How to copyright a song
The short answer
Your song is under copyright the moment you write it down or record it. To register it, file online through the US Copyright Office. The fee is $45 if you're the only writer and it's a single work, and $65 for most other cases. Registering is optional, but you need it before you can sue for infringement of a US work.
One song can be two copyrights
This trips up nearly everyone. The musical work is the composition and lyrics. The sound recording is that specific recorded performance. The Copyright Office treats them as separate works, and they're commonly owned and licensed separately.
If you wrote the song and paid for the recording yourself, you may own both. If a producer or co-writer was involved, get that in writing before you file.
What it costs
US Copyright Office fees, read on November 9, 2026. Check them before you file, since they change.
$45
Online, one work, one author who is also the claimant, not for hire
$65
Standard Application online
$65
Group of works on an album of music (GRAM)
$125
Paper form
How to file
Decide what you're registering
The song, the recording, or both. Co-written? You're on the $65 application.
Gather the details
Title, writers' legal names, who owns it, and whether and when it was published.
Create an eCO account
eCO is the Copyright Office's online filing system.
Pick the right application
Use the album group option if the songs came out on the same album.
Pay and upload
The application needs a filing fee and a copy of the work.
Save your certificate
It's your public record of the claim.
With Artistboard: the Release Checklist tracks splits, codes and registrations for every release, so this step doesn't get skipped. You still file with the Copyright Office yourself.
What registration gets you
- A public record and a certificate.
- The right to bring an infringement lawsuit over a US work.
- Possible statutory damages and attorney's fees, which is what makes a lawsuit affordable.
- If registered within five years of publication, the certificate counts as evidence in court.
What doesn't work
Mailing a copy to yourself, the old "poor man's copyright," is not a substitute for registration. The Copyright Office says so directly.
Registration also won't collect your royalties. That takes separate sign-ups with a performing rights organization, the MLC and SoundExchange. It's general information here, not legal advice, so see a music attorney if money or a dispute is involved.
Questions people ask
Do I have to register my song to own it?
No. Copyright exists from the moment the work is created and fixed in a tangible form. Registration adds a public record and the ability to sue.
How much does it cost to copyright a song?
$45 online for one work by one author who is also the claimant, and $65 for the Standard Application. Paper forms are $125.
Can I register a whole album at once?
Yes. The Group Registration of Works on an Album of Music costs $65. Musical works and sound recordings use separate group options.
Does a distributor register my copyright?
Distributing your music doesn't register it. Registration is a separate filing with the US Copyright Office.
Keep every release step in one place
You file with the Copyright Office. Artistboard makes sure it's on the list, along with your splits, codes, rollout plan and what the release cost and earned.
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