What is a Copyright in Music?
What is Copyright?
Copyright is a type of intellectual property that protects original works of authorship as soon as an author fixes the work in a tangible form of expression. In copyright law, there are a lot of different types of works, including paintings, photographs, illustrations, musical compositions, sound recordings, computer programs, books, poems, blog posts, movies, architectural works, plays, and so much more! (What is Copyright?)
What are Copyrights in Music?
There are two main types of copyrights in music. The master copyright and the composition copyright.
The Master Copyright (or Sound Recording Copyright) is the copyright for a specific audio recording or “master recording”. It includes the exclusive rights of reproduction, adaptation, publication, performance, and display of that specific audio or sound recording.
The Composition Copyright is the copyright for the underlying musical work (the arrangement of melodies, notes, chords, and lyrics in the specific order of the song) including exclusive rights of reproduction, adaptation, publication, performance, and display of that specific musical work.
How do I copyright my music?
Your original music is automatically copyrighted from the moment you create it in a tangible medium. This could be by writing it down on paper or even capturing it in an audio recording. Most DAW project files are automatically timestamped and dated as well!
Why would I register my copyright?
Many people believe the U.S. Copyright Office gives you a copyright for your music but this isn’t technically true. As mentioned before, your music is automatically copyrighted when created in a tangible form.
When you register your copyright with the U.S. Copyright Office, you receive a certification of copyright that states you are the owner of the copyright and have a record on file at the Library of Congress. This certificate also gives you “prima facie” in the court of law which means that if a legal battle occurs, the opposing party would bear the burden of proof that you do not own the work, rather than you having to provide proof that it is in fact yours.
You must register your copyright with the U.S. Copyright Office in order to bring a lawsuit against another party for infringement of a U.S. work.
How do I register my music for copyright?
You can register your music with the U.S. Copyright Office at copyright.gov. There are companies that offer copyright filing services for a small fee in addition to the copyright filing fees if you want to avoid the clunky nature of the online copyright system.
*DISCLAIMER* ALWAYS SPEAK WITH AN ATTOURNEY PRIOR TO MAKING A DECISION ABOUT COPYRIGHTING OR NOT COPYRIGHTING YOUR MUSIC
