Musical Works Registration

What is a Musical Work?

A musical work is the underlying composition - the melody, harmony, and lyrics. It exists independently of any specific recording or performance. Think of it as the "song" itself, before anyone performs it.

Musical Work Includes:

Melody (the tune)
Harmony (chord progressions)
Lyrics (words, if any)
Musical arrangements

Why Register Musical Works First?

Musical works MUST be registered before recordings. This is because recordings are linked to musical works - you cannot register a recording without a parent work.

Correct Order

1. Register Musical Work (the composition)
2. Register Recording(s) (performances of that work)

How to Register a Musical Work

Step 1: Access the Dashboard

Log into the CopyrightChains Dashboard with your SempreID-verified wallet.

Open Dashboard

Step 2: Click "Register Musical Work"

Navigate to the registration section and select "Musical Work" registration.

Step 3: Fill in Required Information

Required Fields:

Title: Official name of the work
Composers: Names and wallet addresses
Lyricists: Names and wallet addresses (if applicable)
ISWC: International Standard Musical Work Code (optional)
Genre: Musical genre classification
Release Date: When the work was created
Description: Brief description of the work

Step 4: Add Creators

Add all composers and lyricists with their wallet addresses. The system will automatically calculate equal splits within each category for the 16% royalty.

Important: Verify wallet addresses are correct - they cannot be changed after registration!

Step 5: Upload Files (Optional)

Upload audio demos, sheet music, or other reference materials. These are stored off-chain for reference.

Step 6: Submit Registration

Click "Submit" - the admin wallet will sign the transaction on your behalf. You pay zero gas fees.

What Happens After Registration?

Smart Contract Registration

Work is registered on MusicalWorkRegistryV9 contract with permanent blockchain record

ERC-20 Tokens Created

1,000,000 copyright tokens automatically created via TokenFactoryV9

Wyoming LLC Created

Automatic legal entity formation through WyomingSeriesV9 contract

Royalty Distribution Setup

RoyaltyDistributorV9 configured for 16% split to creators

Musical Work Royalties

Musical work creators receive 16% of all royalties. This is split equally among all composers and lyricists.

Example: 3 Creators (2 Composers, 1 Lyricist)

If the work earns 100 NUT in royalties:

Musical work creators get: 16 NUT (16%)
Each creator gets: 16 ÷ 3 = 5.33 NUT
Recording creators get: 84 NUT (84%)

Important Notes

Before You Register

Wallet addresses CANNOT be changed after registration
All creators share royalties equally - no custom percentages
Registration creates permanent blockchain record - cannot be deleted
Wyoming Series LLC is created automatically - no manual filing needed

Next Steps

After registering your musical work: