ISRC matching, explained
An ISRC is a code that identifies one specific recording. When you transfer music between platforms, matching by ISRC finds the same recording on the destination when the destination carries that code.
What is an ISRC code?
ISRC stands for International Standard Recording Code. It is a 12-character alphanumeric code that identifies a sound recording or music video. Think of it as a fingerprint for a specific recording: not a song in general, but a specific version of a song.
The same composition performed by different artists gets different ISRCs. A studio recording, a live recording and a remix each get their own ISRC. This is what makes ISRC matching so precise. Under the ISRC standard a remaster normally keeps the original's code.
Example code from the ISRC standard (isrc.ifpi.org)
Where name-based matching goes wrong
Searching for songs by name and artist seems logical, but it breaks down in practice. Here are illustrative examples of what can go wrong.
Text search (illustrative, not real results)
ISRC matching (illustrative)
Names alone can be ambiguous: many songs share titles, one song can exist as several recordings, and platforms write artist names and featuring credits differently. An ISRC identifies the recording itself, so it does not depend on how a platform spells titles or artist names.
How Tunarc's matching pipeline works
Tunarc does not rely on ISRC alone. It works through these steps in order.
ISRC lookup from source platform
When you sync, Tunarc fetches ISRC codes directly from the source platform's API (Spotify, Tidal, or Apple Music). Tracks on these platforms can carry an ISRC in their metadata.
ISRC cache check
If the source did not supply an ISRC, Tunarc first checks its own cache of ISRCs it has looked up before, so repeat look-ups skip MusicBrainz.
MusicBrainz fallback
If neither the source platform nor Tunarc's cache has the ISRC (for Spotify data exports Tunarc first asks Spotify's catalog), Tunarc queries MusicBrainz, which describes itself as the world's largest catalog of open music metadata, to look up an ISRC by title and artist.
Destination platform search
With the ISRC in hand, Tunarc searches the destination platform by ISRC code. If the exact ISRC is not found, it falls back to a search by title and artist (and album, on Tidal and Apple Music) as a last resort.
What the live counter measures
Tunarc publishes a live counter of the tracks, albums and artists it processes.
93.7% of processed tracks, albums and artists transferred or already in place (live counter, 8 Oct 2026).
Unmatched tracks are listed in your transfer results.
Frequently asked questions
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