Updated: November 2026 · Diskover team
Quick answer: in Spain, copyright arises the moment you create the song; you don’t need to register it for it to be yours. To prove authorship it’s a good idea to record it in the Intellectual Property Registry, and to get paid you need to declare it with a collecting society such as SGAE or work with a publisher. Before releasing, sign a split sheet with your co-writers. At Diskover we help with the part that most often slips through the cracks: publishing administration to collect your songwriting royalties worldwide, neighbouring rights and syncs.
What is copyright in music?
It’s the rights that the law (in Spain, the Intellectual Property Act) grants to whoever creates an original work, in this case the lyrics and music of a song. It has two parts:
- Moral rights: to be recognised as the author and to have your work respected. They cannot be sold or assigned.
- Exploitation rights: reproduction, distribution, communication to the public and transformation. These are the ones that generate money and can be assigned or licensed.
For a more general introduction, see what is music copyright?. Here we focus on the practical side.
Copyright vs master rights
This is the most common confusion. Copyright protects the composition (lyrics and melody). Rights in the master protect the specific recording and belong to whoever produced it. The same artist can hold both if they write and also pay for the recording, but they are managed and collected through different channels. We explain it in what song royalties are.
How to protect and register a song in Spain
- Keep proof of creation: demos, DAW sessions, voice notes and dated lyrics.
- Record the work in the Intellectual Property Registry if you want solid proof of authorship. It’s a public, declarative registry: it doesn’t give you the rights, but it helps you prove them.
- Sign a split sheet with everyone who took part in the composition, stating each person’s percentage. Do it on the day of the session, not once the song is already doing well.
- Declare the work with your collecting society (for example, SGAE) with the same percentages as the split sheet.
- Consider a publisher or publishing administration to collect your rights in other countries and license your music for syncs.
What is a split sheet and why does it matter so much?
A split sheet is a simple document in which co-writers agree what percentage of the composition belongs to each of them. It avoids conflicts, speeds up registration with the societies and is essential for the publisher or society to distribute the money correctly. It should include the title, the date, each author’s legal and artist name, their role, their percentage, their collecting society and everyone’s signature.
Samples, beats and collaborations: be careful
- Samples: using a fragment of another song requires permission from the owner of the composition and of the master.
- Purchased beats: read the licence. Many “non-exclusive” licences limit streams or require you to credit the producer and share the songwriting rights with them.
- Covers: you can record a cover, but the songwriting rights still belong to the original authors.
- Collaborations: put the master and composition percentages in writing before releasing.
How long does copyright last?
In Spain and the European Union, exploitation rights last for the author’s lifetime and 70 years after their death. After that, the work enters the public domain.
How Diskover manages your rights
Most independent artists only collect part of what their music generates: the master. At Diskover we cover the rest:
- Publishing administration (optional on Unlimited and PRO): your music generates songwriting royalties worldwide; we collect them for you, including in countries your local society doesn’t reach well.
- Neighbouring rights (PRO): we help you collect your rights as an artist, performer and phonogram producer.
- Syncs (PRO): we connect your music with music supervisors and agencies for advertising, film, TV, radio and the internet.
- Splits between collaborators (PRO): we automatically divide royalties according to the agreed percentages, so the split sheet is honoured without spreadsheets.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to register my song for it to be mine?
No. In Spain copyright arises on creation. Registration serves as proof of authorship and date, and declaring the work with a society is how you get paid.
Where do you register a song in Spain?
You can record it in the Intellectual Property Registry as proof of authorship, and declare it with SGAE or another authors’ collecting society to collect the royalties it generates.
Is it compulsory to be a member of SGAE?
It’s not compulsory, but if you don’t register with a society or work with a publisher, it’s very hard to collect the songwriting royalties generated by radio, concerts or streaming.
What happens if I don’t sign a split sheet?
If there is disagreement over the percentages, societies can block payouts for the song until it’s resolved, and you can lose months of income.
How long does a song’s copyright last?
The author’s whole lifetime plus 70 years after their death, in Spain and the European Union.
Does Diskover collect my songwriting royalties?
Yes, with its publishing administration service, optional on the Unlimited and PRO plans. On PRO we also manage neighbouring rights and syncs.
