Claims to copyright in either published or unpublished musical works may be registered in the Copyright Office.

Published collections of musical works and all the copyrightable elements of a unit of publication may be registered on a single form with a single fee if all the compositions are owned by the same copyright claimant.

Unpublished collections of two or more musical works can be submitted for registration on a single form with a single fee and deposit of one complete copy or phonorecord only if all the conditions are met as specified under the topic heading “Collections of Music” in Circular 50, Copyright Registration for Musical Compositions. Registration of an unpublished collection of compositions extends to each copyrightable selection in the collection, but only the collection title appears in the Copyright Office catalogs and indexes. A separate registration for each musical work results in a separate record of the individual title of work in the catalogs and indexes of the Copyright Office. A separate registration also may simplify identification of the work for purposes of licensing, transfer, permission, and distribution of royalties.

See Circular 50, Copyright Registration for Musical Compositions, for details on registration procedures and for further information on the deposit requirements. For further information on registration, see SL-35. For further information on copyright, deposit requirements, and registration procedures, see Circular 1, Copyright Basics.

FL-105, Revised June 2008