ISNI projects of Finnish CMOs end with intensified collaboration and a vision for 2035

The International Standard Name Identifier (ISNI) is used globally to unambiguously identify any individuals and organisations contributing to any creative work. 

The ISNI project entity of Finnish copyright management organisations (CMOs) was composed of two separate but strongly linked projects. 

• In the first project (February 2022–June 2024), ISNIs were acquired for contributors in the creative sector represented by the CMOs, and the quality of metadata in the databases of the CMOs was improved.
• In the second project (January 2025–October 2025), the focus was on the development of continuous processes and interface development to enable ISNI distribution to continue following project completion.

Collaboration as key 

Developing a highly automated ISNI process required effective collaboration. The effort involved a great deal of planning, technical coordination and close cooperation between the CMOs and the National Library. As a result of the successful process, ISNIs can now be distributed as part of the metadata processes of the CMOs. 

“The development effort required the specification of data structures and careful testing to integrate ISNIs into Teosto’s production processes. The work has nevertheless progressed according to plan,” shares Senior Advisor Ano Sirppiniemi of Teosto enthusiastically. 

In addition to technical integration and the establishment of interfaces, the development of the ISNI process required the coordination of various contributor identifiers and field-specific practices with the principles and quality requirements of the ISNI system. “The ISNI projects have helped us develop our metadata practices at Kuvasto. Adding to the system artists’ works and links to their profiles in the register of Finnish visual artists increases the reliability of ISNI allocation and improves metadata quality throughout the database,” says Hanne Heinonen, Distribution and Data Manager at Kuvasto.  

From development to actual identifier use

In the music industry, there is a clear demand for ISNIs. “ISNIs can be used, for instance, in international data exchange or to process reporting on streaming services. The most important thing is that details associated with rightsholders for music are of high quality and unambiguous – it improves identification and makes it easier to direct compensation to the relevant contributors,” says Tuomas Talonpoika from Gramex. 

In recent years, ISNI use has increased and will continue to do so once the identifier has been adopted by new fields. Manager of Distribution and Survey Rainer Vallius of Kopiosto believes that the identifier is well suited to many contributor groups. “It’s important for the users of works to actively adopt ISNIs to make the identification of individual contributors unambiguous and quick,” he adds. 

The work carried out in the ISNI projects has laid the foundation for the wider use of ISNIs, also in the field of literature. “Thanks to ISNIs, we can refine contributors’ lists of works at Sanasto, which helps to allocate copyright compensation to the right individuals regardless of the compensation type,” says Sanasto’s System Developer Sasu Lintula.   

Vision for 2035 aims for widespread use and consolidation of ISNI as part of the national identifier ecosystem 

The vision serves as a kind of roadmap or action plan describing the current circumstances and outlining the direction in which national ISNI operations could be developed, ways in which the goals set could be realised, and the benefits that would follow. The development plan is based on four central and complementary areas: expanding ISNI adoption, developing technical infrastructure, ensuring the quality and currency of contributor data, as well as strengthening the national metadata ecosystem and collaboration network.

The objective for ISNI operations is outlined in the vision as follows: “In 2035, ISNI use will have been broadly consolidated in Finland in libraries, archives and museums, as well as among publishers and copyright management organisations. ISNIs will be used to identify contributors, link contributor data and strengthen the visibility of data on works. The national ISNI service will cater to a diverse range of fields and will have built an ecosystem around ISNIs that enables the smooth exchange of data and strengthens collaboration between fields.”

You can explore the future outlook of the national ISNI operations and ecosystem in more detail in the vision document ISNI in Finland in 2035. 

Four-year project venture concluded 

As a whole, the ISNI projects of Finnish CMOs have been significant, even drawing attention internationally. Katerina Sornova, who served as the project manager, is pleased with the achievement: “I think it’s great that we have got this far and that by joining forces we were able to successfully take the project over the finishing line. Collaboration with CMOs and the ISNI International Agency has gone smoothly and, best of all, many have already put ISNIs to use.” 

While the projects have now ended after nearly four years of activity, collaboration and communication between CMOs and the National Library will continue after October.  

The projects were implemented with structural support awarded by the Ministry of Education and Culture. This subsidy for the cultural and creative sectors is based on the NextGenerationEU programme of the European Union.  

The final project report(opens a new tab) describes the progress and results of the ISNI project in more detail. The report has been published in Finnish and English.

Copyright management organisations involved in the project

• Gramex is the CMO for recorded music.
• Kopiosto is the CMO for creative industry professionals, performers and publishers. 
• Kuvasto is the CMO for visual artists. 
• Sanasto is the CMO for literature. 
• Teosto is the CMO for composers, lyricists, arrangers and music publishers.