How much does it cost for copyright use of music?

Answer 1

Protection is automatic as soon as the work is "fixed" in a tangible medium (written down or recorded). You may contact the copyright office for formal registration if you wish; in the US, registration is $35 at this time.

Answer 2

Copyright is "Free" and "automatic" in over 160 countries, including the USA. You may optionally register copyright in some countries. In the USA the basic registration fee is about $35.

You would need a copyright registration on the composition of the music and a separate copyright registration on separate recordings of each performance.

There are some who believe in the silly concept of "poor man's copyright", as described below (from an earlier version of this answer). It is laughable to the extent there is no proof of what may have actually been in the envelope before it was received (i.e., the post office will, in fact, deliver an unsealed envelope). To enforce a copyright in a US federal court you would have to prove you own it, including a copyright registration.

Therefore, if you have to register it to enforce it, why not simply register it rather than be laughed out of court when you bring our your "sealed envelope", which would not prove that which you intended.

Note about Poor Man's Copyright:

"I'm not sure the price of an official copyright but you could always use the Poor Man's Copyright. You could put a copy of the music in a sealed envelope and mail it to yourself. The date shows when it became yours and the fact that it's sealed shows that you never changed it at all."

Answer 3

As soon as your original music is "fixed" (notated or recorded), it is automatically protected. If you wish to register it, you can usually register a whole bunch of songs at once, and only pay one fee. In the US, the current fee (as of 1Aug2010) is $35.