Title Information
You may register up to 20 sound recordings with this application. You also may register any photographs, artwork, or liner notes that were first published with the album. All of the works that you submit must be published on the same album. All of the works must be first published in the same country. And as a general rule, all of the works must be first published on the same date.
Note: There is a limited exception to this rule for sound recordings that were previously published as an individual work (such as a single) before they were published on the album. Click here to learn more about this exception.
You must provide the title of the album. You must provide a separate title for each sound recording that you want to register. And you must provide the track numbers that were assigned to those sound recordings when they were published on the album.
Example:
| Title of the Album | Title of the Works Published on the Album | Album Track Numbers | Titles of the Works Being Registered |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solar System | Mercury | 1 | Mercury |
| Venus | 2 | Venus | |
| Earth | 3 | Earth | |
| Mars | 4 | ||
| Jupiter | 5 | ||
| Saturn | 6 | ||
| Neptune | 7 | ||
| Uranus | 8 |
In this example, the applicant is registering three tracks that were published on the same album. To do so, the applicant should provide the following information:
Album title: Solar System
Title / track numbers for the works being registered:
- Mercury/Track 1
- Venus/Track 2
- Earth/Track 3
Click here for guidance on registering photos, artwork, or liner notes
Group Title
A group title will be automatically added to your application. The group title will consist of the phrase “Works published on the album” followed by the album title, as shown below.
Example:
- Album title: Solar System
- Group title: Works published on the album Solar System
This title will be used to identify your claim as a group registration. It will appear on the certificate and in the Copyright Office’s online public record.
Completing the “Album Title / Publication and Completion Information” Screen
To begin, click “New” on the “Titles” screen. Provide the information requested on the “Album Title/Publication and Completion Information” screen. Click “Save” when you’re done.
Title of Album / Date of First Publication for the Album
Enter the album title in the space provided. Then enter the date of first publication for the album. As a reminder, all of the works being registered must be published on the album on this date.
Nation of First Publication for the Album
All of the works must be first published in the same country. In the space marked “Nation of First Publication for the Album,” select the name of the country where the album was first published.
The “Nation of First Publication” is the country where the album was distributed for the first time. If the album was first published in the United States and another country, you may state “United States.” If the album was first published in multiple countries, you may provide that information in the “Note to Copyright Office” space, which is located on the “Certification” screen.
Name of Label / Label Number
You are encouraged to provide the name of the record label that released the album. If the record label assigned a cataloguing number to the album, you are also encouraged to provide that information in the space provided.
Was this album released as a digital album? Was this album released as a physical product?
Please tell us if the album was distributed in digital form or as a physical product, such as a CD or LP.
You should provide a “yes” answer to at least one of these questions. If the album was distributed both in digital form and in a physical format, you should answer “yes” to both questions.
Number of sound recordings being registered
Enter the number of sound recordings that will be included in this claim by selecting a number between 2 and 20 from the drop down menu.
As a reminder, you must submit at least 2 – but no more than 20 sound recordings with your application. By contrast, there is no limit on the number of photos, artwork, or liner notes that may be included in your claim. Click here for guidance on registering these types of works.
Year of Completion
In the “Year of Completion” space, enter the year in which the works were completed.
If the works were completed in the same year, enter that year in the space provided.
If the works were completed over a period of two or more years, provide the year of completion for the most recent work in the group.
Example:
Keisha created 3 sound recordings in December 2020 and 2 photographs in January 2021. The works were published on the same album in February 2021. Keisha should enter “2021” in the “Year of Completion” space.
Tips for Completing the “Titles of the Sound Recordings Being Registered” Screen
As mentioned above, you must provide a separate title for each sound recording that you want to register. And you must provide the track numbers that were assigned to those works when they were published on the album.
There are two things to keep in mind when you complete this part of the application.
- First, the copyright claimant for each work listed in the application must be the same person or the same organization.
- Second, if you upload a digital copy of your sound recordings, the titles and track numbers that you list in the application must match the file names for the audio files that you submit to the Copyright Office.
Who is the copyright claimant?
The copyright claimant is the author or co-authors of all of the works being registered, or the person or organization that owns all of the exclusive rights that initially belonged to an author of all of the works being registered. Read more.
Are you planning to name the author as the copyright claimant?
If you plan to name the authors as the copyright claimants, those authors must have created all of the sound recordings that you list on the titles screen. Read more.
- In this situation, you should only list sound recordings created by exactly the same author or the same co-authors.
- If any of the works were created by different authors, you should not list that work on the titles screen.
Are you planning to name a third party as the copyright claimant, such as a record label?
A third party may be named as the copyright claimant(s) if that party owns all of the exclusive rights that initially belonged to an author of all of the works being registered. Read more.
Specifically, the third party must own all of the exclusive rights listed below:
- The exclusive right to reproduce the sound recordings in phonorecords
- The exclusive right to prepare derivative works based upon the sound recordings
- The exclusive right to distribute phonorecords of the sound recordings to the public by sale or other transfer of ownership, or by rental, lease, or lending
- The exclusive right to publicly perform the sound recordings by means of a digital audio transmission
If you plan to name a third party as the copyright claimant – such as a record label – that party must own all of the exclusive rights that initially belonged to an author of all of the works being registered.
When completing the titles screen, you should only list the sound recordings that are owned by the copyright claimant. If the claimant does not own all of the exclusive rights that initially belonged to an author of a particular recording, do not list that work on this screen. Read more.
Click here for examples that illustrate this requirement.
Titles and track numbers provided on the “Titles of the Sound Recordings Being Registered” Screen must match the filenames for the audio files you submit to the Copyright Office
After you file your application, you must submit a complete copy of each sound recording being registered.
If the album was published in the United States in a physical format, such as a CD or LP, you must send two physical copies of the best edition of the entire album, including any printed or visually perceptible material that was distributed with the album. If the album was published in a physical format outside the United States (but was not published in this country) you must send one physical copy of the album as published in the foreign country, including any printed or visually perceptible material that was distributed with the album. And if the album was first published in a foreign country and later published in the United States, you may send one copy of the album that was first published overseas or one copy of the best edition that was published in this country.
If the album was distributed solely in a digital format and was not distributed in a physical form, such as a CD or LP, then you may upload your sound recordings in a digital form.
The titles you provide in the application must match the corresponding filenames for the audio files you upload to the Copyright Office.
The file name should also include the track number that was assigned to the sound recording when it was published on the album.
Example:
| Titles listed in the application: | Album track number listed in the application: | Filenames for the digital audio files: |
|---|---|---|
| Birthday Party | 2 | 02birthdayparty.mp3 |
| Dinner Party | 4 | 04dinnerparty.mp3 |
| Wedding Party | 6 | 06weddingparty.mp3 |
Punctuation or other special characters do not need to be included in the filename. For example, if track number 12 is titled “What’s the Occasion?” the file may be named “12whatstheoccasion.mp3” (omitting the apostrophe and question mark as shown on your screen).
Example:
| Title listed in the application: | Album track number listed in the application: | Filename for the digital audio file: |
|---|---|---|
| What’s the Occasion? | 12 | 12whatstheoccasion.mp3 |
Click here for information concerning the file naming requirement for photos, artwork, or liner notes.
Completing the “Titles of the Sound Recordings Being Registered” Screen
When you’re ready to enter the titles and track numbers for your sound recordings, click “New” on the “Titles” screen. A new screen will appear with the heading “Titles of the Sound Recordings Being Registered.” Be sure to read all of the instructions before you complete this screen.
In the space provided, enter the title of the sound recording that you want to register.
Then provide the track number that was assigned to this sound recording when it was published on the album. The track number must be entered in numerical form and may contain no more than one or two digits.
When completing the titles screen, you should only enter one title and one track number in the spaces provided. Do not enter titles for two or more works in these spaces.
When you’re done, click “Save” at the top of your screen.
If you need to add titles for other works, click “New” on the “Titles” screen and repeat the previous steps. Once you have entered titles for all of the sound recordings in the group, click “Continue.”
Hidden Tracks
To register a “hidden track” – such as a sound recording that was published on the album but was not listed in the liner notes or elsewhere in the deposit – you should provide the following information in the application:
- Title and Track Number: Enter the title of the work on the “Titles of the Sound Recordings Being Registered” screen. Then enter the number zero (“0”) in the space marked “Track Number on the Album.”
- Author Information: On the “Authors” screen, identify all of the authors of the hidden track.
- If the author created all of the works being registered (including the hidden track), check the box that reads “Check this box ONLY if this author created or co-created ALL of the sound recordings that you want to register.”
- If the author created some – but not all – of the sound recordings that you want to register, enter the number zero (“0”) in the box that reads “Album track number(s) for the sound recording(s) created by this author.” If the author created any other works, be sure to enter the track numbers for those works in the same space.
- Tell us where to find the hidden track: In the “Note to Copyright” space on the “Certification” screen, provide a brief statement listing the title of the hidden track, confirming that it was published on the album as a hidden track, and explaining where to find it in the deposit, such as “The hidden track appears at the end of the final track on this album after a 30-second interval of silence.”
Important: If you upload a digital copy of the hidden track, the name assigned to the digital file must match the corresponding title that you enter on the “Titles of the Sound Recordings Being Registered” screen and in the “Note to Copyright Office” space. If the titles and the file names do not match each other, the Office may remove that work from your application or may refuse to register the entire claim.
Example:
| Title listed in the application: | Filename for the digital audio file: |
|---|---|
| The Surprise Party | thesurpriseparty.mp3 |