Topic
A song and a recording of it are two separate works for US copyright purposes. This guide explains which application covers which, when one application can cover both, the group options for albums and unpublished batches, and what each costs now and under the fee schedule that can take effect from 11 November 2026. Sources: the US Copyright Office and 17 U.S.C., read on 24 Oct 2026.
Workflows
The US Copyright Office can bring in its new fee schedule from 11 November 2026. Registering an album of sound recordings doubles from $65 to $130. If you self-release music in the US, you have under three weeks to register your backlog at current prices, and singles-first artists stand to lose the most.
Artist rightsvia U.S. Copyright Office
Michael Smith, who used AI-generated songs and bot accounts to drain streaming royalty pools, was sentenced to 18 months and ordered to forfeit about 8.09 million dollars. The next day the US Copyright Office published a public inquiry into streaming fraud, with comments due 23 Nov 2026. For artists it is the first official place to put on record what fraud costs them.
Industryvia U.S. Copyright Office, Federal Register
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