Guides
SPU / OPU — publisher
One line per publisher in the chain: SPU for publishers you control, OPU for other (uncontrolled) publishers. Carries the publisher's role (original publisher, sub-publisher, administrator…), IP number, society affiliations, and ownership shares — where the 50% performance-rights cap applies.
The exact field layout — positions, sizes, and formats — is defined in CISAC's CWR specification (CWR19-1070R1), available to CISAC members and licensees. The validator implements the full layout: drop a file on it and every SPU / OPU line is parsed field by field, with problems tied to the exact characters at fault.
Two free checks for your CWR file. Is the file correct? Every record, share and control total against the spec, each problem on its exact line. Do its writers match their registrations? Every writer cross-checked against public registration data, including works registered under another spelling or IPI. Nothing stored: check a file at cwrcheck.com.