When delivering music to Facebook and Instagram, it’s important to understand how their systems manage content. Both platforms organise catalogues at the ISRC (track) level, rather than at the product or release level.
This means that if the same track (with the same ISRC) appears on more than one release, it can sometimes cause issues when those releases are delivered to Facebook and Instagram.
Example Scenario
Release #1: A 2-Track Single
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- Release Date: 12 December 2020
- Tracklist: Track 1, Track 2
- Delivered to Facebook/Instagram and available through the Instagram Music sticker.
Release #2: A 4-Track EP
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- Release Date: 5 January 2021
- Tracklist: Track 1 (same ISRC as Release #1), Track 2 (same ISRC as Release #1), Track 3, Track 4
- Delivered to Facebook/Instagram with a future release date.
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When Release #2 is ingested by Facebook/Instagram, both Track 1 and Track 2 from Release #1 will disappear from the platforms. This happens because Facebook manages rights and catalogue at the ISRC level. The system cannot display multiple release dates for the same ISRC. As a result, the earlier release date (12 December 2020) is overwritten with the later one (5 January 2021), hiding the tracks until the newer release date.
Why This Matters
If your songs suddenly disappear from Instagram Music or Facebook’s music library, duplicate ISRCs across different releases are often the cause. To avoid this issue, make sure your metadata is correct and ensure that tracks are not duplicated across multiple releases unless absolutely necessary. Accurate ISRC management keeps your catalogue stable and prevents gaps in availability.
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