Single Application
$45 online
One author, same claimant, one work, not made for hire.
Paperwork
How to copyright a song
Quick answer
Your song is protected automatically once it is written down or recorded. Registering it with the U.S. Copyright Office costs $45 to $65 online and is needed before you can sue. A song and its recording are two separate works.
Registration fees, from the Copyright Office
Standard Application
$65 online
All other online filings, including a song with co-writers.
Paper Form PA or SR
$125 by mail
Check or money order. Online filing is faster.
Per Circular 4, Copyright Office Fees (revised November 2024; fees in effect since March 20, 2020). copyright.gov: Circular 4 · checked October 20, 2026 Always confirm on the Office’s fee page before you pay.
Key takeaways
1
Protection is automatic
Copyright exists once the work is fixed in a tangible medium. Registering is optional, but needed to enforce it in court.
2
Song and recording are different
The composition (music and lyrics) and the sound recording are separate works with separate registrations, unless the same claimant owns both.
3
$45 or $65 online
The Single Application is cheaper but has strict conditions. Paper forms cost more.
Do you need to register?
No: copyright exists automatically once an original work is fixed in a tangible medium, such as written down or recorded. But registration is necessary before you can file an infringement suit for a U.S. work, and registering before an infringement, or within three months after publication, makes you eligible for statutory damages and attorneys’ fees. copyright.gov: Circular 1, Copyright Basics · checked October 20, 2026
Composition vs recording
The composition
The music and lyrics. The author is the songwriter, composer or lyricist. Registered as a work of the performing arts, usually on Form PA.
The sound recording
A recorded performance. The authors are the performers and/or the producer who captured and edited the sounds. Registered on Form SR.
The Copyright Office treats them as two separate works: a registration for one does not cover the other. copyright.gov: Circular 56A · checked October 20, 2026
You can use one application for both only when they are on the same phonorecord and the same person or entity is the claimant for both. A songwriter who records their own song, or a label that owns both, can do this. An artist who records someone else’s song registers the recording only. You can always register them on separate applications.
The steps
- Decide what you are registering. The song, the recording, or both, and who the claimant is for each. Settle co-writer shares first; a split sheet helps.
- Create an account and start an online application at copyright.gov. Select “Sound Recording” if you are registering both on one application.
- Fill in the details: title exactly as on the work, whether it is published, the year of creation, the authors, the claimant and any limitation of claim.
- Pay the filing fee ($45 Single or $65 Standard online).
- Upload your deposit. For unpublished or digital-only music, upload a file (each up to 500 MB). Once submitted, the deposit becomes part of the public record and cannot be returned.
- Wait for the Office to approve or refuse it. Your effective date of registration is the day the Office receives a proper application, deposit and fee, not the day it finishes examining them.
Work made for hire
If a work is made for hire, the author is the employer, not the person who made it. The applicant, not the Copyright Office, decides whether a work meets the legal definition. See Circular 30 and the Office’s guidance before you apply.
Questions people ask
Do I have to register to have a copyright?
No. The Copyright Office says copyright exists automatically in an original work once it is fixed in a tangible medium. Registration is not mandatory, but for U.S. works it is necessary before you can sue for infringement.
How much does it cost?
Online, the Office’s fee schedule lists $45 for a Single Application and $65 for a Standard Application, and $125 for a paper form. Fees can change, so confirm on copyright.gov before you file.
Are the song and the recording registered separately?
They are two separate works. You can use one standard application for both only if they are embodied in the same recording and the same person or company is the claimant for both. You can always register them separately.
Which form do I use, PA or SR?
Form PA is for performing arts works such as a musical composition; Form SR is for sound recordings. Most people register online instead of on paper.
What is the Single Application?
A cheaper, streamlined application. For a song and recording together you need all three: they are in the same recording, you are the only performer featured, and you are the only copyright owner of both.
Do I have to send the Office my music?
Yes, a deposit is required. For unpublished or digital-only music the Office strongly encourages uploading a file (up to 500 MB each) rather than mailing a physical copy.
Is this legal advice?
No. It summarizes the U.S. Copyright Office’s own guidance. For a dispute or a valuable catalog, talk to an entertainment lawyer.