Places issued
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Note that "Issued" neither means "released" nor "available". "Issued" refers to the issuer (i.e. the record label, its distributor or local marketer), "released" refers to the intended market, "available" to any country where it can be bought. For example, an album can be issued in Italy for release in all of Europe, and it can be available on other continents as an import. Therefore, "Country Issued" refers to the country where the release originated, not where it can be bought, even if the two are often the same.
In the past, "issued", "released" and "available" were usually identical. But over the past two decades, things have become more complicated due to globalization and multinational record labels.
Most products carry information that can be used to determine the place of release. This may include addresses, copyrights, place of manufacture and distribution companies, as well as the initials or logos of Performing Rights Organizations (societies responsible for collecting and distributing performing and sales royalty payments to copyright owners and authors. A list of PRO acronyms and their corresponding countries is at the bottom of this page).
Some tips for release country:
- "...and distributed by...": If the company's location is specified;
- "Licensed by... for the United States by...": 'for' specifies the USA.
Note: Please do NOT use "Europe" as country of release unless ALL of the following conditions apply:
- the item is on a multinational label
- no country-specific distributor or licensee is listed anywhere on the item
- a performing rights organisation is either not given, or is BEL/BIEM
- there is no other way of determining a specific country of release
Also note that the country of manufacture alone does not identify the country of release, especially in the case of "Made in the EU/ECC" (see example below).
Examples
Argentina
The insert and CD mention Publicado y distribuído por Universal Music Argentina S.A. Miembro de CAPIF (published and distributed for Universal Music Argentina S.A. Member of CAPIF). SADAIC-BIEM-AADI-CAPIF and Industria Argentina are also present. All this information points to Argentina as the place of release.
Australia
The insert and CD both mention Manufactured and distributed by Warner Music Australia and CD mentions Digital Audio Technologies Australia. This information clearly points to Australia as the place of release.
Canada
Insert and CD clearly state Distributed by/Distribué par Warner Music Canada Ltd. and a Canadian address is given. All this information points to Canada as the place of release.
United States
Insert and CD state Licensed from Factory Records, Manchester, England for the United States by Qwest Records. Manufactured and distributed by Warner Bros. Records, Inc. The insert and CD are printed and made in the U.S.A. Clearly an United States release.
Europe
Insert and CD are printed and made in the EU. The CD also mentions BEL/BIEM. This item is an European release. Be aware that there is an EU directive that says "Made in EU" must be put on CDs in some cases even if it is released in only one country.
This CD is "Made in EU", but marked S.I.A.E. and attributed to EMI Italy. This is an Italian release.
Societies
Performing rights societies (aka PROs) abbreviations, often found on the product itself, indicate in which country the legal proceedings for the copyright clearance of the item have been conducted. Copyright laws vary across countries, and there can be differences between. For example, a SACEM and a GEMA version of the same item can thus indicate country-specific releases.
Although these initials can be used to help determine the country release, there are a number of pitfalls. The following example is the US release of Can's .... GEMA is clearly printed on the CD and the insert states "Made in Austria". Despite the fact that the CD was made in Austria, the item is an USA release (℗ & © Mute Corporation are the only hints of its place of release). It is therefore important to also check for label name and address information.
On the other hand, it can also work the other way round so that the result is very confusing: the following example is "Made in EU" and marked SABAM (Belgium), but carries a USA label address. Despite the American label address printed on the CD, this is in fact issued by Universal's European branch in Belgium for sale in Europe.
The words "Printed in ???" or copyright information can sometimes be a better guide to the country of origin than "Made in ???" or the society code.
Releases from independent labels
Items from independent labels are usually released in the country in which the label is based, even though the item could be distributed outside that country or sold directly by the label to overseas customers (these items are considered to be imports). There is usually an address for the label on the rear cover (see the above US edition of ...).
List of Performing Rights Organizations (aka PROs)
These can be helpful to determine the country of release, as they are organizations separate from record companies which represent the collection of royalties in a specific or just a few countries. Referring to them, however, may not always 100% accurate (see examples above).
Also, please be aware that mechanical rights societies such as BIEM, NCB (aka N©B) and others refer to manufacturers not labels. These should not be considered on their own for identifying country of release.
AACIMH: Honduras
AADI-CAPIF: Argentina
ABRAMUS: Brazil
ACAM: Costa Rica
ACDAM: Cuba
ACUM: Israel
AEPI: Greece
AGADU: Uruguay
AKKA/LAA: Latvia
AKM: Austria
ALBAUTOR: Albania
AMAR: Brazil
AMCOS: Australia, New Zealand
AMRA: USA
APDAYC: Peru
APRA: Australia, New Zealand
ARTISJUS: Hungary
ASCAP: United States
ASSIM: Brazil
AUSTRO-MECHANA: Austria
BBDA: Burkina Faso
BCDA: Congo (Brazzaville)
BEL: Pan-European
BGDA: Guinea (Republic of)
BMDA: Morroco
BMI: Canada (1940-77), USA
BNDA: Niger
BSDA: Senegal
BUBEDRA: Benin
BUCADA: Central African Republic
BUMA: Netherlands
BUMDA: Mali
BURIDA: Ivory Coast
BUTODRA: Togo
CAPAC: Canada
CASH: Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
COMPASS: Singapore
COSOMA: Malawi
COTT: Trinidad & Tobago
D.L. AND: Andorra
EAU: Estonia
ECAD: Brazil
ECCO: Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines
FILSCAP: Philippines
GEMA: Germany
HDS: Croatia
HFA: USA including its possessions
IMRO: Ireland
IPRS: India
JACAP: Jamaica
JASRAC: Japan
KazAK: Kazakhstan
KCI: Indonesia
KODA: Denmark, Faroe Islands, Greenland
KOMCA: South Korea
LATGA: Lithuania
MACA: Macau
MACP: Malaysia
MASA: Mauritius
MCPS: United Kingdom and The British Commonwealth (excluding Australasia, Canada, the Gambia, Botswana, Lasotho and Swaziland), Anguilla, Antigua, Barbuda, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados (COSCAP), Belize, Bermuda, British Antarctic Territory, British Indian Ocean Territory, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Cayman Islands, Cyprus, Dominica, Falkland Islands, Ghana, Gibraltar, Grenada, Guyana, India (IPRS), Ireland, Jamaica, Kenya, etc.
MCSC: China
MCSK: Kenya
MCSN: Nigeria
MCT: Thailand
MESAM: Turkey
+ML+: Switzerland
MSCN: Nigeria
MSG: Turkey
MUSIC.BG: Bulgaria
MUSICAUTOR: Bulgaria
MUST: Taiwan
NASCAM: Namibia
OMDA: Madagascar
ONDA: Algeria
OSA: Czech Republic
PAM CG: Montenegro
PROCAN: Canada
PRS: Ascension Island, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Belize, Bermuda, British Antarctic Territory, British Indian Ocean Territory, Brunei, Cayman Islands, Channel Islands, Cypress, Diego Garcia, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Guyana, Isle of Man, Malta, Pakistan, Pitcairn Islands, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, South Georgia, South Sandwich Islands, St. Helena, Tanzania, United Republic of Tongo, Tristan da Cunha, Turks & Caicos Islands, United Kingdom, Zambia
RAO: Russia, Federation of
SABAM: Belgium
SACEM: Andorra, Chad, Djibouti, France, French Austral & Antarctic Possessions, French Guyana, French Polynesia, Gabon, Gambia, Guadeloupe, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Martinique, Mauritania, Mayotte, Monaco, New Caledonia & Dependencies, Reunion, St. Pierre & Miquelon, Tunisia, Wallis & Futuna Islands
SACERAU: Egypt
SACM: Mexico
SACVEN: Venezuela
SADAIC: Argentina
SAMRO: Botswana, Lesotho, South Africa, Transkei
SARRAL: South Africa
SAYCE: Ecuador
SAYCO: Colombia
SAZAS: Slovenia
SBACEM: Brazil
SCD: Chile
SDRM: France
SESAC: United States
SGAE: Spain
SIAE: Italy, San Marino, Vatican City
SLPRS: Sri Lanka
SOBODAYCOM: Bolivia
SOCAN: Canada
SOCINADA: Cameroon
SOCINPRO: Brazil
SODRAC: Canada
SOKOJ: Serbia (Yugoslavia)
SONECA: Congo, Democratic Republic of the (formerly Zaire)
SOZA: Slovakia (Slovak Republic)
SPA: Azores, Madeira, Portugal
SPAC: Panama
STEF: Iceland
STEMRA: Netherlands
STIM: Sweden
SUISA: Liechtenstein, Luxembourg
SUISA: Switzerland
TEOSTO: Finland
TONO: Norway
UACRR: Ukraine
UBC: Brazil
UCMR: Romania
ZAIKS: Poland
ZAMP: Croatia, Macedonia
ZIMRA: Zimbabwe