There are several reasons why a song may be marked as ineligible, including but not limited to the following:
Non-original Composition: For a song to qualify for publishing administration, it must be an original work written in whole or in part by the songwriter. Compositions created by other artists cannot be accepted because the original songwriter(s) or a music publisher may own and control the original copyright.
Note:
We can only accept original compositions containing music and songwriters' lyrics.
Uncleared Sample: If a song contains a portion of another musical composition or recording that the rights holder has not approved, it is ineligible for publishing administration unless the sample has been approved by the rights holder(s) in the original work.
Public Domain: A song that is a non-contributive arrangement of a public domain work will be marked as ineligible. However, a new arrangement of a public domain work may be eligible for copyright administration, provided that it is a new and unique arrangement of the original work identified as an existing work arrangement during the sign-up process.
Not eligible for copyright registration: Under U.S. copyright law, specific works such as musical works are not eligible. These include works containing only sound effects and sound design, ringtones created from existing musical compositions, compositions containing only spoken words (unless accompanied by an original musical composition), compositions containing or wholly composed of royalty-free music, and binaural/meditation sounds such as hypnosis therapy sessions or self-help compositions (unless they fall under the accepted spoken word categories).