According to copyright law, your music is copyrighted upon the moment it is created in a fixed medium (written down or recorded).
You are not required to register your copyrights with a government office prior to using TuneCore, however many artists feel more comfortable registering their copyrights before making their songs available for worldwide distribution.
- Registering your copyright with the Library of Congress makes your ownership part of the public record, and allows you to sue for monetary damages in the event of a legal dispute regarding the ownership of your songs.
- If you are interested in registering your copyright in the U.S., you can do so here: http://www.copyright.gov/