Why Every Artist Needs an IPI Number

Last updated on 23 May 2025

Understanding the Backbone of Music Royalties

What is an IPI Number?

IPI stands for Interested Party Information.

It’s a unique international identifier that gets assigned to songwriters, composers, lyricists, and publishers when they register with a collection society like GEMA, SACEM, BMI, ASCAP, PRS and others.

Think of it as your “royalty fingerprint” in the music industry.

Without it, your work may be invisible in the systems that pay out publishing royalties.

Who Needs an IPI?

If you:

Write lyrics
Compose melodies
Co-write songs
Want to collect royalties from radio, TV, streaming, public performances, or sync

… then yes, you absolutely need one.

Why It Matters

Here’s what an IPI number enables:

You get officially linked to your songs in international databases
Your collection society can track usage of your work across the globe
Royalties can be distributed to you (instead of someone else)
It allows distributors, publishers, and sync agents to correctly credit and pay you

Without it, even if your song is streamed millions of times, the publishing royalties might:

Go to the wrong person
Sit in a “black box” waiting for a match
Expire and get lost over time

Real-World Example

Imagine this:

You write a song, it gets placed on a popular Spotify playlist. The streaming revenue for the master goes to your distributor – great.

But what about the publishing royalties?

They go to the collection societies.

And guess what? If they don’t find your IPI number attached to that composition – you get nothing.

That money either gets sent to someone with a similar name – or sits unclaimed.

How Do You Get an IPI Number?

You get one automatically when you register as a writer with any major performance rights organization (PRO).

Here’s how:

In Germany: Register with GEMA
In France: Register with SACEM
In the US: Register with BMI or ASCAP
In the UK: Register with PRS for Music

You don’t need to release a song first.

Get registered before you release anything.

(You find attached a list with the common PRO for download)

Where Do You Use the IPI?

Everywhere you enter your metadata as a writer:

When submitting your track to a distributor
When registering the composition with a publishing service
When negotiating sync licenses
When listing credits on YouTube, Spotify, or SoundCloud (where possible)

It tells the world: “This song was written by me – and here’s the proof.”

What Labels Should Know

If you’re a label working with songwriters or producers:

Always ask for their IPI numbers upfront
Make it a mandatory field in your metadata intake
Help new artists understand how to register, or send them directly to their local society