We are the music makers https://wearethemusicmakers.co/latest Music tech and AI in music: the news that matters, what we think about it, and a directory of the tools. en-us Sun, 25 Oct 2026 03:30:00 GMT https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/music-copyright-registration-us Registering music copyright in the US: SR vs PA, group options and fees https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/music-copyright-registration-us 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guide explains which application covers which, when one application can cover both, the group options for albums and unpublished batches, and what each costs now and under the fee schedule that can take effect from 11 November 2026.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. Sun, 25 Oct 2026 03:30:00 GMT We are the music makers copyrightcopyright-officeregistrationartist-rights https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/us-copyright-fees-11-november-register-now US copyright fees can rise from 11 November: what independent musicians should file first https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/us-copyright-fees-11-november-register-now 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. Fri, 23 Oct 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers artist-rightscopyrightcopyright-officeregistration https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/michael-smith-sentence-copyright-office-fraud-inquiry Michael Smith gets 18 months, and the Copyright Office finally asks how streaming fraud works https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/michael-smith-sentence-copyright-office-fraud-inquiry 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. Tue, 06 Oct 2026 06:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industrystreaming-fraudai-musiccopyright-officeroyalties