A lasting reference for your work

What is an AIN?

AIN stands for Artifact Identification Number. It is the unique reference assigned to a work’s artifact record in the SpinStream and OnlyUno system. Think of it as the number that helps people identify and find the right work.

Think of an AIN as the artifact’s equivalent of a car’s VIN. A VIN identifies a particular vehicle; an AIN identifies a particular artifact record. It gives people a consistent number to search for and check against the work’s record.

What does it connect?

The AIN connects a work’s identity—such as its title and artist—to its recorded artifact, public record, and the evidence available for that record. You can use it to look up the work in the Registry and distinguish it from other works with similar names.

How is it different from a link?

The AIN identifies the record. A link takes you to a page where you can view the work or learn about it. The presentation and its links can change while the AIN stays the same. Different presentations can point back to that same AIN, keeping the work’s identity consistent and its Registry record findable.

Where do FlexPlates fit?

FlexPlates are being designed as flexible visual presentations for outreach. Each FlexPlate will be based on a visual artifact and searchable by that work’s AIN. It will bring together links to the artifact itself, its Registry record, archive information, and related sites—giving creators a way to introduce and share their work while keeping its record within reach.

Coming soon: apply for a FlexPlate

After you purchase a link to your artifact with its AIN, you can apply for a FlexPlate—a flexible presentation for sharing your work and connecting people to its related sites and records. FlexPlate applications are coming soon.

FlexPlates give you a flexible way to present and share your work. These optional presentations can change over time and are not permanent. Your original artifact, its registration, and its AIN remain permanent—with or without a FlexPlate.

One work. One record. One AIN.

What does the record show?

The AIN is the identifier. The associated record shows what information and evidence are actually available for that work. Evidence can vary between records; use the record’s verification results to see what has been checked.