Copyrighting original music

[kottkenut]

Forgive me if there may be hundreds of posts in the forum about how to copyright your own material, but I can't figure out how to do an effective search on my question.

First, I can create music, but I don't read music and I can't transcribe. I know there are some software programs that advertise that they can do this, but...I'm not going there.

The point is, I've written some songs and performed them over the years, and I want to record them now. What does it take to copyright a song? I would think copyrighting lyrics would be pretty straightforward, but what about copyrighting the music or the arrangement? Does the music/arrangement have to be transcribed?

Thanks in advance for advice, even if you can take the time to point me to a thread that's already been down this road.

[Howard Emerson]

Originally Posted by kottkenut

Forgive me if there may be hundreds of posts in the forum about how to copyright your own material, but I can't figure out how to do an effective search on my question.

First, I can create music, but I don't read music and I can't transcribe. I know there are some software programs that advertise that they can do this, but...I'm not going there.

The point is, I've written some songs and performed them over the years, and I want to record them now. What does it take to copyright a song? I would think copyrighting lyrics would be pretty straightforward, but what about copyrighting the music or the arrangement? Does the music/arrangement have to be transcribed?

Thanks in advance for advice, even if you can take the time to point me to a thread that's already been down this road.

In the US it is basically a matter of going to the US Copyright web site and downloading your tracks. You no longer have to submit the written music.

As far as what you need to do being in Kabul, Afghanistan? I have not got a clue.

HE
It Ain't Necessarily So: http://howardemerson.com/music2.html

[mchalebk]

Even before you could register a copyright online, you could send tapes or CDs of recorded music. Now, you can simply upload mp3s. I don't think it matters where you are, as long as you can get to the website, but don't take my word for it. Read about it here. If you still have questions, I'm sure there are plenty of folks here who can help. Here's a link to the US Copyright Office:

http://www.copyright.gov

[jpd]

Originally Posted by mchalebk

Even before you could register a copyright online, you could send tapes or CDs of recorded music. Now, you can simply upload mp3s. I don't think it matters where you are, as long as you can get to the website, but don't take my word for it. Read about it here. If you still have questions, I'm sure there are plenty of folks here who can help. Here's a link to the US Copyright Office:

http://www.copyright.gov

great info, thx for the link. J.D.

[frankhond]

If you really want to transcribe your songs, there are transcription services these days. I read an article in sound on sound about this, look it up. I recall it wasn't even that expensive.

Of course you dont need this for copyright. The way the law is constructed in the western world, your intellectual property is yours the moment you create it. In practice you need to prove some kind of creation date, so uploading it somewhere is a good idea.

[Legolas1971]

Originally Posted by frankhond

If you really want to transcribe your songs, there are transcription services these days. I read an article in sound on sound about this, look it up. I recall it wasn't even that expensive.

Of course you dont need this for copyright. The way the law is constructed in the western world, your intellectual property is yours the moment you create it. In practice you need to prove some kind of creation date, so uploading it somewhere is a good idea.

Yes....and if you record with Pro tools or the like; your session has
an automatic date attached to it. That's how I keep track of all my
songs.