Follow these steps to register your recording of music, drama, or a lecture with the U.S. Copyright Office:

Step 1

Make sure your work is a sound recording. Sound recordings are "works that result from the fixation of a series of musical, spoken, or other sounds, but not including the sounds accompanying a motion picture or other audiovisual work." Common examples include recordings of music, drama, or lectures.

Copyright registration for a sound recording alone is neither the same as, nor a substitute for, registration for the musical, dramatic, or literary work recorded. The underlying work may be registered in its own right apart from any recording of the performance, or in certain cases, the underlying work may be registered together with the sound recording.

(Note: To register performing arts works, see the Performing Arts instructions.)

Put into one envelope or package:

1. A completed application Form SR

2. A $30 payment to "Register of Copyrights."

3. Non-returnable copy(ies) of the material to be registered. (Note: To register a copyright claim in a sound recording, the deposit requirement is either one or two phonorecords. The number and format required depend upon several factors. Read more about Special Deposit Requirements )

Step 3

Send the package to:

Library of Congress
Copyright Office
101 Independence Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20559-6000

Your registration becomes effective on the day that the U.S. Copyright Office receives your application, payment, and copy(ies) in acceptable form. If your submission is in order, you will receive a certificate of registration in 4 to 5 months.

For more details, please see U.S. Copyright Office Circular 56, Copyright Registration for Sound Recordings and other informational circulars.