Cover songs

In this article:

What IS a cover song?

How can I sell an album that has cover songs in the United States?

Do I need to get a license if I only want my music on streaming sites?

I have already secured a digital license for my cover song. How do I enter that information?

What information do I provide if I’m covering a song from an artist I know personally?

What IS a cover song?

A cover song is your recording of a song that you didn't write, and which has previously been released in the USA, with the consent of the copyright owner (the songwriter and/or publisher). When you record a cover song and wish to distribute it for monetary gain, you have to pay the publisher of the original recording. 

Example: You record your own version of a song by The Beatles, of which Paul McCartney is the songwriter and Sony Music Publishing is the publisher. Because those entities own the copyright to the original work, you will need to pay them to create a copy of it.

What is NOT a cover song?

• A song you wrote.
• A song you co-wrote with someone.
• A song someone gave you permission to record and release, but has never been recorded and released before.
• An old song that is now in public domain (songs written/published before January 1, 1929).
• An old traditional song (like Ave Maria or Amazing Grace).

How can I sell an album that has cover songs in the United States?

If you want to record and release your own version of someone else’s song, then you’ll need a “mechanical license” for that cover song. A mechanical license is the right to make copies of the song’s musical structure such as the lyrics and melody, which is called the musical composition. However, the license does not grant you any rights to the actual recording of the song you want to cover since that is protected by a separate copyright. 

In return for a mechanical license to the musical composition, you pay a “mechanical royalty” to the copyright owner of the musical composition. The copyright owner of the musical composition is generally called the publisher.

In order to distribute a cover song through CD Baby, you must, at minimum, acquire a mechanical license for downloads.

This is because no matter how you’ve restricted your music’s availability by geography or platform, at any point you could elect to widen your distribution to include download platforms within the United States that do not pay mechanical royalties directly to royalty collection societies. 

We recommend an agency like Easy Song to help you with the cover song licensing process. 

Do I need to get a license if I only want my music on streaming sites?

Mechanical licensing is not required for your music to be available on streaming platforms (as opposed to digital downloads). Streaming companies like Spotify, Apple Music, etc. are responsible for paying out all royalties to the publishers themselves. Our artists are NOT on the hook for royalty payments on those kinds of streams.

However, you DO need to purchase at least digital download licensing to move forward with distribution through CD Baby, regardless of your level of distribution.

I have already secured a digital license for my cover song. How do I enter that information?

If you already have a license you will need to be able to provide the information from that license.

Do note that your license will need to be a digital license.  A physical license will not cover sales of a digital release.

Follow these steps:

Single Submissions

1. Under composition type, click COVER SONG
2. Indicate YES when asked if you have secured a license
3. Choose LICENSING AGENCY from the drop-down
4. Provide the License ID and the name of the license provider
5. Under Songwriter Information, add the original songwriter or songwriters' name/names to the track. (If the songwriter name is already in your songwriter bank, click on "+ Add to this track.")
6. Enter the name of the original publisher as it appears on your license.

Album submissions

1. Under composition type, click COVER SONG
2. Under Songwriter Information, add the original songwriter or songwriters' name/names to the track. (If the songwriter name is already in your songwriter bank, click on "+ Add to this track.")
3. Enter the name of the original publisher as it appears on your license.

The songwriter and publisher name must be included exactly as it appears on your license. On some licenses, the publisher information is found under the copyright section.

What information do I provide if I’m covering a song from an artist I know personally?

If you are selling a cover song but happen to know the songwriter personally, there is often no need to secure a mechanical license. It is best though, even if it's a simple agreement among friends, to get something in writing for your own personal records (i.e. an email, or written/signed letter).  

In this situation, when you are completing the submission on CD Baby you should do the following when asked about your cover song license:

Single Submissions

1. Under composition type, click COVER SONG
2. Indicate YES when asked if you have secured a license.
3. Choose LICENSING AGENCY from the drop-down
4. Add "Private Agreement" in the License #/ID section
5. Under Songwriter Information, add the original songwriter or songwriters' name/names to the track. (If the songwriter name is already in your songwriter bank, click on "+ Add to this track.")
6. Enter the name of the original publisher.

Album Submissions

1. Under composition type, click COVER SONG
2. Under Songwriter Information, add the original songwriter or songwriters' name/names to the track. (If the songwriter name is already in your songwriter bank, click on "+ Add to this track.")
3. Enter the name of the original publisher.

Note that if you are covering a song written by someone else but which has not been previously published, you will instead mark that track as “original” and simply put the original songwriter’s name in the songwriter details.