Performing Arts Definition

Works of the performing arts are works that are intended to be performed for an audience. This category includes a wide variety of creative works, including music, lyrics, sound recordings, scripts, screenplays, choreography, motion pictures, video games, and similar types of works.

Statutory Definition

The Copyright Act states that performing a work “means to recite, render, play, dance, or act it, either directly or by means of any device or process or, in the case of a motion picture or other audiovisual work, to show its images in any sequence or to make the sounds accompanying it audible.” (17 U.S.C. § 101)

Common Type Of Works Registered In This Category

  • Albums
  • Audio Books
  • Beats
  • Choreographic Works
  • Comedy Routines / Stand Up Routines
  • Dramatic Works
  • Interviews
  • Jingles
  • Live Concerts
  • Lyrics
  • Method / Musical Instruction Books
  • Music
  • Music & Lyrics
  • Music Editing
  • Musical Arrangement
  • Musical Theater
  • Musicals (Song / Script)
  • Pantomime
  • Podcasts
  • Remixes
  • Screenplays
  • Scripts
  • Songs
  • Sound Recordings
  • Soundtracks
  • Spoken Word Recordings
  • Stage Plays
  • Synopses
  • Teleplays
  • Treatments


Register your work

Was this answer helpful?

Related Articles


Can I cancel or terminate a copyright?

Yes, a copyright cab be cancelled/terminated at any time. After terminating a copyright all...


What is copyright protection?

Under intellectual property law, copyright protects original works of authorship. Such works...


Can you buy or sell a copyright?

As with any other property, you can buy, sell, transfer, inherit or give away copyright. This is...


Who owns the copyright for a "work for hire"?

For legal purposes, when a work is a “work made for hire,” the author is not the individual who...


Are copyrighted files public?

Yes, as per copyright law, all copyrighted material must be publicly available. This doesn't mean...