Can I Register a Spoken Word Piece?

Only if it also involves actual music.

Spoken word songs can only be registered if they feature original music that is not pulled from the public domain. A substantial part of the recording must contain this background material.

Some noteworthy examples of spoken-word pieces set to music from over the years include “The Gift” (The Velvet Underground), “King Heroin” (James Brown), “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” (Gil Scott-Heron), and “Future Legend” (a particularly creepy David Bowie). And then there are the songs that aren’t sung so much as stated, from Madonna’s “Justify My Love” single to LCD Soundsystem’s monotone anthem “Losing My Edge”.

Thanks for reading. Please rate the article below.

Want to keep up with Songtrust for frequent music and publishing updates?