One of DVDAfterEdit's many high-end features is the ability to stripe music video DVDs with ISRC codes. This feature has previously only been available on the most expensive authoring systems available. It will be invaluable to you if you are dealing with music video product - a "must-have" feature that none of your competitors will be able to offer! The process is swift & straightforward, and this article aims to tell you everything you need to know. You may also like to check out the Guided Tour article before reading this, for a more general overview of the program.
ISRC stands for International Standard Recording Code. They were originally developed for Audio CDs, to help keep track of digital recordings, and in particular for administrative purposes. Each sound recording or music video can have its own unique ISRC which enables it to be identified internationally throughout its life. The code is embedded in the sub-code information of the CD or DVD, and specialised hardware can read this information and make use of it as necessary. One great example is performance rights - if a piece of music is broadcast on the radio or TV, for example, the owners of the copyright and publishing rights are entitled to a fee. Keeping track of exactly what is broadcast, where and when, is a huge administrative achievement, and ISRC codes allow this process to be automated.
The codes also act as a fairly primitive form of copy prevention - although compared to more sophisticated digital "watermarking" systems they are relatively easy to remove, nevertheless if someone simply copies a CD or DVD in it's entirety, then the ISRC code is copied as well, and this offers rights holder the chance to prove that their material has been stolen. Since they are part of the subcode, they also have the added advantage of not affecting the audio in any way.
Finally, the codes provide a quick and easy way of keeping track of the details of a particular recording. Where different versions or edits of a recording or music video exist, they can be given different codes, so that instead of relying on the timing information to distinguish between them for example, we can just read the codes from the disc.
For all these reasons ISRC coding has become more and more widespread on CD releases, and will almost certainly do the same on DVD, especially once we all start offering the service to our customers!
All of the above is obviously particularly important in a digital environment where music is being increasingly disseminated in electronic form and the record industry is faced with the challenge of monitoring and collecting payment for the use of its copyrights.
The Code itself will be in the following format:
[inline:102_isrc_format.jpg=center, ISRC format]
In order to use ISRC codes, your customers will need to register with the appropriate organisation in their territory. So, for example, in the US, you need to contact the IFPI,
wheras in the UK the PPL handle codes for audio recordings (http://www.ppluk.com/) and the VPL handle music videos:
http://www.musicmall.co.uk/vpl/vpl_content.nsf/contentview/p1?opendocument
Once a member of the appropriate organisation, they will be supplied with all the information needed to use ISRCs. Remember though that the registration and use of ISRCs is the job of the copyright-holders of the audio & music, not the DVD author. If you were to register for the codes, you could end up illegally collecting all their royalties!
This process is straightforward. First we need to find the right video. You'll probably have been given a separate ISRC for each song, if it's a music product, and so it's best if you give each song it's own chapter.
Open up your project, and use the Preview window to find the VTS containing your music video, and unfold the arrows down to the nav-pack level. Still in the left pane, select the first nav-pack in the VTS PGC's PTT Cell that you want to add the code to:
[inline:102_select_navpack.jpg=center,select the nav-pack]
There's a data field in the selected Nav Packs Right Pane info simply called "International Standard Recording Code"; click to the right of it, and an input field will appear. Paste the ISRC code into it, and hit return to make it stick.
[inline:102_paste_isrc_code.jpg=center,paste in ISRC code]
That's added the ISRC to the first I-frame of the cell. So, make sure the data field you just pasted the code into is still selected, and hit Control + C to copy the code to the clip board. Now we need to paste that code to all the other I-frames in the song, so that the ISRC is present all the way through.
If your DVD has one song per chapter or cell, this is easy - simply select the cell or PG and press Apple-V ( or Edit > Paste ISRC Codes deeply into ) and move on to the next song.
If your DVD doesn't have separate chapters for different songs, you'll have to use the preview window to find the first and last nav-pack of each song.
[inline:102_paste_code_all_navpacks.jpg=left,paste code into all nav-packs]
Then select the next nav-pack, and shift-select all the rest of the nav packs in the song.
So now all the nav packs are selected in the song. Hit Control + V to paste the code into all the selected nav packs, or if you prefer you can also use the edit menu - it will say "Paste ISRC Codes Repeated" .
Finally click on a nav pack or two to verify your that your paste has "taken". Save. Repeat for all the Title PGC nav packs that need the code and Save again. Job done!
Because this feature has been relatively obscure up until now, not many of the smaller DVD productions out there will have ISRCs at the moment. But copyright protection and Rights Management are two of the hottest topics in the music industry right now, so if you market this great feature well, it could be the key selling-point that swings you some great DVD deals in the near future.