copyright and ascap

We are about to put our songs on myspace. First we will copyright them, but is it necessary to do the ASCAP publishing thing as well?

no.... I agree.  Copyright is all you need, and that too is debatable for a number of reasons......

but if it makes you feel better... copyright the songs... you can save money if you do them as a collection.... just one fee.


ASCAP is only needed IF the songs  are likely to  get lots of airplay.....they are one of several performance rights organizations, and unless the songs are being preformed publically (and not just in a nightclub setting) as in massive  radio and TV ...... you don't need it.

my thoughts on copyright... I agree with B Dickens.... but also, if you upload the song to a hosting site like soundclick, their servers will date stamp it and records are kept to that end..... so you have a record of when the song was posted.....

I use Songuard... basically a secure server that date stamps it as well....

Second thing..... as hard as it is to get a song published..... I don't think anyone's out there looking for un-copyrighted songs by me.....or you..... I'm just saying..... besides... I always put the word COPYRIGHT or the symbol in my intro...... nobody really knows if it is or isn't..... so...steal it and risk finding out!