Updated October 21, 2026. A U.S.-focused checklist for writers, performers, and recording owners.

There is no single registration that covers every right in a release. Start by identifying your role: did you write the song, perform on the recording, own the master, or act as a publisher? You may hold several roles, and a collaborator or administrator may handle some tasks for you.

Before registering: confirm what you control

  • Record the exact song title, alternate titles, and recording versions.
  • Gather the writers' legal names, agreed composition shares, and available society identifiers.
  • Keep recording ownership and performer credits separate from songwriting ownership.
  • List the publisher or administrator responsible for each share and territory.
  • Save the recording's ISRC, release details, agreements, and existing registration confirmations.

Use a rights ledger to track those details. Mark unknown information as pending. If a signed agreement is unclear or disputed, get help before making an ownership claim.

1. Check public-performance registration for the composition

Who checks this: the songwriter and the party handling the relevant publishing interests. Confirm your performing-rights affiliation and whether your representative already registered the work. In the U.S., organizations include ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, and GMR; their eligibility and affiliation rules differ.

Verify the writers, alternate titles, publishers, and shares in the accepted work record. Follow the society's percentage convention instead of copying ownership percentages into every box. If you have not assigned publishing rights, ask your society how it handles that interest. A separate publishing company is not a universal prerequisite for payment: BMI describes how unassigned publishing interests are handled.

2. Check U.S. digital mechanical royalties with The MLC

Who checks this: the party entitled to administer and collect the applicable composition share. The MLC handles eligible U.S. digital audio mechanical royalties, a different category from performance royalties. Its membership guidance identifies the writers, publishers, and administrators who should participate.

If a publisher or administrator handles your share, confirm its registration instead of assuming you need another claim. If you are self-administered, follow the current membership and work-registration process. Check the accepted ownership data and available recording matches. The MLC explains that its registration does not replace other registrations.

3. Check the recording's SoundExchange records

Who checks this: the featured artist and the sound-recording rights owner, for their respective interests. SoundExchange's statutory U.S. collection concerns non-interactive digital performances, including qualifying satellite and internet-radio uses. It is separate from the composition royalties above and from a distributor's on-demand recording revenue.

Check both the performer and rights-owner roles when applicable; completing one role does not establish the other. Use SoundExchange's official registration site and retain confirmation of the recordings and interests claimed.

4. Verify distributor delivery and optional services

Who checks this: the recording owner or authorized distributor contact. Compare the delivered artist names, title, version, release date, and recording identifiers with your approved release sheet. Ask what publishing administration or content-identification services are included, optional, or excluded.

Read an optional service's terms before enabling it. A distribution agreement is not proof that every composition registration is handled. Coordinate with an existing administrator to avoid overlapping claims.

5. Treat copyright registration as a separate decision

A royalty-service registration is not U.S. copyright registration. The Copyright Office distinguishes a composition from its sound recording and explains when registration applications may cover them. Review the current process for your ownership and publication situation, and get professional advice when needed.

Work through this fictional example

Writer A co-writes “Porchlight,” performs the lead vocal, and owns the recording. Writer B co-writes the song but assigns administration of their composition share to a publisher. Writer A checks their own composition interests, performer records, recording-owner records, and distribution. Writer B asks the publisher to confirm what it handles. Neither person should register control over the other's share just to complete a checklist.

When is a task finished?

Record the responsible party, submission date, reference number, accepted record, and next review date for each organization. If you discover a mismatch, keep the correction open until you verify the outcome. Revisit the list when a new version is released or an administration agreement changes.

Nagast is independent of the organizations linked here. This checklist helps organize questions and evidence; it does not promise income or replace advice about your agreements. For common errors, read our metadata guide.