Copyrighting Your Song
What does copyrighting a song mean?
Where do I go to copyright my song or music?
Which is the correct copyright form to use?
What is the cost of copywriting my music?
What doesn’t a copyright cover?
Is there a way to copyright my song without using a copyright office?
Is my copyright good in other countries?
What does copyrighting a song mean?
When you write or record your own song, you're the official copyright owner because the song is your creation. According to copyright law, a new creative work is automatically copyrighted in the moment of it's creation. Which means, as soon as you've written a song, all rights for that work immediately reside with you as the copyright owner. The only requirement is that it’s fixed in a tangible form. That is, it's written down in notation or recorded. This protects both published and unpublished creations.
Simply put, when you submit a song to a copyright office you're legally protecting that song by giving them notice that this song was created by you and the date it was created on. Here you're not only protecting that song, but gaining proof that you are the creator, while gaining other important benefits.
Such as:
- The right to make physical or digital copies of your work. To reproduce it.
- The right to create different adaptations of your work.
- The right to distribute it to the public. This includes CD's, Vinyls, Records, Downloads etc.
- The right to perform your work publicly. This includes live gigs, TV, and radio.
Where do I go to copyright my song or music?
This process will differ from country to country, but in the United States, you begin by submitting your song through filling out forms on this website:
Www.copyright.gov
Here you will have the option to choose between 2 main forms:
- A SR Form – which stands for “Sound recording form”
- A PR Form - which stands for “Performing arts form”
Which copyright form do I need to use?
R egister your song with a PA form if you want to: Register musical compositions
Here’s an example of when to fill out a PA Form:
You’d like to copyright the songs you've written and recorded for your upcoming album. However, the music production doesn't belong to you or you're not interested in registering that recording of your song. Although you DO want to register the lyrics, melody, and performance. Here, you would use a PA Form.
Register your song with a SR form if you want to: Register sound recordings
Here’s an example of when to fill out a SR Form :
You’ve performed and recorded a version of Noni Lee’s song “Ready for you”. And you’ve decided to submit that recording to be copyrighted. You would use an SR Form.
Note that the processing time for your application differs. If you are e –filing it will take 6 to 10 months. If you are sending in a paper application it will be 10 – 15 months. Always check the copyright website for current wait times. After you've made an application you can also check the status of your application through the site.
What is the cost of copywriting my music?
The standard application fee for copy writing a song starts at $35.
Be aware that if you'd like to save money, you can do so by submitting multiple songs under ONE application. This means you will only pay one application fee. Submitting many of your songs for copyright at one time, can significantly save you money over submitting songs one by one under different applications.
What doesn't copyright cover?
Even though your song has been registered and the copyright is yours, there are certain aspects of your songs that are not protected.
These are:
- a short phrase in your song
- a title
- the concept of the song (for example if you write a song about love and loss)
- chord progressions
These cannot be copyrighted mainly because they are too abstract and so it becomes complicated to protect. Think of the amount of songs that could have the same small attributes we just mentioned.
Is there a way to copyright my song without using a copyright office?
There are many musicians that try to cut corners to save money by trying to copy right their song in a "DIY" manner. A common example of this is what is called the "poor man’s copyright" option. The "poor man’s copyright option" is when you would mail a physical copy of recording of your song to yourself and keeping it sealed in order to confirm that it's copyrighted. We want to confirm that this option does not legally substitute as registering your song. There is no provision in the copyright law that secures this method as protection. We promote artists to take the proper means in protecting their music. Although other options initially look like they can save money, if you ever encounter a legal battle around your recording, you can find yourself wishing you properly registered with a copyright office.
Is my copyright good in other countries?
Visit the "International Copyright Relations of the United States" section on the copyright website posted above. Here you will find guides on how US copyright policies aligns to specific countries. Be sure to check out the nature of the US's copyright relationship with the country you're interested in.
Make Pro Songs
There are 8 unique value-points inside the Sage Audio membership, so let’s go over each one so you can decide if it’s the right fit for you.
1. 50 Free Mastered Songs Per Year
- 50 free mastered songs per year with your own dedicated professional mastering engineer so you can get all your mixes sounding like professional songs.
- You’ll get your own dedicated Sage Audio mastering engineer to create custom masters that are specific to you and sound exactly how you want.
- Unlimited revisions with your dedicated Sage Audio mastering engineer. As a standard of our service, we are not happy until you are happy with the sound of your masters.
- All masters are delivered as commercial, industry-standard high-resolution 24-bit HD WAV masters so they will sound clean and clear on every platform.
2. 1-on-1 Mentorship
- The Sage Audio 1:1 Mentorship gives you direct access to us to answer all your questions and receive unlimited advanced mixing feedback directly from us.
- Unlimited direct access to us for in-depth discussions to help you improve your mixes and masters.
- Unlimited advanced mixing feedback with detailed suggestions for improvement.
- Fast communication to answer all your questions and get tailored guidance that’s specific to your needs.
3. Unlimited Mixing Feedback
- Unlimited mixing feedback so you can improve your mixes quickly.
- This is highly valuable - giving you access to a thriving community of mixing engineers who can provide feedback about what you can improve before sending your mix to be professionally mastered.
4. Sage Audio University™ (SAU) — (Mixing and Mastering Education Platform)
- SAU is a modern audio engineering education platform that includes in-depth mixing and mastering course curriculums that match the new music industry.
- SAU is designed for every experience level, ranging from first-time mixing engineers to advanced engineers. The techniques and concepts taught can be applied to any DAW to create industry-leading mixes without expensive software or plugins - and free plugin alternatives are suggested throughout every course curriculum.
- SAU course curriculums include Start-to-Finish session walkthrough lessons for multiple genres so you can follow along with your preferred genre.
- SAU Certification Document, which can be downloaded and showcased on your website, social channels, and portfolio for as long as you remain a member.
- Get first access to all future SAU course curriculums to continually build and refine your mixing and mastering skills as the industry evolves.
5. Mixing and Mastering Competitions
- Compete in Mixing Competitions and Mastering Competitions to win prizes and connect with friends and colleagues.
- This is a great collaborative way to improve your skills alongside both aspiring engineers and seasoned industry professionals.
6. Community
- The Sage Audio community is a tight-knit community of passionate audio engineers who can provide you with real-world mixing feedback, meaningful discussions, networking, collaborations, and more.
7. 70+ GB of Curated Sage Audio Downloadable Content, Including:
- 36 multitrack sessions spanning multiple genres for mixing practice.
- 57 un-mastered mixes spanning multiple genres for mastering practice.
- 62 Recommended Free Plugins List (vetted, tested, and approved, so you don’t have to).
- 39 Recommended Paid Plugins List (vetted, tested, and approved, so you don’t have to).
- 58 Sage Audio custom plugin presets to improve your mixes and masters.
- Sage Audio Membership Badge to showcase on your website, social channels, and portfolio.
8. 700+ Video Catalog
- Access 700+ in-depth Sage Audio mixing and mastering videos - curated and organized into playlists so you can take a deep dive into all aspects of audio engineering with thousands of hours of concise, expertly crafted Sage Audio videos to continually improve your mixing and mastering skills at your own pace.