Tip #2 - Double check the composition type
Tip #1 - Sign up early
We highly recommend signing up your release 4-6 weeks before your desired release date (3 weeks minimum). This allows for any adjustments that may need to be made during the inspection process and gives you ample time to promote your release!
Our digital partners like Spotify and Apple receive a high volume of deliveries and content updates this time of year, which means distributors like CD Baby need to deliver our artists' content to them with plenty of time. If you don't sign up early enough, you may risk missing your release date.
❄️ Take note of important information below❄️
⭐ If you are planning a release date anytime between November 29th and January 3rd, you must sign up your content at CD Baby at least 3 weeks ahead of your release date. 4-6 weeks is even better.
Tip #2 - Double-check the composition type
Make sure you know the difference between a cover song and songs in the public domain. Many holiday albums include covers and public domain tracks and you'll want to be sure to secure the proper licensing if necessary.
A cover song is your recording of a song that you didn't write, which has previously been released in the USA, with the consent of the copyright owner (the songwriter/publisher). When you record a cover song and wish to distribute it for monetary gain, you must purchase a mechanical license, which pays the publisher of the original recording. Learn about obtaining a mechanical license for a cover song here.
If a song's music & lyrics were published before January 1, 1929, the song is considered in the Public Domain in the US. This means a reproduction of this song can be recorded and released without obtaining a license.
Please visit pdinfo.com to learn more about Public Domain works and see a list of songs that qualify. It's important to know that if a work falls within the Public Domain, only that exact version is not protected under US copyright law. Other people may have created arrangements of that work that ARE under copyright. Do your research!
Go here to see a list of common holiday songs and whether they require a license.
*Please note, links to third-party sites are provided purely for informational purposes and we cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information. These sites are not governed by our artist agreement and privacy policy.
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