Copyrights are a form of intellectual property, giving the creator of the song exclusive rights. To hold copyrights to a song you have to hold proof of ownership. Register a song at the US copyright office by filling a copyright form PA or SR and by including a copy of the song either on a CD, record or tape. The department charges $45 for the registration. A registered song has protection from theft for the life of the songwriter and 75 years after his or her death.
The PA form mentioned above is the form you would use if you are trying to register only the work on the CD. However, if you are trying to protect the audio in the song you will have to use an SR (Sound recording copyright). There are times when the same individual is responsible for creating the song and the recording. In this case, you would only have to fill out an SR form.
Once you have registered your song, all published copies of your song should include the songwriters name, the year of composition and the small C in a circle (©). Although this registration protects the lyrics of the song, the title has no protection.