Get started with the CWR creator

Use this guide to make a CWR 2.2 file from a spreadsheet. CWR (Common Works Registration) is the text format publishers use to register works with collecting societies.

Your file is never uploaded. We read your sheet and build the file in your browser tab.

What the creator does

You fill in a spreadsheet with your works, writers, and publishers. The creator reads it, lists any problems it finds in your rows, builds a CWR 2.2 file, and checks that file with the same rules as the CWR checker. Then you download the file.

The four steps

The tool at royalti.io/tools/cwr-creator has four numbered steps.

1. Get the template. Select "Blank template (.xlsx)" or "Blank template (.csv)". To see a finished sheet first, select "Example (.csv)". It has three works with made-up people and numbers. See Fill in the spreadsheet template.
2. Add your sheet. Drop your sheet on the box that says "Drop your sheet here", or select "Choose a file". The creator takes CSV or Excel (.xlsx) files. It lists the problems it finds in your rows. See Fix row problems.
3. Sender details. Choose the sender type and enter your sender code and sender name. See Sender details.
4. Build and check. Select "Build the CWR file". The creator builds the file and shows what the check found. Then select "Download the .V22 file". See Build, check, and download your file.

Limits

• CWR 2.2 only. The creator does not make CWR 2.1 or 3.x files. The CWR checker reads CWR 2.1 and 2.2 files.
• Up to 25 works in one file. If your sheet has more, the creator tells you and does not build. See Build, check, and download your file.
• A sender code is required. You get it from your society or administrator. We never make one up.

What a clean result means

A clean result means the check found no problems in the rules it ran. It is not a registration. Societies apply their own rules and check identifiers against their own records, and only a society can accept a work.

The creator also cannot know your agreements. It checks that the numbers you wrote add up. It cannot tell you whether they are the right numbers.

What to check next

1. Read: Fill in the spreadsheet template before you start your own sheet.
2. Keep the Columns reference open while you fill in the rows.
3. After you build, open the file in the CWR checker for a closer look. See Open a CWR file in the checker and read the viewer.