Many Songs - One Application

"Do I need to file separate applications and pay for each of my songs?"

This is one of the most frequent questions we get regarding copyright registration. Here's the short answer:

You can save money and register several songs as a "collection" on one application for a single fee if you created all of the work or at least one author contributed to each of the individual works. For example, you can register a CD consisting of several songs on a single application and pay only once. For registration purposes, the recording on the CD will be considered a single work even it contains several individual songs.

On the application, you must give the entire collection a single title. It is not necessary to list the individual song titles, although you may.

Published works may only be registered as a collection if they were actually first published as a collection and if other requirements have been met.

A work may be registered in unpublished form as a "collection," on one application form and for one fee if:

• The collection is given a single title.
• All of the individual elements were created by the same author, or at least one author has contributed to each element.
• The copyright claimant in each element and in the collection as a whole is the same.
• The collection is submitted in an orderly manner (on a single CD).

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