Short answer: these are three different things. Copyright registration (in the US) is an official record at the Copyright Office that matters for enforcement. Registering a song with a performing rights organisation (a PRO, such as ASCAP, BMI, PRS or GEMA) sets you up to collect performance royalties, and is not a copyright registration. A timestamp is an independent record that an exact file existed by a time. None of them says “this is your copyright” on its own.
Last checked 12 November 2026. General information, not legal advice. TimeBinder does not detect AI, and a dated record is not proof of authorship, ownership or originality.
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Protection starts automatically
In the US, the Copyright Office says copyright exists from the moment a work is created and fixed in a tangible form, and registration is generally voluntary. In the UK, GOV.UK says you get copyright automatically and there is no register of copyright works. In Germany, the patent office explains that copyright arises with the creation of a personal intellectual creation. The Berne Convention’s rule that rights are not subject to any formality underlies all of this.
So “registration” in the music business can mean several unrelated things. The next sections separate them.
US copyright registration
The Copyright Office treats a musical composition (music and lyrics) and a sound recording as separate works, and in most cases they are registered separately. Its circulars describe a path for registering up to ten unpublished musical compositions in one application, and a similar option for unpublished sound recordings.
The practical reason to register in the US is enforcement. A US work generally must be registered before an infringement suit can begin (17 U.S.C. § 411(a)), and statutory damages and attorney’s fees are tied to timely registration (§ 412). The Copyright Office also notes that registration within five years of publication is prima facie evidence in court. Registration is a government record of a claim, not a ruling on who really wrote the song. See copyright registration in the US and copyright registration vs a timestamp.
Performing rights organisations (ASCAP, BMI, PRS, GEMA)
PROs license public performance and collect royalties for their members. The Copyright Office says songwriters commonly license their public performance rights to PROs, and that the most popular US ones are ASCAP, BMI, SESAC and GMR. Registering a song with a PRO adds it to that PRO’s repertoire so uses can be matched and paid. It does not register the song with the Copyright Office. The Copyright Office makes the same point about the separate Mechanical Licensing Collective: registering there does not mean you have registered your work with the Copyright Office. Our post does registering a song with ASCAP or BMI prove you wrote it? goes through this for the US.
PRS (UK). PRS for Music states that no formal registration is required for UK copyright, and that “registering your work is different from copyright”: you register each work with PRS or MCPS so they can collect on your behalf. Joining PRS involves assigning your performing right to PRS, so read what you are agreeing to.
GEMA (Germany). GEMA works are registered through the member portal after you become a member, so GEMA can collect and distribute royalties for them. As in the UK, that is a royalty system, not what creates copyright. If two people claim the same song, a PRO registration is one document in the file; it is a royalty record, not a ruling on authorship.
Where a timestamp fits
A timestamp is neither of those. You make a TimeBind from your files, such as a lyric sheet, demo, stems or a project file; their fingerprints are anchored in the Bitcoin blockchain, up to 10 files per TimeBind, and your files never leave your machine. See how it works and music file timestamping.
Later, you can show that the exact file existed no later than the recorded time and has not been changed. That helps in disputes about who had a song when, for example after a band break-up or a producer split. It does not show that you wrote it, that you own it, or that it is original, and it does not collect a single royalty. Combine it with split sheets, emails with collaborators and project histories. See how to protect your music before sending it to a producer, label or publisher.
A sensible order for most songwriters
- Keep dated originals as you go: lyrics, voice memos, project files, bounces.
- Agree splits in writing with co-writers before release. The free tools include a split sheet generator.
- Join a PRO (or PROs for your territory) so performances can be paid.
- If you are in the US and a song matters commercially, consider registering it with the Copyright Office, and consider a timestamp for unreleased versions.
- If you sign with a publisher, list the songs you already have before you sign. Check what a PRO or publisher assignment gives up.
If AI was involved
If a song includes AI-generated parts, US registration needs those parts disclosed and excluded, and PRO policies on AI works are still developing. See can you copyright a song made with AI? Keep a record of what you wrote and played yourself.
Tools that can help
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Does registering with ASCAP or BMI register my copyright?
No. It adds the song to that PRO’s repertoire for performance licensing and royalties. Copyright registration is a separate process at the Copyright Office.
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Does PRS or GEMA registration create copyright?
No. In the UK and Germany copyright arises automatically on creation. PRS and GEMA registrations are about collecting royalties.
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Do I need to register in the US to sue?
For a US work, registration is generally required before an infringement suit can begin (17 U.S.C. § 411(a)).
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What does a timestamp add?
An independent record that an exact file existed no later than a recorded time and is unchanged. It does not show authorship or ownership.
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Can I use all three?
Yes. Songwriters often use a PRO for royalties, registration where enforcement matters, and dated files for their working history.
Sources checked
- U.S. Copyright Office, Copyright in General (FAQ); Circular 50 (musical compositions) and Circular 56 (sound recordings).
- U.S. Copyright Office, How Songwriters, Composers, and Performers Get Paid (PROs; MLC registration is not Copyright Office registration).
- Cornell LII, 17 U.S.C. § 411 and § 412.
- PRS for Music, How copyright works; GOV.UK, Copyright overview.
- Deutsches Patent- und Markenamt, Urheberrecht; GEMA, Werke anmelden (read in full).
Date your demos and lyrics before you share them
Your first Pooled TimeBind is free, with no credit card required. After that, TimeBinds start from US$5, and an ASAP TimeBind is US$15. Click here to start, or see plans and pricing.
