What is the difference between a UPC and ISBN?
UPC stands for universal product code. In our industry the number is 12 digits long. The first 1st – 6th digits are the manufacturer’s ID, the 7th – 10th digits are the item code, the 11th is a product identifier (2=CD) and the 12th digit is a checksum generated when the code is created. A UPC is necessary for selling a CD, DVD or vinyl record in retail outlets (including some online vendors such as Amazon). It is solely used as a means to give the product a unique identifier. You can obtain the number directly from the UCC or from us. If you are a record label planning on releasing several titles, we recommend that you purchase your own prefix from the UCC. ISBN stands for International Standard Book Number. It is a unique 10-digit identifier for books (and books-on-disc) intended to be used commercially. We do not offer them to our customers – they need to be obtained by the publisher. However, we can generate and place the code for you if you provide us with the number.
