Is it best to copyright just my music or wait and copyright my music AND my lyrics together?

Question

Also, I need to know if there is a limit to how many songs can be copywritten under one copyright?

--I need to release my first LP by this Independance Day.

Answer 1

the question of copyrighting music and lyrics together is an issue only if different authors are involved. normally the music is performed over a longer "lifetime" than the words, so it greatly benefits the lyricist to have their name added to the music composition. however they are separate items, one being music, the other being poetry, so it is not a matter of copyrighting the music and lyrics together, it is more precisely a matter of whether the lyricist gets a credit on the music and the composer gets a credit on the lyrics.

Answer 2

There is no "best" way.

First are you the only author and are these unpublished? If so you can register an unlimited number of unpublished songs on the PA form (USE PA not SR. SR is for the recording if the work, the engineering, mixing, etc. PA is for composition. You can still submit a CD using the PA form).

Now, if some are published you need to register those separately. You can not register published and unpublished works on the same form. And of any songs have different publications dates they need to be filed separately.

Now if you have co-written any works those need to be filed separately. Say you wrote 5 songs. Three with one friend and 2 with another. The first three go on one form as a co-authorship and the last two on another PA form as co-authorship.

Remember, your works are automatically protected by copyright the moment they are created. Registration is not necessary for protection BUT obviously has its legal perks. Your work is considered registered by the Copyright Office the day it is received. Your certificate will have that date on it, even if it take 3+ months for you to receive your certificate in the mail.

You may want to check out:
http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ50.html

Answer 3

You can copyright them individually or separately however I advocate going all out and getting a copyright to the lyrics tune and spot approximately getting the complete factor as one copyright included.