Music copyright is a highly complex topic that is constantly changing. While we have included a few helpful resources for you to learn about copyright, this guide and the links it includes are in no way meant to provide legal advice. Copyright laws are complicated and sometimes there is no clear right or wrong answer; this guide is only meant to lead you toward resources that can help you make responsible choices concerning copyright. A librarian can help you find resources about copyright and permissions, but for actual legal advice, please ask a lawyer!

For a more in-depth explanation of music and how it relates to copyright law, please see MPAL’s Music Copyright guide.

Do you want your work to be discovered? Shared? Preserved for future generations? You just described the mission of the library! Libraries build collections... 

• Through individual recommendations of faculty and students. 
• By working with vendors to acquire materials based on a profile (certain publishers, composers, instrumentation, etc.) 
• By selecting titles from newly-published-works lists provided by our vendors or through other discovery tools like social media. 
• By especially filling in gaps of composers both past and present whose voice may have been historically excluded. 

Libraries must consider several factors when selecting materials for the collection, including: 

• How can we discover the composer and their works so that we can purchase materials? 
• Can we purchase the item through state-approved methods (e.g., vendors and purchase types)? 
• Can we purchase in a format that we can legally preserve and share? 
• What are the implications for physical scores? 

These are roughly in the order that we think about them when making a purchasing decision. These are important to consider when making decisions about publishing and distributing your compositions.