I wrote some songs, how do you get your song out there, do you just give it to the artist or record label with contact info and my name, or should I get it copyrighted before giving it to someone, what should I do?

If your interest is in pursuing a career as a songwriter-for-hire, the first thing I would suggest is becoming a member of a composer/songwriter licensing organization like ASCAP. You pay a one-time fee, and are a member for life. I joined ASCAP last year, and I routinely receive newsletters keeping up to date on copyright law, and symposiums that address how songwriters can pitch their songs to prospective artists. Before submitting anything, make sure you make a demo recording of the piece, and then register the recording with ASCAP. It's also a good idea to create an account with Reverbnation, Soundcloud, or Bandcamp. Posting a demo of your song will establish a date of creation, which alongside an active ASCAP membership, will protect your work from any infringement issues. That being said, know that the general rule is that record labels do not accept nor bother to listen to unsolicited demos: some folks have achieved a small measure of success by joining organizations like TAXI and Sonicbids, which manage to have some labels and festival promoters solicit them for new songs or bands, but one in several hundred ever get picked. These groups also hold annual symposiums, that often feature industry professionals on the lookout for new talent, so if you have a gift for a good melody and lyric, can produce a decent quality demo of your songs, and have the drive and the determination, you'll be well on your way. And remember, the ones that succeed are those whose passion for making music/writing songs is what makes them create, not fame or fortune.

Regarding copyright, thanks to the Berne Convention on copyright, an international treaty, just about all nations grant copyright automatically upon the creation of a work. The only works that do not have copyright are those which had their protections expire or works that the author designates as Public Domain. Now, you might want to register your copyrighted work. While you can sue for actual damages if someone infringes your copyright, but if you also want lawyer fees and any punitive damages, many countries require the work to have been registered before the infringement happens. (In the U.S., for example.) It is extremely easy to do this yourself. Instructions are on the website for the copyright bureau in your country. Here is the U.S. page as an example: http://www.copyright.gov/eco/. Good luck with your career.

I cannot speak from experience, but I can speculate, and hopefully someone will come along with a little more history in the business to confirm or update. I would definitely suggest getting your IP copyrighted before sending it anywhere, just to be on the safe side. That way, it most assuredly belongs to you. That way, you can send it along to interested parties (record labels, producers, artists, etc) and they can choose to buy the rights if interested. I would create a nice, succinct email, and send it out to as many interested parties as possible. Hope that this is helpful. I've never sent song lyrics, just albums (which was under CC at the time). In sending the albums I used the blanket email approach. Best of luck!