What Is A Catalogue Number?

Cat numbers are used in some industries, such as the music industry.

A Catalogue Number (Cat No.) is a shortened identifier for a specific product at a pressing or distribution facility.

A catalogue number provides a concise reference instead of using the full record label name, artist name, and album title.

You don’t need to apply to any organization for a Cat No; you can create it with any characters.

For vinyl records and CDs, a Catalogue Number typically includes letters for the record label, format, and an assigned number.

For example, “VRLP001” could be a Catalogue Number for the first LP release, with “VR” representing the label and “LP” the format.

CD releases might use “VRCD001” with “CD” indicating the format.

You can use more letters, start at any number, and customize the Catalogue Number as you wish.

As Catalogue numbers are not globally unique numbers, they are not used for point of sale (checkout or online). Instead, GTIN numbers are used for tracks and albums of all formats. Click here to find out more about EAN-13 barcodes.