Nigeria is a country full of music. Songs rise from church choirs, school assemblies, brass bands, cultural groups, recording studios, and living rooms. Composers write anthems and hymns. Arrangers turn folk tunes into choral pieces. Instrumentalists create pieces for piano, guitar, saxophone, and drums. Teachers write music books for young learners. Nigerian music is loved far beyond our borders, and the people who create it are among the most talented in the world.
Yet there is a quiet problem. Many Nigerian music creators publish their work with no number, no official record, and no simple way for the world to identify it. A score is printed and shared, and after some time nobody can say for certain who published it, when, or in what form. Titles get repeated. Names get mixed up. Good work gets lost or credited to the wrong person.
The world found a simple answer. It is called the International Standard Music Number, or ISMN. It is a short number that gives each published piece of music its own identity, much like an ISBN does for a book. Libraries, shops, schools, and publishers in many countries use it every day.
In Nigeria, the National Library of Nigeria is the place to get it. When you register your music there, your work joins a trusted national record and connects to a system used around the world.
Therefore, this article explains what an ISMN is, what it covers, who should apply, and why every music creator in Nigeria should have one. It also shows you, step by step, how to get started.
A short story to begin with
Picture Ada, a choir director in Enugu. She spends six months writing a set of choral arrangements for her church. Every note is hers. She prints copies, shares them with two other choirs, and feels proud.
A year later, she hears her arrangement at a concert in another city. The programme lists a different name. Ada has no number, no record, and no official proof that her work went out into the world under her name on a certain date.
Ada is an imagined character, but her story could belong to any Nigerian composer, arranger, or instrumentalist. There is a simple step that helps prevent it, and it starts at the National Library of Nigeria.
What is an ISMN?
ISMN stands for International Standard Music Number. It is a 13-digit number that identifies one published piece of printed music.
Think of it as an identity card for your music. A book has an ISBN so that anyone, anywhere, can identify that exact book. Sheet music has an ISMN for the same reason. Every ISMN begins with 979-0, so libraries, shops, and distributors around the world can spot it as a music number straight away.
What does it cover?
An ISMN is given to music that is published in notated form. This includes:
- Sheet music and full scores
- Choral arrangements and anthems
- Hymn books and songbooks
- Instrumental parts for piano, guitar, saxophone, drums, and more
- Music textbooks and teaching materials
- Digital scores and downloadable music sheets
Who should apply?
Anyone who creates and publishes music on paper or as a digital score:
- Composers
- Songwriters who publish their songs with notation
- Arrangers
- Instrumentalists who publish their own pieces
- Choir directors and church music departments
- Music teachers and authors
- Independent music publishers
If your music has a title, a creator, and a published form, it deserves a number.
Why does an ISMN matter?
Why the National Library of Nigeria?
The National Library of Nigeria is the official home of ISMN in the country. It links Nigerian music creators to the international system, so the number you receive is accepted everywhere the ISMN is used.
The Library also keeps published works as part of the national record. Registering your music there means you are not only getting a number. You are placing your work in a trusted, permanent collection.
What an ISMN is not
An ISMN does not replace copyright. It identifies your publication, but it does not give you legal ownership of the work. Copyright is handled by the Nigerian Copyright Commission. The best step for a music creator is to use both: the ISMN to identify and record your publication, and copyright registration to protect your rights under the law.
How to get started
- Gather your details: Write down the title, the names of the creators, the publisher, the format, and the publication date.
- Contact the National Library of Nigeria: Ask for the ISMN application process.
- Receive your number: The Library will guide you on how numbers are given to your publications.
- Print it on your work: Place the ISMN on the cover or back page, where people can see it.
- Follow the deposit steps: The Library will tell you how to submit a copy of your published work.
Ada's second chapter
Now imagine Ada again. This time, her choral arrangements carry an ISMN. They are listed in the national record, and choirs in other cities can order them by number. When someone tries to claim her work, she has a registered publication to point to.
Your music took time, skill, and heart to make. Give it a number that says: this is mine, this is real, and the world can find it.
Ready to register your music? Visit the National Library of Nigeria or contact the International Standard and Professional Department office and give your work the identity it deserves.