Creating a song is challenging and sometimes requires months of practicing till it is ready for release. For something you’ve put in so much hard work to produce must be given the protection it deserves. And rightly so because after the copyright registration, your song will remain protected even as a recording on someone’s phone.
Although every artist is aware of the need for protection and copyrighting their work, unfortunately, many do not know how to go about it. The process can be pretty confusing and complicated. Fortunately, we are here to help you through the steps necessary to register your song as a copyrighted work by providing you with all the information you need.
Registering Your Copyright in the U.S.
In the United States, copyright protection for your work is secured automatically as soon as it is created and fixed in a tangible form. This protection lasts as long as the author of the work lives. For works created before 1978, copyright protection is extended for 28 years from the date of publication or 96 years from the date of creation, whichever expires first.
The process of registering your copyright in the United States is relatively straightforward. The first step is to fill out an application form, which you can find on the U.S. Copyright Office website. You will need to provide information about yourself, the work you are copyrighting, and the owner of the copyright.
Once you have filled out the form, you will need to send it in with the required fee. Currently, copyright registration fees are $45 to $65 for electronic filing and $125 for paper filing.
Once your application is examined and approved, you will receive a registration certificate from the Copyright Office. This certificate will provide evidence of your copyright ownership and be used in legal proceedings if necessary.
Rights Granted Under Copyright Law
Different states have different laws, and every country has its policies regarding copyright protection. However, song creators and performers in the United States are granted the following rights under the federal law:
- You are allowed to reproduce your work in peace and not have to worry about how many copies you can supply to the market. This part also ensures that no one else can do the same.
- You get the right to prepare derivative works, which means that no one can take parts of your song to make something new.
- You get the right to distribute copies which means that no one else can distribute your song and profit from that activity. You will solely be given the right to mass-produce and distribute your music on the internet or a physical store.
- You can perform publicly, which also excludes others from performing your song. Additionally, you are also allowed to play your music via digital audio transmission, excluding others from playing a recording of your piece.
Copyrights give you exclusive rights to your property, and that is what you can charge a premium on. So while people may enjoy your songs, they will have to pay to acquire your song to enjoy it. But knowing how to copyright your music is one thing, which is quite simple. Enforcing those rights to your advantage is a whole other story.
How Long Does it Take to Copyright a Song?
The U.S. Copyright Office is a branch of the Library of Congress and accepts copyright submissions daily. The amount of time required to examine an application and issue a certificate varies depending on several factors. These factors include the intricacy of your copyright claim, the Office’s available resources when your claim is received, the current total number of claims pending, and whether you submitted your claim through the electronic registration system or sent it to the Office by mail. Processing times also vary depending on whether there are problems with your claim, and whether the Office must communicate with you to address those issues.
Generally, it takes around six months if you file your copyright application online through the electronic registration system, whereas applications submitted via post mail take more than 13 months to register.
Using a Copyright to Protect Your Work
Music rights are acquired as soon as you put your thoughts and ideas to paper and produce your music piece in lyrics. However, it can be difficult to prove that you wrote them first when another person has written similar lyrics.
With a copyright registration, you will be able to establish the fact that you’re the first author of the lyrics. The registration process requires a small fee to be paid but ensures you the legal right to sue anyone trying to infringe upon your property.
Before registration, make sure that you have researched that your song does not infringe upon someone else’s copyright. This can occur if even the guitar solo, drum track, or chord progression is similar to another song that holds a copyright. Unfortunately, at this moment, the U.S. Copyright Office does not have a complex algorithm to detect the originality of a song due to the combination of choices made by the composer, lyricist, and performer. So, for now, all you have to do is recognize what part of a song you produce is unique and what part isn’t.
If you’re planning to officially register your song with the U.S. Copyright Office, visit our copyright registration page to begin the process.
