Outcome. Tell a musical work apart from a sound recording and say who owns each.

Every released song carries two separate copyrights. The musical work is the composition, the melody, rhythm, harmony and lyrics, written by composers, lyricists and songwriters. The sound recording is a particular captured performance of it.

They are owned by different people more often than not, they are licensed separately, and they pay through different channels. Almost every royalty mistake an artist makes starts by treating them as one thing.

Copyright protection exists from the moment the work is fixed in a tangible medium, which happens when you record it or write it down. You do not have to register for the copyright to exist. Registration does something else, which is the next module.

What you will produce

A written inventory of your catalog with the work and the recording listed separately, and the owner of each named.