TS ISO 10957

TS ISO 10957 addresses the International Standard Music Number (ISMN), the identifier used to distinguish editions of notated music. It defines the numbering system used to identify one edition of a title or a separate component within an edition, and it covers both the construction of the ISMN and where it appears on the edition. In practical terms, it is a publishing and cataloguing identifier for written music, helping different editions be separated reliably in trade, libraries, and metadata systems.

What the ISMN is intended to identify

The standard applies to editions of notated music. In general technical terms, identifiers of this kind are used when the same musical work may exist in multiple editions, formats, arrangements, or component parts. The ISMN identifies the published music edition itself rather than the musical composition as an abstract work. That distinction matters because edition-level identification supports ordering, distribution, and catalogue control without confusing one version with another.

Why it is distinct from other media identifiers

The ISMN is not intended for separately issued sound or audiovisual materials. The standard also recognises cases where notated music is presented together with other media as an integrated whole, such as an edition combined with a sound recording. Even then, the ISMN concerns the notated music edition, not the CD, DVD, or other carrier itself. This separation reflects a broader publishing principle: different media and product forms often need different identifiers because they circulate and are managed differently.

This record represents a withdrawn edition of TS ISO 10957, but the subject remains the same: the structure and use of ISMN as the identifier for editions of notated music.