How to Copyright a Song in the Philippines

In the Philippines, copyright in a song exists from the moment you create it. You do not have to register first. You may still deposit the work with the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) to get an official certificate as evidence that you created it.

This guide covers how that deposit works for a song, what to submit, official government fees, and how the composition is different from a recording or a performance. For a general overview of copyright, start with Understanding Copyrights in the Philippines.

If you want help preparing a deposit, Recurra offers a free consultation. Our professional fee is quoted per case.

Copyright starts when you create the song

A musical composition, with or without words, is a literary and artistic work under the Intellectual Property Code (Republic Act No. 8293, Sec. 172.1(f)). Copyright protects the work from the moment of creation, regardless of form, content, quality, or purpose (Sec. 172.2).

Registration or deposit is optional. The IP Code says deposit with the National Library (or, for law works, the Supreme Court Library) is “not a condition of copyright protection” (Sec. 191). IPOPHL says the same: authors may file for copyright registration and deposit in order to receive a certificate, but this is not required for protection to exist.

What the certificate does is give you official evidence. IPOPHL’s current deposit page calls the document an eCertificate of Copyright Registration. The official fee schedule uses the language copyright deposit/recordation. In practice, you are recording the work with IPOPHL and receiving a certificate. That is useful if you later need to prove authorship or the date of your claim. It is not what creates the copyright.

A song can involve more than one right

A finished track often layers three different rights:

The musical work. This is the composition: the melody, and the lyrics if there are words. The author or co-authors usually own this copyright (Sec. 178). For a typical song, this is what you deposit with IPOPHL as a “musical composition, with or without words.”

The performance. Singers, musicians, and other performers have related rights (also called neighboring rights) in their performances (Chapter XII of the IP Code). For a performance fixed in a sound recording, those rights last 50 years from the end of the year in which the recording took place. For a performance that was never recorded, the term is 50 years from the end of the year of the performance (Sec. 215.1).

The sound recording. The producer of the sound recording — the person or entity who takes the initiative and responsibility for the first fixation of the sounds — has related rights in that recording (Secs. 202.5 and 208). Those rights also last 50 years from the end of the year in which the recording took place (Sec. 215.1(b)).

So writing the song, singing it, and producing the master are not always the same legal interest. If you wrote, performed, and produced the track yourself, you may hold all three. If you used a session singer, a borrowed beat, or a producer, other people may own part of the rights.

The term for the musical work itself is generally the life of the author plus 50 years. If there are joint authors, it runs for the life of the last surviving author plus 50 years (Secs. 213.1–213.2). Terms after death are counted from 1 January of the following year (Sec. 214).

How to deposit a song with IPOPHL

IPOPHL handles copyright registration and deposit through its Copyright Online Registration and Deposit System (CORDS). The official how-to is on the Copyright Deposit page. The Copyright FAQ lists the documents.

Source: IPOPHL (ipophil.gov.ph/deposit)

Step 1. Prepare the requirements

Confirm the work is original, and have a digital copy ready.

Download and fill out the form. The deposit page links the Copyright Registry Enrollment Form from IPOPHL’s application forms page. The Copyright FAQ asks for one electronic copy of the filled-out and signed BCRR Transaction Form, plus a Supplemental Sheet if it applies. A detailed documentary list is on the second page of that form.

You will also need:

• One government ID of the applicant

• An electronic copy of the work for registration and deposit

Source: IPOPHL (ipophil.gov.ph/help-and-support/copyright)

If someone other than the author is filing (an heir, an assignee, or a representative), expect to attach proof of that authority. The FAQ points you to the form for the full list.

Step 2. Upload the request

For a single work, upload the complete requirements at https://bit.ly/CORDS_IPOPHL.

If a reviewer asks for more documents, upload them at https://bit.ly/CORDS_Pending. Do not start a new email thread. Reply on the same thread the reviewer used.

For bulk filing — 10 or more works, all in the same classification, all created by the same author or the same joint authors — email the Bureau of Copyright and Related Rights at csd@ipophl.gov.ph. Use a subject line in this form: Bulk Filing Name of Applicant (No. of Works), for example Bulk Filing Maria Mercedez (10 works).

If your application is already pending, the deposit page asks you to use these subject lines:

• INQUIRY FOR REFERENCE NO.(your number) for general questions

• FOLLOW-UP FOR REFERENCE NO.(your number) to follow up

Step 3. Pay the official fee

If the documents are complete, you will receive an email from csd@ipophl.gov.ph with a reference number and an e-Statement of Account (eSOA), plus a payment link. Pay the amount on that statement.

Then upload the Electronic Official Receipt (eOR) at https://bit.ly/CORDS_Pending.

For payment problems, email epayment.queries@ipophl.gov.ph, give the eSOA number, and use the subject EPAYMENT CONCERNS FOR REFERENCE NO. (your number).

Step 4. Wait for evaluation and the eCertificate

IPOPHL evaluates the application. Once it is approved, the eCertificate of Copyright Registration is sent to the email address on record.

You can later look up registrations in IPOPHL’s Copyright Registration Search.

Source: IPOPHL (onlineservices.ipophil.gov.ph/CopyrightSearch)

What to submit for a song

Officially, you must file the signed form, a government ID, and an electronic copy of the work. For a song, choose the category musical compositions, with or without words, which is the class used on IPOPHL’s copyright register.

To make the work easy to identify, include a clear digital copy of what you created. Practical examples:

• Lyrics, if the song has words

• Melody or lead sheet (notation of the tune and structure)

• An audio recording of the composition, if that is how you fix the work

You do not have to wait for a studio master before copyright exists. A simple, dated recording or a written lead sheet can already be a copy of the work. If several people wrote the song, name every co-author on the form and keep a written split agreement.

If you are filing as a representative, attach the authority documents the form requires.

Official IPOPHL fees

These are government fees payable to IPOPHL, not Recurra’s professional fee. Recurra’s fee is quoted per case after a free consultation.

Last checked: November 2026. Source: Schedule of Copyright-Related Fees.

The official table lists separate rates for small and big entities, and for NCR and Region deposit/recordation. Pay the amount shown on your eSOA.

Source: IPOPHL (Schedule of Copyright-Related Fees)

Other official items on the same schedule include a certified true copy of the certificate, reconstitution of a lost certificate, and copyright dispute resolution. See the live schedule before you pay, because government fees can change.

Song-specific tips

Co-writers. If you wrote the song together, you are generally co-owners of the copyright. If there is no agreement, the rules on co-ownership apply. If the parts can be used separately and each author can be identified — for example, one person wrote only the lyrics and another wrote only the music — each author owns the copyright in the part they created (Sec. 178.2). A written split agreement avoids later arguments about shares. An assignment or exclusive license should also be in writing (Sec. 180.2). If two or more people jointly own the copyright, one owner cannot grant a license without the others’ prior written consent (Sec. 180.3).

Beats and samples. A new arrangement of an existing work can be a derivative work, but that does not give you the right to use the original without permission (Sec. 173.2). A pre-made beat or a sampled recording may be someone else’s musical work, someone else’s sound recording, or both. Get a license or a written clearance before you release the song. “Fair use” is decided case by case and is not a blanket excuse to use a recognizable sample.

YouTube, Spotify, and other platforms. Uploading your original song to a streaming or video platform does not replace an IPOPHL deposit, and it is not a government registration. It is distribution. If you cover or upload someone else’s copyrighted song, IPOPHL has explained that recording and streaming can implicate the author’s rights of reproduction and communication to the public, and that a license is generally required. A platform’s Content ID or a distributor’s release does not, by itself, prove you own the composition.

Collective management. Depositing a song with IPOPHL is different from collecting public-performance royalties. Owners of copyright and related rights may designate a collective management organization (CMO) to manage rights on their behalf, subject to IPOPHL accreditation (Sec. 183). As of the current official list, the Filipino Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (FILSCAP) is an IPOPHL-accredited CMO. The same list also accredits the Performers Rights Society of the Philippines (PRSP) and Philippines Recorded Music Rights Inc. (PRM). Membership and licensing are separate from the deposit process.

Your artist or band name. Copyright protects the song, not the name you perform under. If you want exclusive rights in a band or artist name, that is a trademark matter. See Trademark Registration in the Philippines.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to register to copyright a song in the Philippines?

No. Copyright exists from the moment you create the work. Depositing it with IPOPHL is optional. The certificate is official evidence of your claim. It is not what brings the copyright into being.

How do I copyright a song with IPOPHL?

Prepare a digital copy of the work, fill out the official form, and upload it with a government ID at the CORDS link on IPOPHL’s Copyright Deposit page. Pay the fee on the eSOA, upload the official receipt, and wait for the eCertificate to be emailed to you if the application is approved.

How much does an IPOPHL song deposit cost?

The official schedule, last checked in November 2026, lists a deposit/recordation fee of ₱450 (small entity, NCR) to ₱750 (big entity, Region), and ₱200 per certificate for a qualifying bulk filing. Your eSOA shows the exact amount due. Recurra’s professional fee is separate and is quoted after a free consultation.

What is the difference between the song, the recording, and a performance?

The musical work is the composition and lyrics. Performers have related rights in their performance. The producer has related rights in the sound recording. The composition generally lasts for the author’s life plus 50 years. Performers’ and producers’ rights in a recording last 50 years from the end of the year the recording was made.

Can I copyright a song if I used someone else’s beat or sample?

You can have copyright in the original parts you created. That does not let you use someone else’s melody or recording without permission. Clear the beat or sample in writing first, or write and record your own.

Does uploading to YouTube or Spotify copyright my song?

No. Those platforms are ways to share or sell the song. Copyright already exists from creation. An IPOPHL deposit is optional evidence. Uploading a cover of someone else’s song generally needs a license.

Get a free consultation

If you have a song, a catalog, or a co-writing split you want to record with IPOPHL, Recurra can walk you through the deposit. The consultation is free. Our professional fee is quoted per case. Talk to Recurra.

You can also read our general guide, Understanding Copyrights in the Philippines. If you need to protect a band or artist name, see Trademark Registration in the Philippines.