802.9 (A) Type of Work
A copyright claim in music or lyrics may be registered with the U.S. Copyright Office in the same manner as other works of the performing arts. When submitting an online application, the applicant should select “Work of the Performing Arts” as the Type of Work. (When submitting a paper application, the applicant should use Form PA.)
NOTE: When registering a musical work together with a sound recording of that work, the applicant must select “Sound Recording” as the Type of Work when completing the online application. (When completing a paper application, the applicant must use Form SR.) If an applicant attempts to register a sound recording as a “Work of the Performing Arts” (or with Form PA), the registration specialist will change the Type of Work to “Sound Recording” (or change the application from a Form PA to a Form SR) without communicating with the applicant.
For more information on sound recording authorship, see Section 803.