barcode already in use.

ISMN's allocated up until this date, will have the following format.

The ISMN (e.g. M-2712-0234-0) consists of four elements comprising 10 characters:

  • the letter M, designating "music"
  • a publisher identifier which designates you as the music publisher
  • an item identifier which identifies the particular piece or item of music
  • a check digit which validates the number

The ISMN is printed on the actual item, usually on the back cover.

How do you register as a publisher?

  • Complete and submit the on-line ISMN registration form
  • or request a paper copy of the form from the ISMN Agency and return fax or mail at the address below.

How do you request an ISMN for a piece or item of music?

  • Complete and submit the on-line Request for ISMN form
  • or request a paper copy of the form from the ISMN Agency and return fax or mail at the address below.

How do you obtain further information?
Contact the Agency by phone, fax, post or email.

Australian ISMN Agency
National Library of Australia
CANBERRA ACT 2600

Tel: (02) 6262 1777
Fax: (02) 6273 4322

Email: ismn@nla.gov.au
Web site: http://www.nla.gov.au/ismn

Treble Cleft Australian International Standard Music Number Agency NLA Logo