Reference

Frequently Asked Questions

Direct answers to the questions creators actually ask — cost, copyright, wallets, files, mistakes, disputes, and what happens in the worst cases.

Written by Suede Labs AI · Reviewed

What does registration cost?

Suede charges nothing for registration. You pay the network gas fee on Base or Avalanche mainnet — typically around a cent. Your wallet shows the exact cost before you sign.

What's the best way to prove I wrote a song before I release it?

Create dated evidence before release: keep your project files, demos, and voice memos, then register a fingerprint of the finished file here — a public, timestamped, wallet-signed record that costs about a cent in network gas. For US legal standing, also register with the US Copyright Office. A registry record is evidence of your claim, not proof of authorship by itself.

What's the cheapest way to timestamp a beat or stem?

Registering it here costs about a cent in network gas on Base or Avalanche mainnet — Suede charges nothing on top. The record timestamps a fingerprint of the exact file with your signed claim. Note the honest limit: a timestamp proves your claim existed by that date; it does not by itself prove ownership.

Does registering a song on a blockchain count as copyright?

No. Copyright arises automatically when you fix an original work, and legal registration comes only from a government IP office such as the US Copyright Office. A blockchain record — here or anywhere — is timestamped evidence of a claim, not copyright registration, and it carries none of the legal benefits of a government filing.

How do I record an AI-training opt-out for my own music?

When you register a work here, you can record an AI-training permission preference as declared metadata in the public record. It is a signed, timestamped statement of your position — it does not technically block scraping or training, and no AI company is bound by it today. It exists so your declared position is on the record as consent and compensation systems develop.

How do I record songwriter splits and contributor percentages?

Each registration includes a contributor record: every contributor and their declared percentage, signed and timestamped alongside the file fingerprint. It is a public declaration, not a payment system — it routes no royalties and overrides no contract. Agree on splits in writing with your collaborators first, then file the record to match.

Is this the same as registering my copyright?

No. A Suede registration is not a filing with the U.S. Copyright Office or any government IP office, and it does not carry the legal benefits those filings provide (such as eligibility for statutory damages in U.S. infringement suits). It is a public, timestamped, wallet-signed provenance record. Many creators do both: government registration for legal standing, Suede for organized, verifiable provenance.

Does registering give me legal protection or prove I own the work?

No. The registry records your claim — signed and timestamped — but it does not verify the claim, confirm ownership, clear rights, or protect the work from copying. It produces evidence you can point to, whose weight is decided by whoever evaluates it.

Do I need cryptocurrency experience?

No. You need a wallet on Base or Avalanche mainnet and a small amount of ETH or AVAX for gas (around a cent per registration). The registration flow walks you through the rest.

Which file should I register — the demo, the mix, or the master?

The exact version you intend to stand behind, usually the released master. The record fingerprints the specific file, so a different export is a different fingerprint. If multiple versions matter, register each separately and connect them with derivative links.

Where is my file stored? Is it public?

The chain stores the fingerprint, claim, contributors, and timestamp — not the file itself. The file lives at the URL you provide, with IPFS preferred for permanence. Public IPFS uploads may be impossible to reverse, so never upload confidential agreements, unreleased material you are not prepared to have public, or personal information.

What if I made a mistake in the contributor list or splits?

The filed record is permanent — that is what makes it useful as evidence, and it is also why preparation matters. Document the correction in writing with your collaborators, and where the product supports it, file an updated record; the history of both filings stays visible.

Someone registered my work without permission. What now?

The registry displays conflicting claims with their timestamps; it does not adjudicate them. Register your own claim with your evidence, gather your documentation (files, dates, correspondence, split sheets), and contact us to flag the record. For anything with real money or reputation at stake, talk to an attorney.

Can I register a song that contains a sample I have not cleared?

You can physically file the record, but you should not: registration does not clear the sample, and you would be signing a public claim over material you do not control. Clear third-party content first.

Can I license my work through Suede?

No. The registry records provenance — fingerprint, wallet-signed claim, contributors, timestamp — and nothing more. Licensing is negotiated and signed off-platform; your record is the evidence you bring to that conversation.

Does registration stop AI companies from training on my music?

No. Registration cannot technically prevent scraping or training. What it creates is a timestamped, signed record of your claim and your declared position — evidence that becomes relevant as attribution, consent, and compensation systems for AI training develop.

What happens to my records if I lose my wallet?

Records already filed stay on-chain permanently. But you lose the ability to sign further actions as the original claimant — updates, authorizations, and future licensing. Protect your seed phrase the way you would protect the masters themselves.

What happens to my records if Suede shuts down?

The records live on public blockchains (Base and Avalanche mainnet), not on Suede servers. The contract addresses are published in the site footer, and anyone can read the records with a block explorer. Files hosted on IPFS likewise persist independently of Suede.

Choosing the rest of your toolkit — DAW, distribution, royalty collection? See the software stack for an independent musician who owns their work on the Suede Labs site.

Question not answered here? Contact us — real questions are how this page grows.

The Suede IP Registry organizes and prepares provenance records. It is not a government copyright registration, does not provide legal protection, does not clear rights or confirm ownership, and does not guarantee any legal outcome. Nothing in this documentation is legal advice — for decisions about your rights, talk to a qualified attorney.