Okay, I've nearly finished making my demo and I want to make sure my music is copyrighted for my own security.

How do I go about publishing my own songs?

How expensive is it?

Can anyone do it?
[This message was edited Fri Sep 12 4:04:01 PDT 2003 by MattyJam]

It varies a bit from one country to another - where are you based?

As simple as requesting forms from both

Library of Congress
Copyright Office
101 Independence Ave. S.E.
Washington, D.C.
20559

and ASCAP

You can find details and forms at their respective web sites.

You can find the copyright forms online in PDF form. I wrote an article for a music magazine. Here's part of it with what you're looking for:

How to Register

Registering your copyright is fairly easy and inexpensive. You can register one song or a collection of songs all at one time, as long as the songs are all authored by the same person. What you'll need is a completed application form (Form PA), a non-returnable deposit of the song(s) to be registered, and a non-refundable billing fee of $30 in the form of a check.

If you have printed documentation of the songs, (lyrics, charts, etc) it's a good idea to include those as well. Once you've submitted the form and all the required materials, and the money, the government processes your request and eventually sends you a copy of the registration.

For a more in depth review of the copyright laws, go online to the US Library of Congress Copyright Office at www.loc.gov/copyright. You can download the appropriate forms from the site, as well as read all about copyright laws in depth.

disclaimer: I am not a lawyer. Any legal questions? Consult an attorney. This article is intended for basic reference only.

I think you have to send LOC a copy of your demo too, as well as the money and the documents... I'm going through the same process right now with mine.

jtgillia said:

To be honest, the cheapest method is to just mail a copy of your songs to yourself, and don't open the envelope. It will be legally date-stamped by the post office, proving that you wrote it before anyone else.

This method can work most of the time when someone else takes YOUR song. But if your song becomes a hit and then the Stones come after you saying you stole their song, it's a little harder to defend.

i.e. - it's easy on the offensive, pursuing someone else, but less effective in defending yourself.

LITERALLY, you own the copy rights to a song as soon as you commit it to tape. All the other details, registering that copyright, are just for legal protection.

Some people put a TON of energy and paranoia into protecting their songs. But in my opinion, anything I've written so far will be superceded by the next thing I write. Once I become a national recording icon, THEN I will stress over the copyrighting of my songs, but for now, the self-addressed method is all I use. I'm nobody. No one will find my songs of such a value that they would bother to rip off something so unique as "come on baby let me treat you right".

So, before you take that diamond in the rough and blow $35 plus postage to protect the sixth song you've ever written, consider that you're more than likely making an affinity purchase, not something that will actually be of any value.

Not saying that, as an amateur songwriter, your material is no good, but I'm saying, if this is a hobby and you burn CDs to give to your friends and have a site online with some of your songs, the likelihood of someone stealing your song is NIL.

I repeat, NIL.

Just giving you food for thought. Go spend the money on guitar picks and a strap, or some film or something else.

MattyJam said:

cheaper options = send it to yourself, give it to a bank or keep your source files if you record on computer. So long as you can prove that you own the original recording of the song, your ok

The envelope idea sounds cool. Thanks.

How to Set Up a Music Publishing Company - By Danica Mathes

1. Affiliate your company with ASCAP or BMI.

The societies will not let you use the same or similar name as another publishing company, so you have to clear the name with them first. (Count on approximately five (5) weeks to get approval.) Complete an application and provide three (3) potential names (ranked in order) for your publishing company. Visit www.ascap.com and/or www.bmi.com for more information and to obtain/fill out an application. (If you are a songwriter and have not yet affiliated, you should affiliate with one of these societies at the same time [you cannot affiliate with both]. You will have to affiliate as a publisher with the same society that you affiliate with as a songwriter. If you will be publishing other people’s songs as well as your own, and unless all of your writers are affiliated with the same society, you will need two publishing companies…one with BMI and one with ASCAP.)

2. Create a Business Entity or File a Fictitious Name Statement.

You may want to create a corporation or Limited Liability Company to act as your publishing company. If you are not a corporation, then you should file a fictitious name statement with the Secretary of State or similar governmental entity. This informs others that you are doing business under a name that is not your own and makes it legal to do so. You may need this statement in order to open a bank account and/or to cash checks made out to that name.

3. Register Songs with the Copyright Office.

Register the songs with the Copyright Office in the name of your publishing company. If the songs have already been co pyrighted in your name, you will need to file an assignment transferring them to the publisher’s name. Visit www.loc.gov/copyright/ for more information.

4. Register Songs with the Performing Rights Society.

Register the songs with the performing rights society with which you affiliated in Step 1. Visit the society’s website to obtain more information about the necessary registration forms. (You only have to register the songs as the publisher or writer, not both.)

5. Congratulations! You Have A Publishing Company!

Now you can issue licenses to record companies and others, make foreign subpublishing agreements, print deals, and other agreements regarding your publishing.

Note: ASCAP and BMI represent publishing companies and songwriters, so you can affiliate as a songwriter and you’ll be paid directly from the society. Writers can affiliate with ASCAP and BMI for free, but writers can only affiliate with one society.