ISAN simplifies Music Reporting of TV productions
ITV, PRS for Music and Soundmouse are delighted to announce a significant advancement in the automation and streamlining of the music reporting workflow process for broadcasters, using ISAN to identify productions and music cue sheets.
Since 2010 ITV has been registering its productions with the International Standard Audiovisual Number (ISAN) and now has over 100,000 productions uniquely identified by an ISAN. These productions have been synchronised with their associated music information (known as music cue sheets) via the Soundmouse system. In parallel with this, ITV’s ISANs have been supplied to the music rights society PRS for Music and uploaded to their repertoire database of audiovisual productions.
These developments streamline the process of music reporting for broadcasters and music rights societies who can use ISAN (and V-ISAN for versions) to uniquely identify a production once rather than supplying the full production and music details each time it is broadcast. Each week ITV supplies information about thousands of productions to PRS for Music whenever they are broadcast on ITV’s family of channels or on-demand service, ITV Player. By adopting ISAN the amount of information supplied is significantly reduced and the processing by PRS for Music can be fully automated through to royalty distributions to composers and publishers, increasing the accuracy of data matching and eliminating the need for any manual intervention.
ITV has now enabled identification of its productions through the use of a unique ISAN number, which will improve the accuracy and efficiency of content usage reporting for all our partners throughout the distribution chain.
ITV’s adoption of ISAN in their music reporting marks a significant step towards streamlining the process by using a unique identifier rather than duplicating information each time a production is broadcast or streamed. This will achieve greater automation during data processing, minimize errors and consequently increase the accuracy of royalty distributions to PRS for Music members.
At Soundmouse we engage daily with the challenges associated with accurate music reporting in an increasingly complex linear and non linear media distribution environment, and the increasing presence of ISAN as the industry standard unique identifier for content is an important step forward in the evolution of music reporting for broadcasters.
There are also benefits to the wider industry as ITV can now share ISANs with its distribution partners, who can similarly minimise their reporting requirements to PRS for Music by supplying ISANs rather than detailed production information and music cue sheets. On the International scene, PRS will make ISANs linked to music cue sheets available to other rights societies through an international registry of productions called the AVI (Audio Visual Index) system.
For further information please contact:
Charlotte Partleton: 0207 157 3056 / charlotte.partleton@itv.com
Olivia Chapman: 0207 306 4229 / olivia.chapman@prsformusic.com
About ISAN
The ISAN (International Standard Audiovisual Number) is a voluntary numbering system for the identification of audiovisual works. It provides a unique, internationally recognised and permanent reference number for each audiovisual work registered in the ISAN system. ISAN is an ISO standard (ISO 15706) reflecting the industry-wide consensus behind it. The ISAN number remains the same for an audio-visual work regardless of where it is used, with associated version numbers (V-ISAN) available for different edits and formats of the underlying content.
ISAN UK Ltd runs the activities of ISAN in the UK and is based in the London offices of Pact. Its activities include assisting UK customers register ISANs for TV productions, feature films, and many other forms of audiovisual content. Services are also offered to UK customers to search and read the global ISAN database. ISAN UK is a collaboration between ITV, Pact, PRS for Music and Soundmouse.
About Soundmouse
Soundmouse is the leading global music reporting and programme metadata management platform, providing services to over 650 broadcasters and 15,000 producers. Soundmouse's industry standard platform provides the infrastructure which connects broadcasters and programme makers to achieve operational efficiencies, increase accuracy and promote accountability in the broadcast industry's metadata workflows.
About ITV Plc
ITV is the largest commercial television network in the UK. It is the home of popular television from the biggest entertainment events, to original drama, major sport, landmark factual series and independent news. It operates a family of channels including ITV, ITV2, ITV3 and ITV4 and CITV which are broadcast free-to-air. ITV is also focused on delivering its programming across multiple platforms including itv.com, video on demand and other platforms, mobile devices and games consoles. ITV Studios produces and sells programmes and formats in the UK and worldwide, and comprises of ITV’s UK and international production operations, international distribution, home entertainment, publishing, merchandising and licensing.
About PRS for Music
PRS for Music is a world-leading music collective management organisation representing the rights of more than 165,000 talented songwriters, composers and music publishers around the globe. Headquartered in the UK, it works diligently on behalf of its members to grow and protect the value of their rights. With a focus on innovation and integrity, PRS for Music is redefining the global standard for music royalties to ensure creators are paid whenever their musical compositions and songs are streamed, downloaded, broadcast, performed and played in public. In 2022, PRS for Music collected £964m and paid out £836.2m in royalties. prsformusic.com
