Owning your lyrics: the basics every writer should know
What copyright covers the moment you write a line, why demos and dated files matter, and what splits look like on a co-write.
This is a plain-language overview, not legal advice. For anything with money attached, talk to a lawyer who works with songwriters.
Two works, not one
Every recorded song contains two separate works: the composition — words and music — and the recording of it. A writer who never touches a fader still owns a share of the composition.
Fixing the work
In most places copyright attaches once a work is written down or recorded, not when it is registered. Registration is what makes ownership easy to prove and enforce. Keeping dated audio and dated lyric sheets is cheap insurance in between.
Splits are a conversation, not a fight
Agree percentages the same day you write, while everyone remembers who brought what. Write it in a message, name every contributor, and note the date. Vague generosity in the room becomes an expensive argument later.
Keep your own copies
Export your sheets. Keep the audio. A catalogue you can produce on demand — words, dates, takes — is the difference between a claim and a story.