Sound Recording Copyright Symbol (℗)

Q: What is the HTML code for the sound recording copyright symbol?

Use the named entity &copysr; or the numeric reference ℗ (hex ℗). All three display ℗ in every browser.

The sound recording copyright symbol ℗ is Unicode U+2117, the phonogram copyright symbol used to protect master audio recordings and recorded performances. Press Copy to put it on your clipboard.

Unicode: U+2117
HTML: &copysr;
Word: 2117 Alt+X

How to type the sound recording copyright symbol (℗)

The quickest way is to press Copy above and paste. To type ℗ yourself, use the method for your device below.

Windows

In Word or Outlook, type 2117 and press Alt + X. Alt + X converts the hex code before the cursor into the character, and back again.
Press Win + R, type charmap and press Enter. Tick “Advanced view”, search for Sound Recording Copyright, then Select and Copy. Character Map is built into every version of Windows.

Mac

Press Control + Command + Space to open the Character Viewer, search for sound recording copyright and double-click it.
With the Unicode Hex Input keyboard enabled (System Settings → Keyboard → Input Sources), hold Option and type 2117.

Linux & ChromeOS

Press Ctrl + Shift + U, type 2117, then press Enter or Space. Works in GTK and IBus apps (GNOME, Firefox, Chrome, LibreOffice) and on ChromeOS.

iPhone & iPad

Copy ℗ from this page, then go to Settings → General → Keyboard → Text Replacement and add it with a shortcut such as ;soun. The shortcut then turns into the symbol as you type, in every app.

Android

Copy ℗ here, then open Gboard settings → Dictionary → Personal dictionary and add it with a shortcut.

Microsoft Word

Type 2117, then press Alt + X.
Insert → Symbol → More Symbols. Set “from” to Unicode (hex), type 2117 in “Character code” and click Insert.

Google Docs

Insert → Special characters, then search for “sound recording copyright” or draw it in the box.

Excel & Google Sheets

Enter =UNICHAR(8471) in a cell. It works in Excel 2013 and later and in Google Sheets.

HTML

Write &copysr; or ℗ in your HTML.

What does ℗ mean?

The sound recording copyright symbol ℗ (Unicode name SOUND RECORDING COPYRIGHT, commonly called the phonogram sign or circle P) provides legal notice of copyright in a master sound recording. In music copyright law, every commercial release involves two distinct intellectual property rights: the underlying musical composition (melody, harmonies, and lyrics), which is protected by the familiar copyright symbol ©, and the actual recorded acoustic performance (the sound master), which is protected by ℗. Established under the Geneva Phonograms Convention of 1971 and incorporated into United States copyright legislation in 1972, the ℗ symbol typically appears on record album jackets, CD liner notes, and digital streaming metadata alongside the year and record label name. It is a critical component of global legal symbols and complements broader letterlike symbols.

Common uses

Album liner notes and vinyl label pressings: ℗ 2026 Atlantic Records
Streaming platform metadata and audio release copyright fields
Podcast master audio file ownership declarations
Audiobook production credits designating recording studio rights

Sound Recording Copyright Symbol codes for HTML, CSS and programming

Every code below produces ℗. Use the HTML entity in web pages, the CSS escape in content, and the escape sequence in source code.

Codes for ℗
Unicode code point	`U+2117`
HTML entity (named)	`&copysr;`
HTML decimal	`℗`
HTML hex	`℗`
CSS content	`content: "\2117";`
JavaScript	`"\u2117"`
Python	`"\u2117"`
Python (by name)	`"\N{SOUND RECORDING COPYRIGHT}"`
Java / C#	`"\u2117"`
UTF-8 bytes	`E2 84 97`
UTF-16	`2117`
URL encoded	`%E2%84%97`

℗ vs look-alike characters

These characters look similar to ℗ but have a different meaning and code. Pasting the wrong one can break search, sorting and screen readers.

Char	Name	When to use it
	Copyright `U+00A9`	Copyright symbol (U+00A9), protecting the musical composition, sheet music, or lyrics.
	Registered `U+00AE`	Registered trademark symbol (U+00AE), for registered company names and logos.
	Circled Latin Capital Letter P `U+24C5`	Circled Latin capital letter P (U+24C5), an alphanumeric character without legal authority.

Symbols similar to ℗

Click to copy, or open a symbol for its codes. See the full letterlike symbols collection.

℗ character properties

Official Unicode name: SOUND RECORDING COPYRIGHT
Also known as: phonogram symbol, phonorecord copyright, circle P, sound recording copyright sign, phonographic copyright
Code point: U+2117
Unicode block: Letterlike Symbols (U+2100–U+214F)
General category: Other symbol (So)
Added in: Unicode 1.1 (1993)
Plane: Basic Multilingual Plane (0)
Emoji: No, it is a text symbol

Frequently asked questions

The © symbol protects the songwriter’s underlying musical composition and lyrics, whereas ℗ protects the master sound recording produced by the recording artist and record label.

What is the proper format for a sound recording notice?

The standard format consists of the symbol ℗, the year of first publication of the sound recording, and the legal name of the copyright owner, such as ℗ 2026 Record Label LLC.

Is the ℗ symbol recognized internationally?

Yes. The phonogram symbol is recognized internationally under the Geneva Phonograms Convention of 1971 and domestic copyright statutes around the world.

Is there an alt code for the sound recording copyright symbol?

No. ℗ is outside the Windows-1252 and code page 437 character sets, so no Alt + number code produces it. Copy it from this page, type 2117 then Alt + X in Word, or find it in Character Map.

How do I type the sound recording copyright symbol on a Mac?

There is no single Option shortcut for ℗ on the US layout. Press Control + Command + Space to open the Character Viewer, search for “sound recording copyright” and double-click it, or copy it from this page.

What is the HTML code for the sound recording copyright symbol?

Use the named entity ℗ or the numeric reference ℗ (hex ℗). All three display ℗ in every browser.

What is the Unicode for the sound recording copyright symbol?

℗ is U+2117, officially named SOUND RECORDING COPYRIGHT, in the Letterlike Symbols block. It has been part of Unicode since version 1.1 (1993).