Absolutely! With us, you can upload cover songs to various platforms and share your music with the world. However, before doing so, it's essential to ensure that you have obtained all the necessary licenses for your cover songs.
What is a cover song?
A "cover song" is a new recording of an existing song done by a musician who is not the original composer or performer. It should faithfully reproduce the melody, arrangement, and lyrics of the original track, without any changes, including translations. Also, the original song must have been released to the public before the cover version is made.
It's crucial not to use any parts of the original recording in the cover song. If you do, it's no longer considered a cover but a remix or mashup, and you need a different license for that.
What is a mechanical license?
The term "mechanical licenses" is used when songs are copied onto vinyl records, CDs, and digital platforms like streaming services and downloads. The money earned from these copies is called mechanical royalties, and it's based on the copyright of the song itself.
When is a mechanical license needed?
A mechanical license is only needed if you want to sell your cover song on platforms like iTunes or Amazon's download store. However, there are a few rules for obtaining it:
Your cover version is a 'faithful rendition' of the original song with no significant changes to the melody or lyrics. Only minimal arrangement changes are allowed. If you translate the lyrics into another language, it's considered a 'derivative work,' and obtaining permission for that is more challenging.
Your cover can't include any parts of the original recording.
The original track has already been released or made available to the public by the original artist or their record label.
The original artists and labels must be credited correctly.
If you plan to distribute your cover song to download DSPs, additional licenses may be required depending on your country.