Originally Posted by trapper456
Always, always, always copyright them. I own copyrights for the added protection. The copyright office has retired lawyers to help you if you are infringed upon. I asked the same question in the forum some time ago, couldn't get straight answers, so I contacted one of the free attorneys and they told me to copyright everything before releasing it.
Everything is copyrighted once it is in tangible form. You are talking about registering with the LOC (in the US) and that is not the same thing as has been explained earlier in this thread.

Before releasing it, Registering on form PA Published, one song per form, is the only way to protect works that have been released — that's how it works.

The OP was asking about unpublished works and that question has been discussed a lot.

Originally Posted by trapper456
One time I met Kenny Loggins at a procedure that my mom was at. He said always hang on to your publishing and never give anybody a controlling share of your publishing because that's where the money's at. He said, that a publisher will work with you on a percentage basis if that's what you want to do. Then, they can have a share of your publishing but never give them the Lion's Share of it because they're the ones that are going to make the money off of it.

Excellent advice—if one is Kenny Loggins.

Neil Diamond kept his publishing, too, and there were many articles over the decades on how much more money he could have made had he given up control and let someone else exploit those works to their fullest potential.

My company just signed a new composer. I paid him a modest advance commensurate with the risk I am taking. There's no way we'll see a dime before Summer and, though we might see some money after Christmas. It's quite possible that the advance + the monies I paid when I commissioned the work 3 years ago is all he'll ever see. I am optimistic but it's still more than he will realize on his own. Monetizing his work is not a priority. I signed him to a non-exclusive deal—I publish the pieces I want but he is free to shop anything new. His performing schedule keeps him so busy that self-publishing is a non starter.

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