By Richard Mallett, Director Recordings & Online Services

APRA|AMCOS has received a number of queries from publisher members recently about digital download productions with missing catalogue numbers.  This has been caused because of the fast-changing nature of digital download sales.  Many titles are now only available online, and as such do not have a catalogue number (or if they do, the labels have not provided Digital Service Providers with details).

To provide a short-term fix we have gone back to our licensees requesting that they provide an identifier that we can use on the Clearance Facility and are in the process of adding missing numbers.  For the long term we are currently evaluating the use of UPCs (Universal Product Codes).  A UPC is the 12 digit representation bar code (and for physical product is often found directly underneath the bar code) and is fast gaining currency as a standard identifier not only for digital productions but physical releases as well.

We will keep our publisher members informed of any developments in this area.