Is your cover song in the “public domain?”
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What's a mechanical license?
A mechanical license pays the songwriter or publisher who owns the copyright to a composition when you create and release your recording on CDs, digital downloads and streams, vinyl, cassettes, and even ringtones.
You need a mechanical license whenever you record and sell or give away a cover version of another musician's song. Once you have that license secured, you can legally distribute someone else's composition.
When do you need a license to record a cover song?
Releasing a cover song is a great way to excite your fanbase with a new version of a song they may already know and love. But when do you need to secure a license to release a cover song? Can this license be denied? And what does it all cost?
Every recording has two copyrights:
- The sound recording (the actual music recording you hear)
- The composition (the underlying song)
The rights to the sound recording belong to the record label or — for independent artists — to the artist. The rights to the composition belong to the publisher, or to the songwriter or composer.
When you record a cover song, the sound recording automatically belongs to you — or if you're on a label, it's typically the labels.
But, the composition remains the property of the songwriter or publisher, because you are using their song. Therefore, they're entitled to compensation for your use of their song.
To legally release a cover song, you need to secure a mechanical license to do so. Anyone can apply for the right to record a cover song, and permission is automatically and instantly granted every time.
How do you apply for a mechanical license?
There are a number of ways to do so, including going to the Harry Fox Agency, applying through your distributor like CD Baby, or going to an independent licensing agency, of which there are several.
Perhaps most convenient for you if you're considering releasing physical products is to do it through Disc Makers. We have partnered with Easy Song Licensing to make it fast and easy to secure your mechanical license.