# Copyright Music

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/copyright-music/170031>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 21, 2003, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/copyright-music/170031 "2003-04-21T14:00:10Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Meatros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Meatros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meatros)\
**Post date:** [April 21, 2003, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/copyright-music/170031/1 "2003-04-21T14:00:10Z")

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How do you copyright music? A friend of mine is writing and preforming music and I’m wondering how he would go about copyrighting his music.

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**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\
**Post date:** [April 21, 2003, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/copyright-music/170031/2 "2003-04-21T14:26:32Z")

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Once it’s in a tangible form (recorded or written as sheet music) it is essentially automatically copyrighted. To _register_ the copyright (which makes it more iron clad in the eyes of the law) go to the website of [United States Copyright Office](http://www.loc.gov/copyright/) and click on "How to Register a Work – Sound Recordings.

It’s a little easier these days because now you can send in recordings (it used to be just sheet music).

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**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\
**Post date:** [April 21, 2003, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/copyright-music/170031/3 "2003-04-21T14:34:07Z")

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Oh, I forgot to cover some of the big bases:

If you are in Canada, you’d register it through CIPO, the [Canadian Intellectual Property Office](http://www.cipo.gc.ca).

In the UK there’s no formal system for registering copyright, but you can contact: [The British Library Copyright Office](http://www.bl.uk/services/information/copyright.html) or visit the [British Music Rights](http://www.bmr.org/menu.html)Web site for more info.

There is no formal registration process in Australia, but you can the contact:[Australian Copyright Council](http://www.copyright.org.au/) for more info.

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**Author:** ![cankerist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bc79bd/32.png) [@cankerist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cankerist)\
**Post date:** [April 21, 2003, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/copyright-music/170031/4 "2003-04-21T14:37:21Z")

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Depends what country you’re in, **Meatros**. Assuming you’re in the US, then what **Eats\_Crayons** said is a correct (albeit brief- no offence **Meatros**!:D) explanation.

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**Author:** ![Meatros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Meatros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meatros)\
**Post date:** [April 21, 2003, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/copyright-music/170031/5 "2003-04-21T15:31:06Z")

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Thanks all! This is more than helpful!! 😃