Copyright exists automatically the instant your song is “fixed in a tangible medium” — a voice memo, a demo, a lyric sheet, a DAW session. You do not need to register, publish, or add a © notice to own your song. So why does the U.S. Copyright Office still collect fees? Because registration unlocks enforcement power that automatic copyright doesn't give you.

1. 1

   Create an account at copyright.gov (eCO system)

   The electronic filing system for the U.S. Copyright Office. One account covers all your works forever.

2. 2

   Choose the right application

   A single work by one author is the cheapest filing (currently $45). Co-written works use the Standard Application ($65). Up to 10 unpublished songs by the same author(s) can share one fee with the “Group of Unpublished Works” (GRUW) option — the indie writer's best friend.

3. 3

   Upload your deposit copy

   An MP3 or PDF of lyrics/lead sheet is fine. This is the version of record if you ever end up in court.

4. 4

   List every author and what they contributed

   Music, lyrics, or both. This becomes powerful evidence if a split dispute ever arises.

Most modern songs have multiple creators — and copyright law has strong default rules about what happens when you create together. Understanding these defaults tells you when you need paperwork to override them.

Joint work

When two or more people intend to merge their contributions into one song, each co-author owns an equal, undivided share by default — regardless of who did more. Two writers = 50/50 unless you agree otherwise in writing.

Work made for hire

When a song is written as an employee (or under a signed work-for-hire agreement for certain commissioned uses), the employer is the legal author. Staff writers at production companies and jingle houses often work this way — they get a salary or fee, not ownership.

Undivided share

Any co-owner of a joint work can license the whole song non-exclusively without asking the others — they just have to account (share the money). This is why split documentation matters so much (Module 2).

Every composition royalty is conceptually split into two equal halves: the writer's share (50%) and the publisher's share (50%). This split is a legacy of the sheet-music era, but the entire modern royalty system is still built on it. The writer's share always belongs to the songwriter personally — PROs pay it directly to you and it generally can't be taken away. The publisher's share belongs to whoever controls the publishing: you, your own publishing entity, or a publisher you've signed with.

Copyright is long — your songs will almost certainly outlive you and pay your heirs. Knowing the clock matters for covers (what's free to record), catalog purchases, and estate planning (Module 8).

Just as important: U.S. law gives songwriters a one-time chance to take their copyrights back. Under Section 203, any grant (assignment or exclusive license) you signed after January 1, 1978 can be terminated 35–40 years later by serving proper notice. Songwriters who signed bad deals in their twenties routinely reclaim their catalogs in their fifties and sixties — this is how many legacy writers finally got paid.