protecting the rights to your songs


lovinmom3
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Joined: 03/21/17
Posts: 11
lovinmom3
Registered User
Joined: 03/21/17
Posts: 11
10/28/2019 4:01 am

can u send in mail to yourself and not open it,,till your able to spend 35 dollors and hard work to send to copywriting offices of usa...is there any other ways like keepin it on print out on your printer that has a date on it


# 1
ChristopherSchlegel
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Joined: 08/09/05
Posts: 8,328
ChristopherSchlegel
Guitar Tricks Instructor
Joined: 08/09/05
Posts: 8,328
10/28/2019 11:41 am
Originally Posted by: lovinmom3

can u send in mail to yourself and not open it,,till your able to spend 35 dollors and hard work to send to copywriting offices of usa...is there any other ways like keepin it on print out on your printer that has a date on it

Mailing an audio recording to yourself is the "poor man's copyright". And it is an acceptable means of copyrighting. If you print it make sure you print the music, not just the words. Because the melody is the central musical component you are claiming the right to.

Having said that, legally the act of creating a physical medium is enough to consider your music copywritten.

https://www.easysonglicensing.com/pages/help/articles/copyright-law/how-to-copyright-your-music.aspx

So, you could also just record yourself playing the song & then keep the digital audio file with it's timestamp in the code!

Hope that helps!


Christopher Schlegel
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# 2
lovinmom3
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Joined: 03/21/17
Posts: 11
lovinmom3
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Joined: 03/21/17
Posts: 11
05/19/2020 7:31 am

cost of copywrittib went upp,,,,,for works at most five songs 125.

is good price now one song is way more than 35. im sending in the begining of june 2020,,works of four songs still i hope 125.. unless even higher since virus.....donna marie varall thanks

i do have audacity i can record and burn tile type date lyrics and chourds and print out,,dont know how to put melody on paper though


# 3
ChristopherSchlegel
Guitar Tricks Instructor
Joined: 08/09/05
Posts: 8,328
ChristopherSchlegel
Guitar Tricks Instructor
Joined: 08/09/05
Posts: 8,328
05/19/2020 1:38 pm
Originally Posted by: lovinmom3

i do have audacity i can record and burn tile type date lyrics and chourds and print out,,dont know how to put melody on paper though

If you submit recorded audio of the actual song being performed that is an acceptable solution.

If you are only submitting a document of the music, then in order to represent the melody you have to write it in music notation. Get some blank sheet music forms, learn how to notate, then write your melody down with the lyrics underneath the staff & the chords over the staff. That's how it's traditionally done.


Christopher Schlegel
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# 4
faith83
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Joined: 04/23/20
Posts: 416
faith83
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Joined: 04/23/20
Posts: 416
05/22/2020 7:09 pm

I'll add my two cents here, that I always keep my work files -- those little audio files on my phone where I initially get the idea or am working out the melody. Those, along with a main audio file that's time stamped should be enough to prove date of creation, which is really the important thing. (You could also just put all those files on a flash drive and do the mail it to yourself thing.) But I'd definitely keep the work files.


"I got this guitar and I learned how to make it talk."

# 5

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