Do
For Musicians: From Finished Song to Filed Record
Before you file a song, identify what you control. The sound recording and the underlying composition can have different owners, and clearing every co-writer, performer, producer, beat, sample, and third-party contribution comes before any registration.
Two copyrights per song
Every finished song carries two distinct works: the composition (the melody, chords, and lyrics — the song as written) and the sound recording (this specific captured performance — the master). They can be owned by different people, split in different proportions, and licensed separately. When you register a finished audio file, you are fingerprinting the recording; the contributor declaration is where you record who participated and how. If someone else owns a share of either work, that needs to be sorted — ideally in writing — before you make public claims. The full background is in Music IP Basics for Independent Artists.
The walkthrough
Use the owner wallet
The person who controls the work should connect the wallet that will control the record. Do not file a friend’s song from your wallet unless the owner has expressly authorized you to administer their records — the signature attributes the claim to the signing wallet, permanently.
File the exact version
Open the dashboard, upload the final file, enter the title, list the contributor wallets and splits, make the rights declaration, sign, and save the asset hash and transaction link. A rough mix and the released master are different files with different fingerprints — file the one you will stand behind.
Verify the record
Open the public record and check it against the file you filed: fingerprint, claimant wallet, contributor list, and timestamp. Anyone can do this without your permission — that is the point.
Keep the proof package
Save the asset hash and transaction link with the audio, the credits, and any separate written agreement. The proof package is what makes the record useful two years from now.
A working proof package
For each registered song, keep one folder (cloud plus a local backup) containing:
— the exact registered audio file, untouched;
— the asset hash and transaction link;
— the signed split sheet or written agreement matching the on-chain declaration;
— credits (legal names, roles, and wallet addresses of contributors);
— any separate agreements you signed for samples, features, or usage.
When a distributor, supervisor, or collaborator asks a rights question, you answer with a folder, not a memory.
Read before you rely on any of this
Suede registration is not U.S. Copyright Office registration, and the registry does not issue or verify licenses. A blockchain record does not create rights you do not already hold or cure missing collaborator and sample permissions. Your wallet may also show a network transaction cost before signing.
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.