The easiest way to register the copyright for your music

CD Baby is thrilled to partner with Cosynd to provide a quick, easy, and affordable way for musicians and collaborators to register their copyrights with the U.S. Copyright Office.

As a CD Baby client, you can now register the copyright to your album, song, video, literature, or images for as little as $29.99 (plus federal filing fees). You’ll also be able to create FREE customized copyright agreements such as split sheets and work-for-hire contracts. You can even determine which of your collaborators are authorized to license your music too.

If you’ve ever registered the copyright to your music, you know it can be expensive, time-consuming, and confusing. It’s even more complicated when you co-own the music with others. And in an age where so much music is being made long-distance, it’s really important to have a simple and affordable online system for collaborators to both agree upon AND register their copyrights.

REGISTER YOUR COPYRIGHT

CD Baby’s partnership with Cosynd makes copyright registration simple and fast.

With Cosynd, it takes a matter of MINUTES for you and your collaborators to:

• Create customized ownership agreements such as split-sheets and work-for-hire contracts
• Discuss creator splits and e-sign an agreement
• Register your music with the U.S. Copyright Office
• Invite your attorney to review all agreements
• Cut down on paperwork, since you can add multiple titles to a single agreement

What is copyright?

Just like it sounds, copyright is a creator’s right to copy, profit from, distribute, or otherwise “exploit” their own works. It’s a designation of intellectual property similar to a patent or trademark.

As a musician, you own the copyright to your own songs and recordings the moment they’re set down in a fixed format (on record, on sheet music, etc.)

BUT… registering those copyrights with the U.S. Copyright Office is another story.

Three reasons why it’s important to register your copyright:

1. You can’t sue someone for infringement unless you’ve registered your copyright with the U.S. Copyright Office. Once you DO register the copyright, you may be be entitled to $150,000 per infringement, plus legal fees if you win your suit.
2. It’s a myth that simply paying someone means they cannot later claim any ownership of your copyright. If you don’t have a work-for-hire agreement in writing, other people (collaborators, producers, session players, etc.) could try to claim an ownership percentage.
3. Under U.S. Copyright Law, two or more people that work together to create content can claim equal ownership shares by default, unless there is an agreement stating otherwise. So if you write MOST of the song, and someone helps you with the lyrics to a few lines, they could say their rights are equal to yours. Unless of course you put your ownership shares in writing upfront.

If you’re serious about your music, you should also get serious about protecting your music.

Register the copyright to your song or album today!

PROTECT MY MUSIC