IPI Number
An IPI number (Interested Party Information) is a unique 9- to 11-digit identifier for songwriters, composers, and music publishers. You receive it automatically when you join a collecting society such as GEMA, ASCAP, or PRS. The global IPI database, maintained within the CISAC network, uses it to link work registrations and royalty shares to the correct rights holder.
How to get an IPI number
You receive an IPI number automatically when you join a collecting society — GEMA in Germany, ASCAP or BMI in the US, PRS in the UK. There is no separate application and no extra fee: the society creates your entry in the global IPI database as part of membership, and the number appears in your member portal and on your statements. Songwriters and publishers are separate interested parties, so a writer who also runs a publishing company holds two different IPI numbers, one for each role. If you cannot find yours, your society's member service can look it up.
Where the IPI number is used
Every work registration links shares to people through IPI numbers. When a work is registered, directly with a society or via a CWR file, each songwriter and publisher line carries an IPI, and royalty distribution follows those entries. Split sheets, sub-publishing deals, and international collections all resolve to the same numbers: a correct IPI on every registration is what gets publishing royalties matched and paid to the right person. In BBN Label Suite, publishing is opt-in: a label adds society membership and IPI numbers once, and every CWR export for GEMA and other CISAC societies carries them from then on.
IPI vs. ISNI vs. CAE
IPI is the rights-holder identifier inside collective rights management: it marks you as an interested party in works, with roles like composer, author, or publisher. ISNI is a broader name identifier used across creative industries (libraries, databases, streaming profiles) and does not encode any rights position. CAE is simply the old name for the IPI system (Compositeur, Auteur, Éditeur); if a form asks for your CAE number, your IPI number is the answer. In practice: register works with your IPI, use ISNI for general identity linking, and treat CAE as a legacy label for the same IPI value.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get an IPI number without joining a collecting society?
No. IPI numbers are created by collecting societies as part of membership. Join a society as a writer or publisher and the number is assigned automatically.
Is my IPI the same as my CAE number?
Yes. CAE is the former name of the IPI system. Forms that ask for a CAE number expect your IPI number.
Do I need separate IPI numbers as writer and publisher?
Yes. A writer and a publishing entity are separate interested parties, each with its own IPI number, even if the same person stands behind both.