Extract text from Music copyright files (V21)
To convert V21 CWR files to another format, you need Notepad++ or other Text software.
To convert other file formats to the "Copyright Data Standard" file type, you need software like Notepad++ or a similar tool.
A .v21 file is a Common Works Registration (CWR) document formatted according to the version 2.1 standard set by CISAC. It serves as the music industry's global data backbone for registering musical works, writer splits, and publisher details with performance rights organizations (PROs) like ASCAP, BMI, and PRS.
While .v21 files are technically plain text, they utilize a rigid, legacy fixed-width layout that is hostile to human readers. Each line contains specific record types (like NWR for New Work Registration or SPU for Publisher) packed into precise character counts. Opening these directly in Notepad often results in a jumbled, unreadable wall of text. Furthermore, attempting to edit a .v21 file manually carries high risk; adding a single extra space or shifting a column by one character invalidates the entire file, leading to rejection by collection societies.
To audit the data or share it with stakeholders who lack specialized publishing software, converting .v21 to CSV or XLSX (Excel) is the standard workflow. This parses the fixed columns into spreadsheet cells for easy verification of ISWC codes and royalty percentages. For archival purposes or non-editable delivery, converting to PDF provides a clean, readable report format.
Convert.Guru analyzes your V21 file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted CWR, PTS, LCP and ARB files.
If you want to convert V21 file to , you can use Notepad++ or similar software from the "Music Copyright Registration" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert files to V21, try Notepad++ or another comparable tool in the "Music Copyright Registration" category.
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our V21 converter.