What is copyright law in songwriting & the music industry?

If you’re reading this blog, you most likely want to better understand copyright law as it pertains to songwriting. You may also be wondering if you need to copyright your songs; or as an unknown artist, if it even matters yet.

You may not be a world-famous headline act yet, but someday, you may be. It’s essential you learn about copyright law in music now, so as your career grows, you’re prepared for potential future issues and challenges that may arise from people stealing your songs. It’s also important to know about it, so you don’t personally make the mistake of stealing someone else’s work and being penalized for it.

What does it mean to copyright your songs?

A copyright is what legally protects your work. A copyright is what defends your songs against theft. “Theft” in songwriting refers to when people steal your lyrics, melody, or another unique element of your song without your permission.

In recent years, you may have heard about Robin Thicke and Pharrell’s lawsuit against “Blurred Lines”. This Rolling Stones article is a good reference to become more familiar with other famous copyright cases over the years: Read the article.

Do you need to copyright everything?

You should make it a practice to sit down every month and decide which songs you’re going to do something with and put it out there. You absolutely need to copyright the songs you’re planning on doing something with.

When should you copyright your songs?

It’s important to begin as you mean to finish, so you should be copyrighting your work from the very beginning. As soon as you know you’re going to be doing something with one of your songs, you should put it on your list of songs you need to copyright.

Is copyrighting your songs the same as registering for a PRO?

Registering with a PRO means you’ll get paid when your songs get played, but it’s not the same as copyrighting.

A PRO (performing rights organization) collects royalties for songwriters when their works are performed publicly (such as on television, radio, or at a public event).

ASCAP and BMI are two of the biggest PROs in the US, though others exist and are popular across the globe.

A copyright won’t help you get paid when your songs are used or played, but it will make sure other songwriters or artists can’t profit off your original work by plagiarizing it. 

How do you copyright your songs?

Go to the U.S. Copyright Office’s website and register your work, and click on “Register a Work” in the right hand column.

You can register up to 10 works at a time, which makes registering your works on a regular basis convenient and more cost-effective.

The bottom line is, if you don’t copyright your songs, you’re not protected. As a songwriter, you’re the CEO of your own business. It’s important you have the proper protections of your assets in place.

If you have more questions about music publishing and how the music business works, I invite you to schedule a consultation with me. I’m happy to answer any more questions you have one-on-one, to help you better navigate the music industry as an aspiring songwriter or artist.

For more information regarding this topic, check out the Ultimate Guide to Copyright Law by How To Start an LLC.