International ISMN Agency: Who Needs an ISMN?

International ISMN Agency

Who Needs an ISMN?

The International Standard Music Number is an efficient tool wherever music print publications are produced, disseminated, sold and lent. Therefore, music publishers, music traders and librarians profit most from the rationalization effects of the introduction of the ISMN in the respective field.

The ISMN has been proved to be effective as a unique identifier in the following areas:

Publishing Houses		Music Trade	Libraries
book production	x
stock control	x	x
ordering	x	x	x
accounting	x	x
billing	x	x
handling, returns	x
Music in Print directory	x	x	x
teleordering	x		x
information retrieval	x	x	x
electronic point-of sale systems		x
downloading of catalogue cards			x
circulation and interlending			x
national bibliographies			x

In each country a certain group of ISMNs has been reserved for author publishers as well.