The ISMN is an international identifier for printed music. The abbreviation stands for International Standard Music Number, standard no. 10957 of the International Organization for Standardization, ISO. The ISMN system is a sister system of the ISBN system and is used only to identify printed music and music-related publications.
The National and University Library of Iceland allocates ISMN numbers for Icelandic music publications and is also responsible for promoting and spreading the system in Iceland. Each publisher can get a range of numbers containing its publisher identifier, or single numbers for individual publications. Allocation of numbers and the information service are free of charge to publishers. In return, publishers must deposit copies of their publications with the Library under the legal deposit act. The Library keeps a register of Icelandic music publishers, which forms part of an international register, the Music Publishers International ISMN Database.
ISBN numbers should not be used for sheet music or books of music. However, books of music or songbooks can also be given an ISBN if they contain a great deal of text and/or illustrations.
For further information, e-mail isbn (at) landsbokasafn.is.
Rules for the use of ISMN numbers (.pdf, in Icelandic)
Application form