Music IP Protection

Protect Your Music
Before Someone Else
Claims It

You create it. Someone else steals it, pitches it, and now you're the one explaining yourself. DECODED's Vault timestamps your music the second it exists — cryptographic proof of ownership, before you distribute a single note.

Start Protecting — Free

No credit card · Free forever · Takes 60 seconds

DECODED / vault / protect
$ vault upload "my-new-track.wav"
↳ Hashing file...
↳ Generating SHA-256 fingerprint
a3f9c2d1e8b047...5c2a9f
↳ Timestamping...
✓ Vault entry created
2026-05-06T11:24:01Z
Entry #4,217
# Your ownership is now on record.
# Before Spotify. Before labels. Before anyone.
4,200+ Music files protected
< 5s Time to protect a file
Free To start, forever
100% Immutable timestamp

How it works

Protect in three steps.
Takes under a minute.

No lawyers. No registration forms. No waiting. Upload your file — we handle the rest.

01

🎵

Upload your file

Upload any audio file — WAV, MP3, FLAC, whatever format you work in. A demo recording works. A rough mix works. The file doesn't have to be finished to be protected.

02

🔐

We hash & timestamp it

DECODED generates a SHA-256 cryptographic fingerprint of your file — unique to that exact audio. We permanently timestamp it: this hash existed at this moment. Immutable. Can't be altered.

03

🛡️

Your proof is on record

Your Vault entry is your evidence of prior art. If anyone claims your work later — labels, other artists, AI scrapers — you have proof that your exact file existed before they touched it.

Why this matters

Protect before you distribute.

Once a track is on Spotify or SoundCloud, proving you created it before someone else claims it gets complicated. The window to protect is before the music leaves your hands.

❌ Without protection

The risk you take every day

  • ⚠️ You send a demo to a label contact. A year later, a similar track surfaces. No timestamp, no proof you had it first.
  • ⚠️ You post a rough mix on SoundCloud before you're ready to distribute. Someone downloads and registers it elsewhere.
  • ⚠️ AI systems scrape your work, repurpose it. You have no documented creation date to reference in a claim.
  • ⚠️ Copyright registration takes months and costs money. You can't afford to register every version of every track.
✓ With DECODED Vault

Proof that travels with your music

  • Every file gets a permanent timestamp. Before demos, before pitches, before playlists — your creation date is on record.
  • Cryptographic hashing means the timestamp can't be faked or backdated. The proof is mathematically tied to your exact file.
  • Protect rough mixes, final masters, lyrics — any version of your work, at any stage of creation.
  • Works alongside formal copyright registration — not instead of it. DECODED gives you immediate evidence; registration formalizes it.

How DECODED compares

Distribution ≠ Protection.

DistroKid and TuneCore get your music onto platforms. They don't protect your IP before, during, or after that process. DECODED does both — and starts free.

Feature
DECODED
DistroKid
TuneCore
Timestamped ownership proof
Vault (free)
Not offered
Not offered
Music distribution
Member plan
Core feature
Core feature
DMCA takedown tools
Included
~ Partial
Not offered
YouTube content scan
Included
Not offered
Not offered
AI bio + press kit generation
Included
Not offered
Not offered
Free to start
Yes
~ Trial only
Paid plans

Common questions

Things artists ask us.

How does DECODED actually protect my music?
DECODED hashes your audio file — generating a unique SHA-256 fingerprint tied to that exact recording — and timestamps it permanently. This creates an immutable record: your specific file existed at this specific moment in time. If ownership is ever disputed, you have a cryptographic record that no one can backdoor-manufacture.
Is this different from registering copyright with the government?
Yes. Copyright exists automatically when a work is created — in most countries, registration isn't required for ownership. But formal registration (with the US Copyright Office, for example) strengthens your legal position significantly in court. DECODED's Vault is complementary: it gives you instant, free evidence of creation date that you can reference immediately. Use both for full protection.
Do I need a finished track to use the Vault?
No. Protect rough mixes, demos, voice memos, beat sketches — any audio file. The earlier you timestamp, the stronger your proof. You can vault multiple versions: the rough mix, the final master, the remix. Each gets its own entry and timestamp.
How is DECODED different from DistroKid or TuneCore?
DistroKid and TuneCore distribute music — they get your tracks onto Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal. That's their core function. They don't protect your intellectual property before, during, or after distribution. DECODED's Vault creates proof of ownership before distribution happens. DECODED also offers distribution tools, but they're separate from — and secondary to — the protection layer.
Is the Vault free?
Yes. The Vault is free to start — no credit card, no trial period. Create an account and start protecting your music immediately. Paid plans unlock additional features (distribution, DMCA tools, YouTube scanning, AI bio generation), but the Vault itself is available on the free tier.

Your next track deserves
protection from day one.

It takes 60 seconds. The protection lasts forever. Start free — no credit card, no waiting.

Start Protecting → Free Account

Join thousands of independent artists who protect before they distribute.