When registering a musical work, you will have the option to assign the following Writer Roles:
Writer Role | Contribution to the musical work |
Composer | Creator of musical elements |
Author | Creator of lyrics |
Composer/Author | Creator of both musical elements and lyrics |
Arranger | Modifier of an existing musical work |
You should only credit yourself as an arranger if you have modified an existing musical work. Arrangements of musical works need to be approved by the original copyright owner. The only exception to this rule is when the work is out of copyright or in the public domain.
If you are registering an arrangement of an existing musical work, you will need to provide the following supporting information alongside your registration:
Main Title of Original Musical Work
Composer/s of Original Musical Work
Documentation confirming clearance of your arrangement with the original copyright owners, or evidence that the work is in the public domain
Our publishing team will reject all registrations crediting Arrangers that are not accompanied by all of the supporting documentation listed above.
If you are unsure about the copyright status of a work, you can ask our support team and we would be happy to check for you.