Here, we talk about Submitting information relating to musical works and sound recordings to an appropriate registration body, for example, copyright ownership information submitted to a Collective Management Organization or copyright office. the An original musical composition with or without lyrics., not the Typically, the recorded performance of a musical work protected as a phonogram under copyright law., with a An organization that acts collectively on behalf of the rights holders it represents and collects and pays remuneration to rights holders.. To dive into registering your sound recordings, visit the Registering Sound Recordings section.
When registering your musical works with a CMO, who is responsible for doing it will depend on your situation and whether you have A company that represents songwriters, supporting their career development, monetizing musical works, and protecting copyrights. involved or work Without affiliation, by oneself.. We explore this further in our Getting Credited and Paid topic.
Either way, if it's not done right, you may not get To be publicly acknowledged for a contribution to the creation of a musical work, a live performance, or sound recording, for example, listing a songwriter's or performer's name. and paid correctly, if at all. So, understanding the role of a music publisher and CMO in all of this will help you get it right every time.
Learn more about each of them in our topic, The Music Ecosystem.
Briefly, though, music publishers manage and protect the The controls creators or rights holders have over what they have created or produced and over their identity and image. in An original musical composition with or without lyrics. on behalf of the songwriters. If you work with a music publisher, they may register your works for you.
CMOs manage rights and pay Money paid for the right to use a musical work, performance, or sound recording, typically, but not always, in the form of recurring payments. to A person who makes an original contribution to the creation of a musical composition or lyrics. and music publishers when their musical works are used. If you work independently, without a music publisher, you must register your works directly with a CMO.
Keep reading to learn more.
Why you should register your musical work with a CMO as soon as it is created
Registering musical works with a CMO is essential for two key reasons:
It enables songwriters to get paid for those uses that are managed by CMOs
It helps songwriters get credited when their work is used.
When should you register your musical work?
It's best practice to register a musical work with a CMO once it's confirmed for, but always before, its The official distribution of a sound recording offered for public consumption and sale..
If you're a member of a CMO, you should register all your musical works with that CMO. A membership with a CMO means that you entrust the CMO to manage some of your The controls creators or rights holders have over what they have created or produced and over their identity and image. in your musical works and collect the money on your behalf when the works are used. Both A creator who publishes their own music without the support of a music publisher. and Having an artistic work, such as a musical work, made available for public consumption, for example, a musical work recorded and made available for sale as a single. songwriters should ensure the registration is done correctly. If you’re a songwriter Refers to a creator who has a record label or music publisher contract. to a music publisher, the registration of your musical works is usually done by the music publisher.
How to become a member and register your work can vary between Collective Management Organizations, so contact your CMO to find out how.
Are there other places I might wish to register my musical work?
Registering a work with a CMO is a different process from registering works with, for example, a A government agency responsible for regulating and administering copyright, including the enforcement of copyright laws., or a national library or A government organization..
Image credit: Martin Fabricius Rasmussen