In the UK, a mechanical licence is required in order for you to record and distribute physical copies of your cover song. YouTube but won’t be selling it, you don't need to obtain mechanical license. However, you always should comply with the proper UK cover song licencing procedure. In order to use these platforms, you agree to comply with their terms and conditions policy. If you only plan on covering the song live at a gig, you won’t have any legal concerns. *The mechanical license provided by Royalty Solutions only covers digital downloads. Clear any cover song in 1-2 business days. (323) 776-6475. How does that differ from recording covers on a CD or audio medium and is it easy and/or expensive to obtain. TIP: Master licenses can be a little trickier to obtain compared to Mechanical licenses. Mechanical royalties are paid by whoever obtains a mechanical license to reproduce and distribute a piece of music, such as in album form or as ringtone, digital download, or interactive stream. You will have to pay a royalty to the publisher (which ultimately goes to the writer of the song you've covered) on the amount you manufacture, not the amount you sell. Spotify, Apple Music etc). History. Cover song licences for the vast majority of music in the UK can be obtained from PRS for Music — and their affiliated organisations — who ensure that original creators receive the royalties. Since I technically needed a mechanical license for each of the songs I was recording, I decided to go through the whole process of obtaining the licenses. Is it necessary to get licenses to release cover songs if I plan to only release them on Spotify? Clear cover songs now. Our partner—Easy Song Licensing—can help you get a mechanical license for your cover songs. Thanks for help. Not always. We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. This is awesome because if you’re covering some obscure song from an indie band in Wyoming or an international songwriter from France, you wouldn’t be able to. Loudr and Easy Song Licensing are independent services that charge a small service fee (about $15 per song) to secure a mechanical license for any song that you’d like to cover. How do you get your cover songs out for the world to hear legally and make money from it too. How you intend to use another musician’s song will dictate whether or not you need a licence and, if you do, what type of licence you need to obtain before you can legitimately cover the song. The reason that is it called a Mechanical Licence is that it refers to physical copies of a song, such as a vinyl record and or a CD (DVDs and Video tapes). However, if you wish to use copyrighted songs in a video, a synchronisation licence is necessary. Last week Loudr announced that they are making it super easy for artists to obtain a mechanical license to (legally) release cover songs through any digital distributor (not just them). You need a mechanical license from the original writer or publisher to record and release cover songs. Share your music and earn revenue while meeting the legal requirements of covering a song. Record, engineer, and master the recordings; Assignment using ISRC and UPC codes. I’m guessing that the answer is no – which is about as much as I know after trying to find out over the last few months. We use cookies on this website to enhance your user experience, By clicking any link on this page you are giving your consent for us to set cookies, Home >> Advice >> Cover Song Licensing Guide: Permission, Costs, & Royalties. Find the right mechanical license. We've partnered with Royalty Solutions to offer two different pricing options to clear your cover songs. How to Improve Timing When Singing | How Do Singers Improve Their Timing? However, it will cost if you plan on recording the cover version and then offering it for sale on a download website or as part of a physical CD or album product. Not for resale. Master licenses are different to mechanical licenses as they cover the actual sound recording of a song, rather than the composition, lyrics & melody. All of this is awesome for music releases, but there are additional things to consider when releasing a song … Clear cover songs now. Get a mechanical license to release your cover song on CD, tape, vinyl, or as a digital download. Covers, cover songs or cover versions, are performances or recordings of an existing song by someone other than the original performing artist. While there are some exceptions to this (such as public domain works), the golden rule is a common guideline that can helpful in determining what rights need to be licensed and how to obtain them. It is the responsibility of the venue, where your performance will take place, to ensure that they have TheMusicLicence set up in advance; this is a single licence covering them for public performances of almost all copyright music. Whether you are new to publishing or you’ve got decades of hits under your belt, HFA is here to help you with mechanical licensing and collecting the royalties you’re due. Give us a call and we can help you with your questions and custom licensing needs. Master licenses are different to mechanical licenses as they cover the actual sound recording of a song, rather than the composition, lyrics & melody. ; I have no idea. 30 Music Industry Terms Every Musician Should Know, Open Mic Manchester – The Top 10 Best Nights Near Me, 9 Simple Tricks to Learn Song Lyrics With Ease, Registered in England & Wales | Future Productions Limited. You may have to find, contact and negotiate with the right's holder directly. Almost all copyright music in the UK will be registered with PRS for Music. From 4 January 2011, UK VAT increases to 20%. Copyright law protects the rights of the original artist, to ensure that they receive due recognition and payment for their creative property. The easiest way to look at mechanical royalties is to think about a … It can help increase the exposure of the original artist’s music. My band has been asked to do a live concert performance to be broadcast on TV. What are your experiences? Whether you are new to publishing or you’ve got decades of hits under your belt, HFA is here to help you with mechanical licensing and collecting the royalties you’re due. Why? You can obtain a mechanical license through the Harry Fox Agency. The rights owner of a song has the right to control who makes the first record. In the remainder of this article, we will cover the varying uses of cover songs and how copyright law applies to them. The explosion of social media networks and music publishing platforms such as SoundCloud and YouTube has led to an increase in cover song licensing requests, and singers seeking permission to cover songs they plan on releasing. Quick and Easy. Quick answer: You can, but there are some risks to posting cover songs on YouTube. This is where you need to go to acquire the mechanical licence for a song. It’s when you record and publish the song that cover song licensing issues can arise. In the UK, you won’t need any licenses to release a cover song. A mechanical is any song recording, including vinyl, CDs, or digital downloads. This is done by getting permission from the rightsholder and in the UK, this is through MCPS. A new recording of an existing song requires a cover song license, referred to as a compulsory mechanical license. There are two cover song licensing services which let you apply for a license to record a cover song. What is a Mechanical License? The content in this article is just a general overview of the topic and should not be considered legal advice. However, musicians don’t need a license to cover a song live, it is the responsibility of the venue. Performances in the UK are covered by a venue’s PRS license but cover songs will need their own license. You can check if CSI cover a song license by searching either CMRRA’s or SODRAC’s repertoires. 3. If not, you must contact the publisher or copyright holder for that song to apply for a mechanical license. Music copyright law is important for every singer and musician who want to know how to copyright a song. * *The mechanical license provided by Royalty Solutions only covers digital downloads. Properly license those cover songs — for life. The statutory rate does not apply, as the license fee would need to be negotiated with the copyright owner in … That said, the copyright holder could choose to mute or even take down the video — though this is rarer in recent years. Company registered Office: Lumsden Avenue, Southampton SO15 5EL, https://www.openmicuk.co.uk/advice/do-you-need-a-licence-to-do-cover-songs/. Visit the following websites for more information: It costs nothing to cover a song when singing it live. No matter how unique and different your version is, someone else legally owns the song and is therefore entitled to royalties. If you are considering legally recording another artist’s song, here are some steps you should think about first. You don’t need to obtain a licence to perform a cover song in music competitions such as Open Mic UK and TeenStar. Mechanical License for the USA and Canada: Grants the licensee the right to reproduce an underlying composition for the purpose of phonographic sales (ie downloads, CDs, vinyl, etc.) Therefore, if a song hasn’t been commercially released as a record then you can’t get a compulsory license. To date, Facebook does not have a way to compensate the copyright holder(s). Is there a European standard for royalty fees and covering songs? Make sure you are set-up to receive performance royalties. Automatically pay mechanical royalties to the composers. First steps – find the composer and publisher. Scroll down to find out more about paying royalties on a cover song if you plan on distributing it or uploading to social media channels. I don’t make anything from it just enjoy sharing. This should not be confused with using actual samples of copyrighted music in your videos. Best practices for creating and uploading a cover version – SoundCloud Help Center. Distribute as CD’s, vinyl records, and digital downloads; Register the remake cover song with a PRO so you can also receive royalties. In the UK, a mechanical licence is required in order for you to record and distribute physical copies of your cover song. Therefore, posting cover songs on Facebook could cause your video to be removed and you may risk losing your Facebook page. Those companies are responsible for paying out all royalties to the publishers themselves. The MLA is the standard agreement entered into between CMRRA and record labels doing business in Canada on an ongoing basis. For example, when your band plays "Smooth Criminal" (written by Michael Jackson). You will need an additional license if you choose to physically distribute your cover song. Always double check if you suspect the song you wish to use is in the public domain; you need to establish who created the work, and when they died. Cover songs can help singers to build their audience but it may require licensing in certain situations. Has posting cover songs on YouTube benefited your career? Based on the length of each song and the number of units you plan to sell, songfile.com then computes a fee based upon the statutory mechanical royalty rate- the money collected for each sale of your cover version that goes directly to the song's writer and publisher (often … This increase is reflected in the prices below. A mechanical license is not required for artists who record and distribute completely original work. A mechanical license for cover songs gives you the right to reproduce and distribute a copyrighted song on a permanent digital download. This is totally okay—DistroKid makes it easy and legal to sell cover songs. This means that the owner of the song’s copyright has an obligation to give you a license. You need a mechanical license if you are planning on recording a song whose rights are owned by a publisher. In December, I recorded a demo of cover songs for distribution to venues, and also as a stocking stuffer for family. By properly licensing your recordings, you ensure that the proper publishers and songwriters are paid! However, some copyright owners object to unlicensed covers. For example if I recorded my own cover of blink 182s "what's my age again" and credit the original authors in the Metadata, do I need to buy a mechanical license to release it exclusively on Spotify I would. Do you share cover songs on YouTube? Distribute your music beyond YouTube Music. If you’re lucky, the song you wish to cover will exist in the Public Domain, and therefore, you won’t require a licence to use it. Like to clarify about TV as you didn’t really get into that. Powered by the largest database of music compositions matched to sound recordings, HFA connects music users and rightsholders to get royalties to music creators. Instead, it is the responsibility of the venue to make sure that any necessary licences are in place. This allows the owner of the copyright to make a judgement based on the content of the new video. Uploading video cover songs on Facebook (directly), without the necessary licences (both mechanical and synchronisation), is in breach of their terms and conditions. How would we go about finding out where to license all of these… Read more », What licence do I need if I wish to record a cover song to share with family and friends only? Some original copyright owners are happy to see their songs covered and uploaded to YouTube by new artists. Great site to get a mechanical license and find those hard to reach music producers to get clearance on popular cover songs. Now, if the artist/band wants to create a promotional music video based on the cover song, this requires license(s) as well, except that the license required is called a synchronization license. Remixes use elements of the original recording, but change the arrangement, melody, style or genre of the song. You do not need permission to cover a song live. Easily obtain 100% of the rights you need to release any cover song in 1-2 business days. Failing to meet these standards could result in your account could be permanently terminated. This means that the license won’t cover music videos or videos of you performing the cover. Royalty Solutions offers the music clearance services you need. Mechanical Licensing for Cover Songs: If you’ve recorded a version of another artist’s song and you plan to distribute it online, you’ll need a mechanical license. Does Soundcloud work the same way as youtube? This is totally okay—DistroKid makes it easy and legal to sell cover songs. Using a cover song in a live performance requires the least licencing procedure because a live performance is not technically a publication. By requesting a mechanical license, you are ensuring that the original creator of the song is getting their fair share of the sales of the cover. But without help, licensing cover songs can be a huge hassle—the terms are often confusing and time-consuming. Therefore, to find a solution to this, YouTube has made arrangements to compensate the copyright holders and now implements a ‘Content ID system‘ that searches for and recognises videos which contain audio similar to known copyrighted material. Videos that are uploaded directly appear to gain more exposure compared to videos embedded from other platforms. Our experts will get you licensed and ready for your release! To license a cover version, first find out the composers and publishers of your cover tune. The LM licence has a capped limit of 250 units for PPL sound recordings. Cover Song Licensing Services What is a mechanical license? A mechanical is any song recording, including vinyl, CDs, or digital downloads. You need a mechanical license to distribute your covers. Songfile is the quick and easy way to license cover songs for physical and digital formats such as CDs, downloads, ringtones and interactive streams. If you want to license more than 250 units including the sound recordings, a PPL authorisation code … One-time fee, lifetime of licensing coverage For a one-time fee of $9.99 per cover song, we will: Secure your cover song license, forever Manually inspect your audio, cover art, and metadata to make sure it meets all DSP guidelines Protect yourself from copyright claims on cover songs, without the hassle. Hallo, I am a hobby guitarist and singer and upload a few covers to Soundcloud as well as old folk songs. For example, selling CDs, as well as digital downloads. By law, YouTube cannot give you the rights to publish covers of copyrighted songs on their platform. A mechanical license for cover songs gives you the right to reproduce and distribute a copyrighted song on a permanent digital download.*. Mechanical Licenses for the sale and distribution of cover songs.

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