IPI Number Explained: What It Is and How to Get One

An IPI number (Interested Parties Information) is a unique 9-digit code assigned to songwriters and publishers by performing rights organizations. It identifies you globally across royalty collection systems so that performance and mechanical royalties from your compositions are tracked and paid correctly. You get an IPI number automatically when you register with a PRO like ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC.

Your IPI number is one of those backend identifiers that most artists never think about until something goes wrong. And when it goes wrong, it usually means royalties are being matched to the wrong person or not matched at all. Missed payments, split disputes, and uncollected international royalties often trace back to IPI problems.

This article covers what the number does, how to find yours, and how to use it correctly. For a full overview of the business registrations every artist needs, see Music Business Essentials.

What an IPI Number Does

Every time your song is played on the radio, streamed, performed live, or broadcast, the PROs and collection societies responsible for paying you need to know who wrote it. The IPI number is how they identify you across databases worldwide.

Think of it as your Social Security number for songwriting royalties. ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, PRS, SOCAN, GEMA, and every other performing rights organization in the world uses IPI numbers to match compositions to their writers. When a radio station in Germany plays your song, GEMA looks up the IPI number on the composition registration and routes the royalty to the correct PRO, which pays you.

Without a correctly registered IPI number attached to your songs, the international royalty system has no way to confirm you wrote them. The money might still be collected, but it sits in unmatched pools or gets distributed to other registered writers.

How to Get an IPI Number

You do not apply for an IPI number separately. It is assigned to you when you register as a songwriter or publisher with a performing rights organization.

Step-by-Step

1. Choose a PRO. In the US, your options are ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC. ASCAP and BMI have open enrollment and are free to join. SESAC is invite-only. For a comparison of how they differ, see ASCAP vs. BMI vs. SESAC.

2. Register as a writer. Complete the registration form on your PRO's website. You will provide your legal name, performing name, contact information, and basic details about your catalog.

3. Receive your IPI number. After registration is processed (usually within a few days to a few weeks), your PRO assigns you an IPI number. You can find it in your account dashboard or by contacting your PRO's member services.

4. Register your songs. This is the step most artists skip. Having an IPI number means you exist in the system. Registering your songs as "works" with your PRO links your IPI to specific compositions. Both steps are required for royalties to flow correctly.

Where Your IPI Number Gets Used

Your IPI number appears in more places than you might expect. Every time you do any of the following, your IPI should be included:

• Registering songs with your PRO. Each work registration links your IPI to the composition.

• Registering with The MLC. The Mechanical Licensing Collective uses IPI numbers to match mechanical royalty payments to songwriters.

• Split sheets. When you co-write, each writer's IPI number goes on the split sheet alongside their ownership percentage. This prevents misattribution.

• Publishing administration. If you sign with a publisher or use an admin service like Songtrust, they need your IPI to register and collect on your behalf.

• International collection. Foreign PROs use your IPI to route royalties back to your home PRO.

For a full breakdown of how publishing royalties are collected and where your IPI fits, see Music Publishing: How It Works.

IPI Number vs. Other Identifiers

The music industry has several identification systems, and they serve different purposes. Confusing them causes registration errors.

Your IPI identifies you as a person. Your ISRC identifies a recording. Your ISWC identifies a composition. All three work together, but they track different things through different systems.

If you see "CAE number" on an older form or database, that is the same thing as your IPI number. The system was renamed from CAE to IPI, but some databases still use the old term.

Common IPI Mistakes

Not including your IPI on split sheets. A split sheet without IPI numbers forces PROs to guess which "John Smith" wrote the song. Include the IPI for every writer on every split sheet. No exceptions.

Having multiple IPI numbers. This happens when an artist registers with more than one PRO without properly resigning from the first, or registers under slightly different name variations. Multiple IPIs fragment your royalties across separate accounts. Contact your PRO to merge them.

Not registering songs after getting an IPI. Your IPI is useless without song registrations. The IPI tells the system who you are. The song registrations tell the system what you wrote. Both are required for independent artists to collect every royalty they are owed.

Forgetting to update after switching PROs. If you move from BMI to ASCAP, you get a new IPI number. Every song registration needs to be updated. Every co-writer's split sheets should reflect the new number. Missing this step means your old compositions may still route royalties to a closed account.

For the complete picture of every royalty type your IPI helps you collect, see Music Royalties Explained.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is an IPI number the same as a CAE number?

Yes. CAE was the old name for the system. IPI replaced it. If a form asks for your CAE number, provide your IPI number. They are the same identifier.

Can I have more than one IPI number?

You should not. If you accidentally have multiple IPIs from registering with different PROs or under different names, contact your current PRO to consolidate them.

Do I need an IPI number if I only record and do not write?

If you do not write or co-write any of your songs, you do not need an IPI for the composition side. However, most artists who record their own music also write it. If you have any writing credit on any track, register.

Read Next:

• Music Royalties Explained

• Music Publishing: How It Works

• ASCAP vs. BMI vs. SESAC

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