The composition
The music and lyrics. Their authors are the people who create those elements; rights may belong to those authors or to owners under a contract. A publisher administers or controls only the rights granted to it.
LEGA · Information for new artists
Do You Know
What to Do?
A guide for artists: register your music, protect your rights and collect your royalties.
Focus: United States. Editorial source review: October 14, 2026. Requirements, forms and fees may change; check each process on its official website. This is general educational information, not individual legal or tax advice.
01 / Before you release
One song, two separate rights
The master
The specific recording the public hears. Its authors and owners may differ from those of the composition. Document who controls that recording and which rights performers, producers and other contributors retain.
Singer, arranger, session musician, songwriter, studio owner and label owner are different roles. A credit or session payment alone does not establish that all ownership rights were transferred.
Official sources and registration links: USCO · composition and recording ↗ · USCO · musical works ↗
Build a file for each song
Include legal and artist names; title and versions; writers and shares agreed in writing; composition and master owners; arranger, producer, musicians and instruments; studio and city; permissions, contracts and licenses; lyrics, final audio and publication details. Keep the creation history and signed copies.
02 / Registration and collection
Who should you register with?
Copyright registration, royalty collection and music distribution are separate processes. Opening an account for one does not automatically complete the other processes.
| Organization or service | Who it serves and why | What to prepare / link |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. Copyright Office | Authors or rights owners: apply to register the composition, recording, or both when eligible. | Authorship, ownership, publication details, the correct application, deposit and fee. Registration portal ↗ |
| BMI or ASCAP · PRO | Composers, lyricists and publishers: public performance royalties for the composition. | Identity, tax/payment details and works with accurate writers, publishers and shares. If you are already affiliated, check your agreement before another affiliation. BMI ↗ · ASCAP ↗ |
| The MLC | Self-administered writers, publishers or administrators: U.S. digital mechanical royalties covered by its license, including eligible interactive streaming. | Work identification, controlled shares and tax/banking details. Confirm whether your administrator already handles this to avoid duplicate claims. Membership and registration ↗ |
| SoundExchange | Featured performers and master owners: digital recording royalties for eligible uses, such as non-interactive digital radio under the U.S. statutory license. | Register your role and claim the recordings you are entitled to. If you are both performer and owner, register for both roles. Register and claim recordings ↗ |
| Digital distributor | Artists or labels with the necessary permissions: delivers the release to platforms and accounts for master income under its agreement. | Final audio, authorized artwork, credits, owners and identifiers. Options: CD Baby ↗ · DistroKid ↗. Review services and terms; these do not replace the other registrations. |
The MLC and SoundExchange offer registration at no charge. Other processes or services may charge fees. Check current requirements and fees directly; an account does not guarantee income.
03 / Library of Congress
Register the correct work with accurate information
The U.S. Copyright Office is part of the Library of Congress. Copyright registration takes place through the Copyright Office; sending a file to a library or uploading it to a platform is not copyright registration.
- Identify what you are claiming. Distinguish composition and recording. They can be registered together only when the applicable conditions are met; do not assume one application covers both.
- Check the registration route. The portal offers individual applications and group options with their own authorship, ownership and publication requirements. Do not combine published and unpublished works in an application without checking the rules.
- Identify the actual authors and owners. Do not claim someone else’s material. Review contracts, earlier versions and material that must be excluded from the claim.
- Submit the application, fee and deposit. The deposit is the copy required by the Office; it may be electronic or physical depending on the case. Follow your category’s instructions and keep the filing documentation.
- Review the response. An application receipt is not final approval and does not replace an assignment or license. Keep the certificate when issued and respond to Office communications.
Copyright in an original, protectable work arises when it is fixed; paying a registration fee does not by itself create copyright. Registration nevertheless provides legal benefits. Its timing can affect the remedies available for infringement.
Mandatory deposit for Library of Congress collections and copyright registration are separate obligations, although a registration deposit can satisfy both in certain cases. Check the requirements for your form of publication.
Official sources and registration links: USCO portal ↗ · Circular 56A ↗ · Circular 1 ↗ · Mandatory deposit ↗
If you used artificial intelligence
The Office requires protectable human authorship. In works incorporating AI-generated material, identify your human contributions and disclose/exclude unprotectable material under current guidance; do not attribute AI-generated portions to a person. Using a tool does not automatically make the entire work protectable or unprotectable.
Keep evidence of human lyrics, composition, performance and creative decisions. Re-recording a demo does not by itself establish that every underlying element has human authorship or that third-party permissions have been obtained.
Official sources and registration links: USCO · AI and copyright ↗ · Official registration guidance for AI material ↗
04 / Rights and income
Which royalties can an artist receive?
| Use or right | Who may collect | Usual route |
|---|---|---|
| Public performance of the composition | Writers and publishers according to their shares. | The relevant PRO or collecting society. |
| Mechanical reproduction of the composition | Rights owners or administrators. | The MLC for covered U.S. digital uses; other uses or territories may need different licenses and collection routes. |
| Sales and platform use of the master | Master owner and participants under their contracts. | Label, distributor or direct licenses. |
| Non-interactive digital performance of the master | Featured performer, master owner and other eligible recipients. | SoundExchange for covered U.S. uses. This is separate from composition royalties. |
| Film, advertising, games and videos | Those controlling the rights used. | Composition synchronization and master-use rights are normally negotiated separately. |
There is no universal royalty percentage for every artist or musician. Review ownership, licenses, territory, term, commissions, advances, recoupable costs, payment frequency and access to statements.
As a rights owner, you may authorize particular uses and claim income you are entitled to. The rights depend on the work: for example, the U.S. master public performance right is more limited than the composition performance right. Keep your information current and claim missing uses or shares in your catalogs.
Official sources and registration links: USCO · how music creators get paid ↗ · USCO · musicians’ rights ↗ · The MLC ↗ · SoundExchange ↗
05 / Your music business
A publisher and a record label have different roles
The publisher works with compositions; the label works with recordings and releases. Registering a business does not register its songs, and opening a PRO publisher account does not form an LLC.
Business foundations
- Choose a name, structure and operating location. Check state/local requirements and whether a trade name or DBA is needed. An LLC is an option, not a universal requirement to release music.
- If forming an LLC or corporation, establish the entity with the state before applying for an EIN. Also review where the business conducts its activities.
- Apply for an EIN directly through the IRS when appropriate; the IRS application is free. Organize banking, accounting, tax obligations and records by activity.
- Check names and trademarks through the USPTO. Registering a company, domain or DBA is not the same as obtaining a federal trademark registration.
Official sources and registration links: SBA · business registration ↗ · IRS · apply for an EIN ↗ · USPTO · trademarks ↗
Start your music publishing company
- Decide whether you will administer only your compositions or other writers’ rights. Document exactly what you control in written agreements.
- Complete the appropriate PRO publisher affiliation. BMI requests proposed names, email and process-specific information; review the agreement and current fee. ASCAP also offers publisher affiliation.
- Register each work and its shares with accurate writers, publishers and identifiers.
- Handle applicable mechanical royalties through The MLC or your administrator. Review contract scope, commission and territory to avoid duplicate collections.
Official sources and registration links: BMI · publishers ↗ · ASCAP · affiliation ↗ · The MLC ↗
Start your record label
- Organize the business and its name; establish whether you own the master or hold a license to exploit it.
- Put artist and participant agreements in writing: rights, term, territory, credits, payments, recoupable costs and accounting.
- Set up distribution, metadata and file management. Use accurate identifiers and keep each recording’s contracts.
- Register the rights you control and claim the rights-owner role with SoundExchange when appropriate. Account for each release and pay participants according to their agreements.
Official sources and registration links: USCO · ownership ↗ · IFPI · ISRC ↗ · SoundExchange ↗
Identifiers, covers and collaborations
ISRC: identifies a recording, not the composition or its owner. It can be obtained through an authorized service or the appropriate agency. It is not proof of copyright. Official IFPI information ↗
Covers, samples and third-party material: check the licenses for each use. Permission for audio distribution does not automatically cover a video, a sample from another master or an adaptation. Giving credit does not replace permission when required. Official guide for musicians ↗
If you are outside the U.S.: consult your country’s copyright office and writer, performer or producer societies. Roles, territories and representation agreements vary; not everyone needs the same U.S. accounts. WIPO · collective management and IP office directory ↗
Your next release
Check your next steps
A personal organization checklist, saved only in this browser. Checking a box does not file or prove a registration.
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Your music at LEGA
Prepare your materials before submitting
LEGA requires ownership evidence. Radio consideration also requires a score of at least 85/100, no explicit language, no AI-generated content in the final audio, a broadcast-ready mix, complete credits and consent. LEGA reviews the full recording before approving presentation.
These are LEGA’s editorial requirements. They do not replace copyright law, require an LLC or mean every AI-assisted work lacks legal protection. A score is not proof of ownership and does not guarantee radio airplay.
Links open external websites. Check their notices, requirements, fees and your application status. This guide organizes the steps; it does not file applications on your behalf.