How I'm protecting my songs

If you write songs, you already own more than you think. Your lyrics are protected by copyright the moment you write them down. These are the steps I am taking, and the ones I recommend, to make that protection easier to prove and enforce.

1. Keep a paper trail

I draft everything in Google Docs. I have written over fifty songs, with dozens of demos and drafts for the ones I wanted to develop, all with a digital paper trail. Keeping that many songs and versions organized in Google Docs is a discipline, and version history shows how each song developed. I recommend downloading your final lyrics as PDFs and keeping a copy somewhere separate. A document history can be edited or deleted. A saved copy can't.

2. Register your lyrics

Copyright exists automatically, but in the US, registration is generally what lets you sue, and it makes statutory damages possible. The US Copyright Office accepts filings from writers anywhere, and it has group options for unpublished works and albums. Check current fees at copyright.gov. I am in the process of registering my lyrics with the US Copyright Office.

3. Check the plan you make demos on

I make my demos on a paid Suno plan, whose terms give me commercial rights to what I create on it. Songs made on the free tier don't get that.

I do want to record these songs live once I have the time and the money. Until then, I protect the demos too, because your lyrics and ideas can be leveraged or lifted. Protect your interests. Who knows what these platforms plan to do with your IP.

4. Keep records and add a notice

Save your drafts, your downloaded audio, and the billing dates for the plan you used. Put © and your name on everything you publish. It costs nothing.

The goal is simple. Be able to show that you wrote it, and when you wrote it.

I am a songwriter, not a lawyer. If you plan to license or release your songs commercially, talk to a music or IP attorney first.