Can someone give me a step by step guide to copywriting original music?

[Wwiizzaarrdd]

I've been writing alot of original stuff lately and I've been wanting to know how to go about copyrighting some of my own stuff. Can someone give a pretty straightforward guide on how to do this? I would really appreciate it. In addition to that, I have a few questions:

- If a song I worte doesn't have words, can I copyright it, and then when I write lyrics to it, can I copywrite over the other one with the new one?

- Can I copyright a song under one title, and then change the title without having to copyright that song again?

Thanks in advance!

[bleedin_fingers]

Put the song (music and/or words) into an envelope, and then mail it to yourself. When you get it back DO NOT open it.

It will hold up in any court.

[Firedncin8nancy]

there is a thread about htis already... that mail thing may not be as vaild as you would think... i could be wrong though

[Wwiizzaarrdd]

I read that thread before. That guy or girl was asking the same question as me but it went off on a whole debate about the mailing to yourself thing and he never got his question answered. What I'm talking about is the actual legal thing, but thanks for trying to help.

[Firedncin8nancy]

http://www.loc.gov/copyright/

[Wwiizzaarrdd]

Firedncin8nancy, I have to fill out one of those for each song, right?

[toomuch2say87]

http://www.clickandcopyright.com/garageband/


but u may have to be a member of www.garageband.com but it's worth it

[PilotC150]

Originally posted by bleedin_fingers
Put the song (music and/or words) into an envelope, and then mail it to yourself. When you get it back DO NOT open it.

It will hold up in any court.

Not to turn this into another debate, but this will not copyright something. This might prove that you came up with it first, but it would be much easier and more professional to go the official way and copyright it.

[Wwiizzaarrdd]

Thanks for all the help guys. A couple more questions:

- Since I want to copyright both the sound recording and the underlying music, what do you guys think I should say in the nature of authorship?

- If I wrote a song, all by myself, then brought in a few friends to play on it, and in turn, they made up the parts that they played on the track, does the writing credit go solely to me or to all the people involved in the recording?

[I, Brian]

You really don't need to go through any kind of copyright process for your music at all - the moment you compose it you automatically become the copyright holder. The issue is proving it.

Yes, you can register your works with the Library of Congress (assuming you're from the USA), but that does not provide proof of copyright.

Or you could pay a legal representative to keep a date-marked copy. Not water-tight either.

As memntioned above, simply mailing (AND NOT OPENING!) a CD of your music, for example (audio or data files) is just as effective a way.

In the event of your copyright being contested in a court of law, the date of postage (for mailing) or for receipt for filing in Library of Congress, etc, would be used to try and ascertain who the rightful holder is, namely by tracking down first records of the contested piece. If you have an earlier date then the litigator then it's more likely you would be the holder.

To be safe, though, you should regularly mail out your work - every few months of annually. This gives you a strong record of proof in the event of a legal contest.

Which reminds me, I haven;t sent an envelope for a while...better burn a CD and post tomorrow...;)

[Wwiizzaarrdd]

Originally posted by Wwiizzaarrdd
- Since I want to copyright both the sound recording and the underlying music, what do you guys think I should say in the nature of authorship?

- If I wrote a song, all by myself, then brought in a few friends to play on it, and in turn, they made up the parts that they played on the track, does the writing credit go solely to me or to all the people involved in the recording?

Can anyone help me out with these questions?