Not as effective as going thru govt copyright offices around the world, but that is costly, time consuming etc. I shouldn't base that decision entirely on answers gleaned from a forum, but I know there are musicians here, so I am interested in their learned opinions
The creator owns the copyright at the second the work is created in fixed form, no matter if it is thrown in the trash bin, used as a ringtone or uploaded to a website. With uploading it to youtube you agree that others can actually use your work in the regulation of the YouTube standard license or creative commons. For more protection creators can join the content ID program on YouTube Generally, If it's all yours, you don't have to worry about the copyright—you own it!
Yes, it's all mine. Content ID, then from what I just read, would stop others from posting anything on YT with the my music as part of their video, but in itself doesn't do much regarding another artist recording and making money off the song outside of YT. ? I think I have read where the old plan of mailing yourself something you've created yielding a dated envelope as proof of date of creation etc isn't a good plan. But actually debuting it on YT would seem to be a more positive proof
you tube would be a piece of the jigsaw puzzle but would not count completely as a proof. For that you would need to register your work, and that would be only valid in the country of registration and the countries this registration has agreements with. However, if someone is using ones work and publishes it online with the intention to earn money, it is not that hard to get the hosting company of this website to take action, sometimes in resulting that they take off the whole site if the publisher does not react.
I was in the music business for years... The best is thru Government.. Pure and simple...One other way is to Register mail the song sheet to yourself and not open it ... as it will be dated ....
You can register a US copyright online quickly and easily, the cost is minimal, if I remember correctly like $6 (this was a few years ago). Go here for starters; http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ50.pdf Larry
Rhoody and Shadow are 100% correct. I have registered work with the US copy-rite office before and it is not difficult. You need to decide if you are registering the composition or the performance or both. As I recall the option for both was simple and you can do several tunes at the same time for the same money.