Do I Need to Register My Copyright With the United States Copyright Office?

If my music is already copyrighted when I create it, why register it?

While your work is copyrighted from the moment you put it down in a tangible form, it is not yet afforded the full legal protection that it can have in a court of law. 

United States Copyright registration establishes your ownership of a work in the United States. If you ever need to prove your ownership in court, you will need to file a copyright registration claim with the Copyright Office beforehand. In that situation, it always pays off to register your copyright sooner rather than later.

When you register early, you gain:

• "Prima facie" evidence that you were the first to create the work.
• The ability to legally protect the business of your music.

If you are serious about protecting your intellectual property, we recommend you make it official. That's why we offer our Copyright Services to do this for you in a way that is easy and straightforward.

Additional Resources:
How to Copyright Your Music
What Does Copyright Registration Service Cover
What Protections or Rights Do I Reserve as a Copyright Holder?
If I Register My Sound Recording, Will It Also Copyright My Musical Composition?