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Copyright Upload your music. Make CDs and sell or hand them out.

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your album. Technically speaking, your music is copyrighted as soon as you create it.  In practical terms, though, registering your copyright according to the procedures in the nation where you live and/or operate applies legal “teeth” to the copyright you possess.  In the United States, for example, you can submit a digital or physical copy of your album to www.copyright.gov, pay the fee (currently $35), wait several months for processing, and receive a copyright registration that will protect the ownership of your musical creation in U.S. and many international courts of law. Whether you’re working with a publisher, acting as your own publisher, or not using a publisher at all, register the copyright for your work.  Protect your legal rights to your album. Just like registering your copyright, signing up with a PRO or utilizing a publisher (whether yourself or someone else) is not legally required.  Instead, it is simply a better way to protect your rights and claim any money due to you by way of your album.  If, for you, “publishing” simply means getting your album into the hands of listeners, you can upload your music to your chosen social media pages, personal websites, Spotify and so on. If you’re an independent artist looking to distribute your album freely and start to make a name for yourself, this simpler approach might work; if you’re seeking to control dissemination and earnings, follow a more structured publishing approach. Once again, depending upon your definition and expectations, publishing can be as simple as making up a batch of CDs of your album and selling them (or giving them out) at a coffee shop, flea market, or other venue.  This may be your easiest route if you’re a new, independent artist trying to spread the word locally.