Go to the U.S. Copyright Office's eCO Online System. Here, you can file copyright registration for your music composition online and save time and paperwork.
Pay a lower registration fee, $35, by filing online. If you fill out Form CO and file it by mail, the fee is $50.
Take the eCO Online System Tutorial if you're filing online. Then provide the required information to register your music composition, whether online or on Form CO.
Register your music composition as a sound recording. That way, not only will the performance have added copyright protection, but the music itself will, too.
Enter or write the name of your CD as the title of your work, and enter or write the names of any individual pieces as the contents of your work.
Print out the verification email you'll receive if you file online and mail it, along with a recording of your music composition, to the Copyright Office. If you wish, you may upload digital files instead.
Mail Form CO, if you decide not to file online, to the Copyright Office. Keep a copy of the completed form for your records.
Wait six months to a year for the Copyright Office to process your registration. The good news is that your music composition is granted the added benefits of registration from the day the Copyright Office receives your application.