K-pop credits: identify songwriters and recordings

To find out who composed, wrote the lyrics or arranged a K-pop song, start with its title and artist in the KOMCA database, check every role exactly as registered and treat ISRC as an identifier for the recording—not the composition. This distinction prevents the most common mistake in credit lists: assigning authorship of a work to someone connected only to a recorded version.

Start with the work in KOMCA

The official Korea Music Copyright Association search says it allows users to verify musical works administered by the association. KOMCA also provides an English-language interface, which is helpful for people who do not read Korean.

Run the first search with the track’s official title. If there is no clear result, try the artist’s name, an alternative spelling and a title in another writing system when it is documented by an official source. Change one variable at a time so you can tell which version of the name actually retrieves the entry.

Do not decide that a song is absent simply because the first search fails. Korean titles may appear in hangul, transliteration or translation; personal names may also have different spacing, hyphenation and ordering. The safe approach is to compare results instead of assuming that similar spellings represent separate registrations.

Read roles without treating them as synonyms

Once you locate the work, transcribe each person’s name and role exactly as displayed in the record you consulted. “Composer,” “lyricist” and “arranger” describe different contributions. They should not all be grouped under “producer,” and a composition credit should not be converted into a lyrics credit.

One person may be listed in more than one role. In that case, preserve every displayed role. If the page does not show a particular attribution, write “not identified in the record consulted,” not “does not exist.” Its absence from one screen does not prove that no other registration, territory or document contains additional information.

It is also useful to save the title used for the search and the consultation date. This creates a verifiable trail for future revisions without silently changing or completing what the database displayed.

Separate the composition from the recording

A song and its recording are not the same identification unit. The musical work is the authored material found in the repertoire; the sound recording is a specific recorded performance. Remixes, live versions, translations and new recordings may require separate comparisons even when they share elements of the same composition.

The International ISRC Agency is explicit: ISRC identifies sound recordings and music videos, not compositions, music products or performers. Finding an artist and title in the ISRC database is therefore not enough to prove who wrote the lyrics or music.

Use the authorship search to answer “who is credited on the work?” and the recording search to answer “which entry corresponds to this sound recording?” Combine the answers only after confirming that the title, artist and version refer to the same release being researched.

Understand what an ISRC confirms

According to the official site, an ISRC uniquely and permanently identifies a sound recording or music video and remains a point of reference when that recording is used across services, countries or licensing deals. The international database can be searched by artist and title, with filters, or directly by code.

The code contains 12 alphanumeric characters. When printed, it should be presented with the “ISRC” prefix. Its structure includes a five-character prefix code, the last two digits of the reference year assigned by the registrant and a five-digit designation code.

That reference year should not automatically be treated as a release, recording or composition date: the source defines it as the year in which the ISRC was assigned to the track. Likewise, the code alone does not disclose authorship, percentage shares or ownership of the composition.

Resolve alternative titles and duplicate-looking results

When several similar entries appear, do not simply choose the first. Compare the full title, associated artist, version and visible identifiers. Terms such as “live,” “remix” or versions in another language may indicate different recordings; confirm what the record itself says before linking it to the intended track.

Create a note in two parts. First, record the work title and the authorship roles displayed by KOMCA. Second, write down the performer, version and ISRC of the corresponding recording. If the connection between the two remains uncertain, preserve that uncertainty in the published text.

Alternative spellings help locate records; they do not justify automatically merging people. Similar names require confirmation within the record itself, and a stage name should not be connected to a legal name without documentary support.

Publish only what the record supports

A clear final entry can state: the title searched; the variant used to locate it; names and roles exactly as displayed; the database consulted; the ISRC, if a recording has been confirmed; and the consultation date. Avoid filling gaps with wikis, fan profiles or copied credits that provide no source.

The databases are complementary, not interchangeable. KOMCA offers a search of the works it administers; the ISRC Agency documents and searches identifiers for sound recordings and music videos. Because entries and interfaces may change, verify the information again through the official links before publishing or updating a credit.

The goal is not to produce the longest list, but an auditable answer: who is credited, in which role, in which record and for which version of the song.