If you want to release two different versions of a cover song (live and studio recordings, for instance) you will need to obtain two separate mechanical licenses.īecause YouTube is a video platform, you should obtain a synchronization license to share a cover on that service. Distributors like CD Baby will usually help you obtain licenses as well.

If you want to cover a work Songtrust currently administers, you can email us directly instead of contacting a third party service. You can secure this license through Harry Fox Agency's Songfile, Easy Song, or the copyright holder themselves. The current statutory rate for mechanical licenses in the US is 9.1 cents per downloaded song or song on a physical album purchase.

If you plan on releasing a cover song as part of a physical and/or downloadable record, you will need a mechanical license. This means that artists releasing covers on those platforms are not responsible for any related royalty payments. Services like Spotify and Apple Music license songs and pay royalties to publishers as part of The MLC (The Mechanical Licensing Collective) that was launched in 2019. You don’t need a license if you are releasing a cover strictly on streaming platforms. If you’re not sure whether you need a mechanical or other license to release a cover song, be sure to read our detailed rundown of how you can help protect yourself from potential litigation*. In reality, you can go straight to securing a compulsory mechanical license - required by law as part of the 1909 Copyright Act - and compensating the rights holder for their work. How Do I Get Permission to Record and Release a Cover Song? Here’s the thing: You don’t need it.Ī common misconception in the music industry is that you need to get permission from a copyright owner in order to cover a song.

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