Copyright for lyricists and composers: how to protect your song
One of the most common questions lyricists and composers ask us is: “How do I register my song before I send it anywhere?” The worry makes sense. You send lyrics or a demo to strangers and you don’t want to hear it tomorrow under someone else’s name. The good news is that in Greece protection is simpler than most people think.
Your song is protected from the moment you create it
Under Greek copyright law 2121/1993, an original work is protected automatically, from the moment it is created. No registration, application or fee is needed for the right to exist. The Hellenic Copyright Organisation (OPI) says it clearly: there is no mandatory “registration”.
Two points worth knowing:
- The expression is protected, not the idea. These specific lyrics and this specific melody are yours. The idea of “a song about a break-up at the harbour” belongs to no one.
- Protection lasts a long time. As a rule, for the creator’s lifetime and 70 years after their death.
So why do people talk about “registering”?
Because in a dispute it isn’t enough to be the creator. You need to be able to prove the work was yours and since when. OPI mentions practices that give a certain date:
- Depositing the work with a notary. This gives an official, certain date.
- A registered letter to yourself with the work inside, kept sealed. The postmark shows the date.
These don’t create the right, they help you prove it. Beyond that, always keep:
- the first files of your lyrics with their dates
- the original DAW projects and first demos
- the emails or messages where you sent the work to others
Together they form a history that is hard to dispute.
Who collects royalties when the song is played
When a song plays on radio, TV, in a shop or at a concert, royalties arise. They aren’t collected by each creator alone, but by collective management organisations. In Greece the main ones are:
- For lyricists and composers: Aftodiacheirisi and EDEM (Union of Music Works Rightholders). EDEM began operating in 2020, after the end of AEPI, which no longer manages rights.
- For the musicians who play on the recording: APOLLON.
- For singers: ERATO.
- For the producers of the recording (usually the label): GRAMMO.
The last three jointly set up GEA, which collects on their behalf for the public use of recorded music. You’ll find the full, official list of licensed organisations at OPI.
If you write lyrics or music and your songs are released, join an organisation and register each work. Otherwise the money due to you never reaches you.
When you collaborate: write down the shares from the start
Most problems aren’t caused by strangers who “steal”, but by collaborators who never agreed in writing. Before a song is released, put in a simple text:
- who wrote the lyrics and who wrote the music
- each person’s share (for example 50% lyrics, 50% music, or otherwise if you agree)
- who owns the recording (master) and who releases it
A message saying “we agree” from everyone is better than nothing. A signed document is better still.
What about AI demos
If part of the song was made by an AI tool, your own parts (the lyrics you wrote, a melody you composed) are protected as normal. The part generated purely by the tool isn’t automatically yours. We explain this in detail in AI in music: what you can and can’t do with Suno.
Conclusion
You don’t need any special “registration” for a song to be yours. You need dated evidence, a written agreement with your collaborators, and membership of a collective management organisation once the song is released. For anything more complex, such as a contract or a dispute, talk to a lawyer who works in intellectual property.
This article is for information only and is not legal advice.