WHAT IS A COVER SONG?
A cover song refers to a new performance or rendition of a previously recorded song by an artist or group other than the original creator or performer. Musicians do covers for all sorts of reasons - to pay tribute to a favourite artist, show off their own style, or just have fun putting their own twist on a popular tune. It's a way for musicians to showcase their creativity and put their own personalities into a song that people already know and love.
To be considered a cover, your track must:
Keep the same composition: the lyrics, melody and song structure must remain the same as the original.
Be a new recording: you must have re-recorded all elements of the song from scratch.
Not include samples: your track cannot use any part of the original sound recording.
If you start changing your cover too much, it might not be a cover anymore…
Cover song licensing does not extend to: Remixes; Samples or Mashups
HOW COVER SONG LICENSING WORKS
When you distribute a cover song, the original songwriters must be paid mechanical royalties.
For most territories: Identity Music uses the MLC (Mechanical Licensing Collective) which works with streaming platforms to ensure the original artist and you are paid correctly. For territories covered by the MLC, you do not need to obtain a separate mechanical license for your cover song.
Excluded territories: the MLC does not operate in Mexico, Canada, India or Pakistan. To release a cover song in these countries, you must obtain a separate mechanical license for the track. Identity Music cannot get this license for you.
HOW TO RELEASE YOUR COVER SONG WITH IDENTITY MUSIC
If you're unsure where to find the right info for your covers, Songfile provides a great resource to figure it out.
Using the right metadata for your release is particularly important when you're releasing a cover song.
Original Track Title
Enter the original song title of your cover. Avoid the temptation to edit the title for an extra buzz. Remember: You don't need to put “(cover)” or “cover version” in the title.
✅ Use only the original song title, e.g. 'My Way' or 'My Way (Acoustic Version)'
❌ Don't add 'cover', 'tribute' or the original artist's name, e.g. 'My Way (Cover of Frank Sinatra)'
Publishing Information
You must credit the original creators in the Publishing Information when creating your release on your distribution dashboard.
Original Songwriter: Credit at least one of the original songwriters. This determines who gets paid for your cover track, so make sure this is correct to save headaches later on!
Original Performing Artist: Credit the original artist who performed the song.
❌ It's important that you don't add the original songwriter or original performing artist as a 'Featuring Artist' on your release. They must only be listed in the publishing metadata.
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO RELEASE A COVER SONG?
There are no additional fees to release a cover song with Identity Music! Releasing cover songs is included in your distribution deal and will be subject to the same royalty share agreement as your other releases. The MLC will take a share per stream to pay the original artist(s), but there are no additional charges from Identity Music.
AND THAT'S A WRAP!
Have more questions? Come and speak to our team, we can help you get your cover track distributed legally.