U.S. copyright hints?

[Hobson]

I'm about to do my first copyright registration of some original songs. I've read everything relevant on this website:
www.copyright.gov/

I'm planning to do the on-line registration and upload mp3 files. Are there any tricks to doing the application or the upload successfully?

For those of you who have done this and don't have any music writing software, do you just upload sound files or do you also upload lyric sheets or chord sheets? If you do have music writing software, do you submit sheet music and sound files? What software do you use and how do you like it?

Also, at what point do you copyright? I haven't posted any original songs because I'm concerned about somebody throwing a net into this forum and others and pulling up a bunch of song ideas. (Not that I have any illusions that my songs are worth stealing.) If you're still working on a song and want to get some comments here, do you copyright at that point or do you wait until you're happy with it?

[Lonnie]

I copyright when it's going to get public play. I used to do handwritten manuscript, then went to audio tape, then CD, now it's CD or sound files. I haven't done any very recently, but I know you used to be able to do a "song collection" for a single song fee IF the songs are unpublished (unsigned with a publisher).

[Deleted]

You used to be able to record a cd or tape of several songs and include a lyric sheet, mail it off and it cost you $35.00. Now that's $65.00 to do or $35.00 for electronic. I've yet to do the electronic way, so I'm not sure how the fees work if it's per file or what.
It's been explained to me that if you post your songs on something like youtube, that's a pretty solid form of proof of ownership because it's dated and stored on their server. That's why a lot of artists will play brand new songs they wrote and post them. I can understand if people are leery about that though.

[Lonnie]

I haven't heard the youtube bit, but none of the other "self-copyrighting" methods (sending a registered letter to yourself, sealed, inspected, etc.) are valid for the simple reason that the copyright office and the law states that they aren't. They make the rules... a legal copyright dated AFTER a self-copyright will stand up (according to various music biz attorneys and BMI reps whom I've spoken with over the years).

[Hobson]

Thanks for the help.

You can still register a group of songs for a single fee. I believe that on the electronic submission, you're limited to 10 items. I'm guessing that any upload counts against those 10 items, including a lyric sheet. It seems to me that a lyric sheet would be a good idea unless every word you sing is absolutely clear. I'm sure that posting a song on youtube doesn't count as copyright registration, but it's one more way of proving ownership. Register the song with the copyright office, then post it.

[Deleted]

Yea, no YouTube isn't a copyright but only proof of ownership and theressomething in the fine print about their rights on what you upload that actually helps your case if ever needed.