Universal Music Group (UMG) has partnered with the ISNI International Agency in a groundbreaking agreement, making UMG an official ISNI registration agency. This collaboration marks a significant advancement in creator identification and rights management within the music industry.

UMG has already implemented ISNI identifiers for over 100,000 contributors, including artists, songwriters, and other music professionals. This integration has successfully reduced confusion between similarly named artists and streamlined DSP operations.

Key benefits of the UMG-ISNI partnership:

• Consolidated creator identification across multiple languages
• Improved linking between UMG systems and collection societies
• Enhanced tracking of recordings, works, and revenue streams
• Reduced metadata discrepancies
• More accurate royalty distribution

Kim Beauchamp, UMG SVP of process innovation and advanced operations, emphasizes that this partnership demonstrates their commitment to accurate creator recognition and compensation. The integration sets a new industry standard for professional identification and rights management.

Tim Devenport, ISNI International Agency executive director, notes that UMG's vast catalog and dedication to accurate creator identification will drive industry-wide improvements, benefiting artists, rights holders, and service providers.

This partnership comes at a crucial time as the industry faces challenges from:

• Increasing AI-generated content
• Growing volume of daily track releases
• Ongoing metadata and royalty distribution issues
• Need for better creator identification systems

The ISNI system serves as a bridging identifier, connecting various industry databases and ensuring more accurate attribution and compensation for creative professionals. This standardization is particularly important as the industry continues to evolve with new technologies and distribution methods.

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