A UPC (Universal Product Code) is the barcode for a release: a single, EP or album. The tracks on it have ISRCs; the release as a whole has one UPC. Stores use it to identify the product, and many smart links and pre-save tools ask for it.
How to find a release’s UPC
- Pulse: paste a Spotify album or track link; the UPC is in the result.
- Your distributor’s dashboard: for your own releases, it’s on the release page.
- Physical copies: it’s the barcode on the back of the CD or vinyl sleeve.
What the prefix means
The first six to ten digits of a UPC are a company prefix registered with GS1. Whoever owns the prefix issued the barcode. Universal releases, for example, often begin with 00602. Self-serve distributors issue UPCs from their own prefixes for artists who don’t bring one, so the prefix often identifies the distributor.
UPC or EAN?
A UPC has 12 digits and an EAN has 13. A UPC written with a leading zero is the same number as an EAN, so 00602547943514 and 602547943514 can refer to the same release depending on the format a store uses.
When the UPC changes
A deluxe edition, a new track list or a move to another distributor usually means a new UPC. The ISRCs of the recordings stay the same. If you see one song on two releases with different UPCs, the release was re-issued.
Keep reading
How to find out who distributed a song
Five ways to find a song’s distributor: Spotify credits, the ℗ line, the ISRC, the UPC and a lookup tool. With real examples.
GuideHow to tell if an artist is signed to a label
Check whether an artist is signed or independent using the distributor, the label field, the ℗ line and “under exclusive license” wording.
GuideISRC lookup: what a song’s ISRC tells you
How to find a song’s ISRC, what each part of the code means, and how to use the registrant code to see who issued it.