Copyrighting songs - nutz and boltz

[Strays Dave]

I debated on using the existing copyrighting thread. But since I have a detailed specific scenario, I decided to post my own thread. I've shared the iPad graphics in case someone might benefit from knowing this. I used to write songs on paper, but my process is to write something, then later write something else, then later maybe combine, maybe use a portion of each etc - so I used to have to recopy by hand after a number of changes. This digital graphics tool has liberated my creative songwriting process. I understand many don't write music this way - but someone may.

 

Also I've specified things about copyrighting as I understand them. If I have some misinformation, someone please enlighten us.

 

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I have 8 songs I want to copyright. I have PDF's of each one (***I've notated the songs with a graphics app - Goodnotes 5 - on my iPad Pro with my Apple Pencil 2 and a Paperlike screen film ***).

So, following a tip from someone on this forum, I created 2 files: Songwriting2020PDFs.PDF and SongwritingJuly2020LowResMono.mp3 (the mp3 is 128 bit). The songs appear in alphabetic sequence - scanned and audio recorded.

 

The tutorial I watched:

 

From watching the tutorial, I understand the 2 types of copyright that could apply to me: SR (sound recording) and PA (performing arts). The SR would apply if I had a finished, mixed, and mastered recording. As I understand anyway. The PA should apply to me because I have a visual graphic (scanned PDF files of my notated music) AND a rough mono recording with each unique portion of the composed song, represented once.

 

But what occurred to me (I'm all ready to upload my 2 files described above) is that I haven't specified each SONG TITLE. I hadn't thought about this until I was ready to execute the process of copyrighting. Where would this be specified ?

[KuruPrionz]

When I did this, I titled the lyric sheets "The Works of My Name Volume One." Then I made a song "chart" for each song. The title of each song in bold at the top followed by "©2020 My Name" then the lyrics with basic chords placed above them in more or less the proper locations. Each song got as many pages as it needed and the next song started at the top of a fresh page. I did it in Open Office (Word or any text program will work) and it was a complete compilation. Then I saved it as a .pdf file.

 

My .mp3 file was a series of demo recordings of the same songs in the same order and titled the same as the lyric sheet.

 

I don't know if there is a better way to do it or not, seems like it should hold up in court. I have the © from Library of Congress and the songs are there. The lyric sheet is probably more important but all the melodies are there for reference.

 

I'll watch this thread and see what else comes up. Cheers, Kuru

[Strays Dave]

High jacking my own thread.

 

Well I never found out about copyrighting. I joined a sonwriting forum, but inertia set in and I simply haven't followed up by asking the question there. The "dumbest thing you ever recorded" thread made me think to post my one multi-track effort. It's not mixed, since I know nothing about mixing. But I recorded everything at -6 db (I think). Piano needs to come up. I added a guitar part on another recording, but listening later, don't like it. I read something about recording vocals straight up (un-panned) so I did that. I have the piano at 9 and 3 o'clock (on an X/Y two headed mic). The percussion at 10 I think. And guitar maybe at 5 or 10.

 

I wrote this intentionally goofy as an exercise. Blue Betty done got sad, got the blues today...

 

So, question is, can I proceed recording (tracking is suppose) other things in this manner, and figure out about next steps later ?

 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-Z7EtY4_QgIRcbc4c7g-NXQPDEwB8Wym/view?usp=sharing

[Song80s]

I copyright all the time.

 

https://distrokid.com

 

I recommend you finish your recording. Get it done.