Licensing of coversongz

Licensing of Coversongs

Kenny Hattingh

Cover Song Licensing through our distributor & Mechanical License: Summary

The summary below focuses on coversong licensing as it relates to obtaining a mechanical license, which is the required license for audio-only cover song distribution. We offer a service that helps artists obtain this license.

Coversong Licensing

Purpose: Our distributor simplifies the process of securing a mechanical license for a cover song, allowing you to legally reproduce and distribute a copyrighted musical composition in your own new audio recording.

Process:

Request & Payment: You submit a request for the song you want to cover and pay the associated fees, which can include a service fee and the initial royalty payment (depending on the license type). We often offer options like a "Limited License" (covers a predetermined number of units/sales) or a "Standard License" (often covers in perpetuity for digital products).

Research & Clearance: We handle the research to identify the original songwriter and publisher (the copyright holders of the composition).

Issuance: They secure the mechanical license and ensure that the appropriate royalties are accounted for and paid to the original copyright holders. You receive confirmation of the active license.

Key Benefit: The service acts as an intermediary, meaning you typically do not need to contact or negotiate directly with the original songwriter or publisher.

Mechanical License: What it Allows You to Do and Not Do

A Mechanical License is an agreement that grants permission to reproduce and distribute a copyrighted musical composition (the music and lyrics) in an audio-only format. It is essential for releasing a cover song you recorded.

What a Mechanical License Allows You to Do:

Reproduce the Composition: You can make your own new audio recording of a song previously written and released by someone else (a cover song).

Distribute Audio-Only Recordings: You can distribute your cover song commercially in audio formats, including:

Digital downloads (e.g., iTunes, Amazon Music).

Interactive streaming (e.g., Spotify, Apple Music).

Physical products (e.g., CDs, vinyl).

Maintain Creative Style: You can record your cover song in your own style, with new instrumentation and a different tempo or arrangement, provided you follow the core restrictions below.

Compulsory Licensing: In the United States, if a song has already been commercially released, the copyright holder is generally compelled by law to grant a mechanical license to anyone who wants to record and distribute a cover, as long as they pay the statutory royalty rate.

What a Mechanical License Does Not Allow You to Do:

Change the Basic Character of the Song: You cannot fundamentally change the melody or the lyrics without seeking additional permissions.

You also cannot use the track in music videos. For that, you need a sync license and an additional cost.

The cost of adding you as an artist to Dreamweavers Records International is $25 per year. This will include setting you up with an artist page on our website that you, as an artist, can use to add your bio, pictures, etc.

.lThe cost of licensing a cover song is between $20 and $75 per year.