Category: WHAT’S ON THE SITE

Q&A: Should I Copyright My Songs?

Here are three copyright questions I get asked all the time…

Q: Should all my songs be copyrighted?

Before you start pitching your song to publishers, film & TV music supervisors or music libraries, before you enter it in a contest, or otherwise spread it around the industry, I definitely recommend copyrighting your songs or lyrics. In the United States, you’ll do that  through the Library of Congress. Their online e-filing system makes it easy.

If you live outside the U.S. be sure to research the copyright laws in your country. That said, there are many countries that share copyright agreements with the U.S. that allow you to protect your song through the U.S. copyright office. Find out more about registering foreign works in the U.S.

You’ll also find a printable form, FAQ, and helpful instructions at the Copyright Office website. There’s a fee for each form you file – whether it’s online or via mail –  BUT you can register groups of lyrics or songs on a single form. Do that!

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Can You Pitch a Home Recording?

Q: Do you think it’s okay to pitch a home recorded version of a song or should I have the song professionally recorded?

…The answer is: t will depend on how elaborate your demo needs to be. You can record a simple acoustic guitar and vocal or piano and vocal with a minimum of gear. A couple of microphones may be all you need for a Singer-Songwriter demo. If your song is good, your playing is confident and steady, and your vocal performance is emotionally authentic, you’re well on your way to having a song that might work for the Film & Television market or streaming for fans of acoustic music.

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Song Starter: Write a song about a place.

There have been many successful songs written about places: New York, Paris, San Francisco, Chicago, and foggy London town.  In these songs, the big city often provides a backdrop for a love affair or nostalgic memories.

But small towns and rural locales can also be inspiring. Jason Aldean’s “Tattoos on This Town” is a great example of a vivid lyric about growing up in a small town. Classics like “Blue Bayou” and “Rocky Mountain High” evoke the feeling of a place.

LYRIC STARTER: Think of a place that holds emotions or memories for you and write a song about it. Paint a picture so your listener can see and feel the place as you do. What is it you remember? What stands out? Why do you feel the way you do?

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Video #6: Find the Melody in Your Lyric

A memorable melody will bring listeners back to your song over and over. But where do you start? The natural melody of speech will give you the raw material for a song that’s focused and original! Learn how to look for the melody in your lyrics and begin building an unforgettable chorus.

Video #5: Images Bring Your Lyric to Life

To listen to the song examples in this video, be sure to turn on Youtube “Annotations.” Click on the square speech bubble at the bottom of the video screen. Or you can listen on Spotify, Rdio, or any stream-on-demand music website.