What is an IPI number? (And how to find yours in 5 minutes)
Your IPI number is the ID your PRO and publishers use to find and pay you. Here's what it is, where to find yours, and how it's different from an ISWC or ISRC.
Quick answer
An IPI number is a unique international ID, usually 9 to 11 digits, that identifies you as a songwriter or publisher. You get one when you join a PRO like BMI or ASCAP, and you'll find it in your PRO account. Writers and publishers get separate IPI numbers. Put yours on every split sheet.
On this page
When I first started co-writing in Nashville, I had absolutely no idea what an IPI number was.
After one of my first writes in town, a friend who had a publishing deal asked me to send over my information. I had no idea what he was talking about. I Googled it, got more confused, and eventually just asked him, "What do you need?" He needed my IPI number so his publisher could get the song registered.
Kind of funny looking back. But if you've ever hit a box on a form that says "IPI/CAE #" and frozen, this one's for you.
What is an IPI number? #
An IPI (Interested Party Information) number is a unique international ID that identifies you as a songwriter or publisher. It's usually 9 to 11 digits long, and it's assigned on behalf of CISAC, the international confederation of collecting societies.
Here's why it matters. Jesse Phillips is a pretty common name. There's more than one of us out there writing songs. The IPI is how a PRO, a publisher, or a society in another country knows it's looking at me, and not the next Jesse Phillips.
Your writer IPI identifies you as a songwriter.
Your publisher IPI identifies your publishing company, if you have one.
How do I get an IPI number? #
You get one automatically when you join a PRO like BMI or ASCAP. ASCAP says new members are typically assigned one within five business days of joining.
If you have both a writer membership and a publisher membership, you get a separate IPI for each. That's normal, even if the publishing company is just you.
How to find your IPI number #
- Log into your PRO account. For ASCAP, that's Member Access. For BMI, it's your Online Services account.
- Look in your account or profile details. Your IPI is listed with your membership info. ASCAP also shows it on the Mobile Pass in their app.
- Save it somewhere you'll actually have it. You'll need it in the room, not at home next to the laptop with your password on it.
Why missing IPIs are such a headache #
Most writers who are registered with BMI or ASCAP do have an IPI number. The problem is they don't know where it lives, or they can't remember the password to log back in and find it.
So every time you write with somebody new, somebody's scrambling. If you're not writing enough to keep it in a doc you can pull up quickly, you end up hunting for it every single time someone asks.
And it's not just yours. You need every co-writer's IPI to register a song correctly.
Keeping track of co-writers' IPIs #
Before I built Songstage, I kept a spreadsheet with all of my co-writers and their IPI information. It worked, sort of.
The hard part was keeping it up to date. People switch publishers a lot, especially in Nashville. Even the friend who first asked me for my IPI switched publishers before he moved out of town, so I had to update my spreadsheet more than once just for him.
IPI vs. ISWC vs. ISRC #
These three get mixed up constantly. Each one identifies something different.
| Code | Identifies | Who gets it | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|---|
| IPI | A person or company (writer or publisher) | You | Your PRO, when you join |
| ISWC | A song (the composition) | The song | Assigned after the song is registered |
| ISRC | A specific recording | Each recording of the song | Usually your distributor or label |
One song can have many recordings, so one ISWC can connect to many ISRCs. And every writer on the song has their own IPI.
Where you'll need your IPI #
- Split sheets. Every writer's IPI should be on the sheet.
- Song registrations. Your PRO needs every co-writer's IPI to match the song to the right people. See how to register with BMI or ASCAP.
- Publishing and admin deals. Publishers use it to register your catalog.
- Mechanical registrations. Services like The MLC use IPIs to match songs to writers.
Common IPI mistakes #
- Using your publisher IPI where your writer IPI goes (or the other way around).
- Dropping leading zeros. Some systems format IPIs with leading zeros. Copy the number exactly as your PRO shows it.
- Guessing a co-writer's number. A wrong IPI can send money to the wrong person or leave it unmatched.
- Not updating when someone switches publishers. Their publisher IPI changes with the deal.
Never hunt for an IPI again #
In Songstage, your writer IPI and publisher IPI are part of your profile. When you write with somebody, both of your IPIs get added to the song automatically, on every co-write. So you never have to hunt for it again, and Songstage builds a basic split sheet from that information too.
Frequently asked questions
Is an IPI number the same as a CAE number?
For practical purposes, yes. CAE is the older name for the same kind of identifier, and you'll still see both terms on forms.
Do I need an IPI number if I haven't joined a PRO?
You get an IPI number when you join a PRO. If you're writing songs that are being released, join one. It's how your performance royalties find you.
Is my IPI number private?
It's not a secret like a password, and co-writers need it to register songs correctly. Share it with the people you write with. It's an identifier, not a bank account.
My publisher and I have different IPI numbers. Is that right?
Yes. Writer and publisher memberships each get their own IPI number, even if the publishing company is just you.