Learn How To Copyright A Song and DISCOVER the Best Way To Protect Your Original Songs, Beats and Music Productions…
Do it yourself and avoid excessive and unneccessary lawyer and 3rd party “copyright service” fees
Save Time, Money and Peace Of Mind By Learning WHY and HOW to Officially Copyright Your Music in Minutes
Step-by-Step System Will Teach You Everything That You Need To Know
You put your heart and soul into your music. Don’t put your creations at risk.
If anybody tells you that you don’t really have to copyright your music
or that you don’t need instruction to copyright your songs, remember:
You only have Financial Recourse if you register your copyrights.
There are two separate copyright registrations for your music.
With the proper instruction, you can quickly do it yourself.
You can copyright multiple songs with one application and one fee.
These are just some of the reasons why copyrighting your songs and learning about music copyrights is essential for Songwriters, Beat Makers and Music Producers.
It is true that the moment your songs are captured in a fixed, tangible form (i.e. on a computer, on video, written down, etc.) it is “technically” copyrighted.
However, if someone decides to use or copy your work without your permission, you’ll only be able to recoup financial damages if you have properly registered your music with the U.S. Copyright Office.
A quick search for “How To Copyright A Song” on Google returns more than 3 billion results. That’s BILLION, with a ‘B’! So, doing the research and registration yourself can be overwhelming, time-consuming and confusing.
But, it doesn’t have to be.
I Found Out The Hard Way!
When I first started producing and recording my own music I didn’t know anything about copyrights.
It was an exciting time and I was eager to collaborate with other artists and producers as often as possible.
One such collaboration still makes me fume.
Here’s what happened:
I joined forces with another producer to create a track for a talented rapper. I had a knack for drum programming, so it was decided that I would handle the drums and the other producer took care of the melody and chords.
I created a drum pattern on the Boss DR5 drum machine. It was an uptempo hip-hop rhythm with a jazz flare that was brought to life by my use of ride cymbals, combined with open and closed hi-hats, on the track.
We worked diligently with the artist to craft the song, and even went into the studio for the recording, mixing and mastering.
The song was released on the artist’s CD a couple of months later. It even got local radio play.
But, to my dismay, my name was not included on the CD credits or the radio drop as a co-producer of the song. The other producer that I collaborated with took all of the credit!
At the time, I was so new to the business that I ended up taking one on the chin. But that experience definitely left a bruise. Knowledge and guidance are truly the keys to success in the music industry…
Dozens Of Hit Songs Have Allegedly Been Stolen From Other Songs
The story above is not unique. In fact, that wasn’t the last experience that I had with an unscrupulous individual who had no issue trying to take, or use, my intellectual property (i.e. musical creations) without my permission.
It happens every day in the music industry.
Songs such as Bruno Mars’ “Uptown Funk” (from The Gap Band’s “Oops Upside Your Head”), Ed Sheeran’s “Photograph” (from Matt Cardle’s “Amazing”), Sam Smith’s “Stay With Me” (from Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down”), Pharrell Williams and Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines” (from Marvin Gaye’s “Got To Give It Up”), all are alleged to have infringed on the copyrights of others.
Do you know what all of these songs had in common? They were all officially registered with the U.S. Copyright Office. Therefore, the original songwriters had the legal basis to be financially awarded for the infringement.
Save Time & Money – Copyright Your Music Yourself
There is no reason to pay a lawyer or third-party “copyright service” to copyright your music.
Copyrighting your music yourself will save you time and money. Third-party “copyright service” fees can cost $99 or more per application! That fee is on top of the standard fee that you will pay to the Copyright Office.
As a songwriter or music creator, these fees will add up as you copyright more and more songs.
However, by understanding copyrights and learning to use the online copyright registration system, it’s possible for you to copyright multiple songs on a single application and avoid excessive lawyer and/or “copyright service” fees.
Copyright A Song (or Multiple Songs): The Solution
Over the past 20+ years I have coached, trained and mentored hundreds of students at my Philadelphia-based recording studio and audio school. Thousands more have taken advantage of my online training and tutorials. One question that I’ve consistently heard is “how do I copyright my music?”.
My short answer is that you can do it yourself using the online copyright registration system. A more thorough answer/solution would provide the following:
- Step-by-step guidance for completing the online copyright registration process
- A discussion of the two types of copyrights that you need for your songs
- A way to avoid paying lawyers and/or third-party “copyright services”
- Instructions for copyrighting multiple songs with one copyright application
- The most cost effective copyright registration options based on your unique situation
- Guidance on how to handle collaborations with other artists and/or producers
- Peace of mind that you have financial recourse in U.S. courts if anyone tries to plagiarize or steal your music
- A thorough breakdown of how copyrights work and your rights as a copyright owner
- The rules for performing and/or recording another artist’s previously released music
- Up-to-date modifications and changes to copyright fees and registration details
- The exceptions that allow you to use or sample another artist or musician’s song to create a new song