What do I need to do to get my music copyrighted?

Answer 1

Congratulations. Assuming that your music is original, it is now copyrighted.
Honest. Your work is copyrighted the minute you create it. You do not need to file anything or register anywhere. By law, you can sue me for copyright violations if I sneak into your room tonight and steal that original song you titled, "One Woman is One Too Many for Me" or whatever you called it.

Now here is the tricky part: Prove it.

If you didn't register your copyright, then the burden of proof is on you so be prepared to present all kinds of documentation and witness account proving that you wrote the song before I did. This is made easier, of course, if you registered your copyright. If you registered it, then you merely need to whip out your copyright registration and ask me to hand over my wallet.

To register your copyright, you're going to need to get a form from the US Copyright Office and you will have to part with $45. So much for the band's munchies budget tonight. Submit your registration fee with the song and your registration form and you will receive your registration once the US Copyright office determines that your song is original and has a toe-tapping beat. This may take up to 4 months. Those copyright guys are very slow listeners. From that point forward, your song is now copyrighted for your lifetime plus 70 years. This only applies to the United States, however. Just because you are copyrighted here doesn't mean some song-stealing heathen in Tasmania can't have people marching to your tune.
One special note about songs: Your copyright might not protect people from doing a re-make. I can pull out my guitar and record my own version of your song legally while laughing and saying, "You can't touch this."
You do, however, have what is called first rights of publication. What does that mean? It means that I can't release my re-make until you release your original. If you decide to never release your album, I'll have to scrap my dreams of making it big on American Idol using my version of your song.

Answer 2

So no one can steal it and claim it as their own.