It’s not enough that the music has been made available as an element of the game experience. Some songs have multiple agreements with publishers, so you may get to practice this a few times in a row. Reuters . Your version of a Public Domain composition is NOT considered a cover song. Loudr Cover Song Licensing €15.00 License your Cover Song with Loudr. Loudr files the proper paperwork with publishers in order to lawfully license the song for you. Soundrop gives you peace of mind, knowing: Licensing cover songs and managing the ongoing accounting hassle of paying mechanical royalties to publishers is NOT why you signed up to be a musician. Made in France |. Again, you CANNOT distribute a derivative work without the permission of the copyright holder of the pre-existing work. The license does not cover public performances, background tracks or karaoke. 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). One way to get a mechanical license for holiday cover song distribution is through Stem’s integration with Loudr. IMPORTANT: Medley licensing requires us to pay a separate mechanical license to each of the included songs’ publishers, so releasing a medley that includes elements from more than three or four songs can be cost prohibitive. Publishing, Facebook Terms & Conditions A cover song is faithful to the melodic and lyrical components of the original composition. We offer easy cover song licensing for a one-time fee of just $9.99 per song. (underlined text links to TrackLib/Soundrop partner landing page?). We can even make sure the original copyright holder automatically receives a share of the revenue! Step 2 – Mechanical License. "After my first experience working with TuneLicensing I knew I had found the best option out there for getting a licence for a cover song. Quick primer on music licensing: A cover song is an artist’s version of a previously fixed recording which has also been commercially available for purchase. Twitter License your cover songs on Soundrop Loudr’s new licensing platform easily enables users to purchase a mechanical license, the license needed to legally release a cover song across a broad spectrum of media, from physical releases to digital downloads to ringtones to interactive streams, for a flat service … By properly licensing your recordings, you ensure that the proper publishers and songwriters are paid! You know you’ll need to ask the publisher for permission to create a new work based on an existing song, but who do you contact? These include: If this all seems like a lot to remember, let Soundrop simplify everything for you. Obtain permission (a license) from the owners of a song when you record a cover of it. Published April 12, 2018 Updated April 12, 2018 . Licenses only cover songs that have already been released. How do I get my license from Loudr Licensing once I have completed my purchase? Is it necessary to get licenses to release cover songs if I plan to only release them on Spotify? I will never give away, trade or sell your email address. When you purchase a cover song license from Loudr, you have the option to specify that you’ll be making copies that take the form of a physical release, such as CDs, vinyl records, cassettes or those crazy laser-cut tree slices that actually play music. They answered my questions about which type of license, and were really helpful in finding authors on some obscure stuff that I couldn't find thru the PROs! SoundCloud Monetization In order for your version to be considered a cover song, a previous recording of that existing composition must have already been made commercially available. Publisher FAQ. That being said, some compositions written after 1923 could be in the Public Domain, depending on how long the songwriter lived, meaning you would not be required to pay a publishing royalty or secure a license to release your own version. You get proof of licensing in your email (PDF document). This site uses cookies. No matter how you release it, think about the best home for your cover songs before you license it and always share with care. Music and messaging features built for businesses both large and small. Those ownership shares should reflect the license you have negotiated. Mechanical licenses auto renew. First, there are lots of different ways to create new music from existing material, and not all of them will qualify as cover songs. Clear cover songs … You’re here because you create cover versions, so you might already know the ins-and-outs of copyright and licensing. Don’t risk it! Loudr has launched Loudr Licensing, an easy-to-use platform where artists and labels can get the requisite mechanical license needed to monetize a cover song on … Samples, no matter how long or short they are (yes, even if they’re shorter than 6 seconds), CANNOT be legally used without the permission of the rights holders. The service charges a flat $15 plus the cost of royalties. Go HERE to license your next cover song. What happened to CD Baby’s Cover Song … Loudr helps musicians legally cover the songs they love. At Loudr, we often have conversations with fellow musicians about cover songs, and one of the most common things we hear is: “I’m not really interested in selling my covers; I’d rather just give them away for free.” While this may seem like a great marketing plan, it relies on two popular, but untrue assumptions: Myth #1. Pricing and Fees. In order to distribute a cover song you need to secure a cover song license. Thankfully, our friends at Easy Song Licensing make the whole process, well, easy! $16.99 $13.42 * per song plus royalties. You can read about this integration here, but below are some key points to remember: There’s no up-front cost. 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. Spotify buys ‘cover song’ licensing firm Loudr.fm to tackle copyright risks. But with the help of our licensing partner Loudr, we can legally license medleys for you. For details about how long copyright protection applies to musical works, according to the date of creation and the lifespan of the composer, visit Copyright.gov. A few places to check to see if a song has been released: Technically speaking, some would argue that a medley is a “derivative work” and NOT a cover song. Savour the Feeling of Signing Your Agreements. Once your licenses come in the mail, savour the moment of opening them up, unfolding them, and signing each one. Artist Services You can talk to a real person who will handle everything for you. So if I play music from SoundCloud, I’m taking the risk that my channel can still be muted, and receive c… You can read my article on Digital Music News about it here. If you are recording the very first version of a song you did not write, it’s NOT a cover song (and you will need the permission of the songwriter/publisher). I read somewhere Spotify pays for covers. The Two Types Of Licenses You Should Know About. Get on VEVO YouTube Monetization That’s why, without a license and accurate metadata, your cover songs could be rejected by (or removed from) the big digital music platforms like Spotify and Apple Music. Blog Plus, simple cover song licensing means you get to focus on the fun part: recording and releasing. Easily License Your Cover Songs With Loudr and JTV Digital JTV Digital has partnered with Loudr for offering cover songs licensing for distribution. License your Cover Song with Loudr and JTV Digital, keep all your rights | get 90% royalties | collect YouTube revenue. ). Obtain permission (a license) from the owners of a song when you record a cover of it. Regardless of where in the world you end up selling your physical release, from Albania to Zaire, Loudr’s cover song license will be valid provided that you manufactured … To legally clear a sample used in a new recording, you need the permission of: These rights holders can say yes or no for any reason whatsoever. 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 You don’t want to have to pay so many rights holders that you’re actually losing money on every download. a VLA offering free legal assistance for musicians. Loudr: another service that handles cover song licensing. A cover song is a new recording of an existing composition still protected under copyright. Sell your music You should list the publisher as “Public Domain.”, You should still credit the original songwriter, composer, or author (if unknown, list the writer as “Traditional.”), A version that makes significant changes to the melody or lyrics, or replaces portions of the lyric with new original lyrics, Liner notes – Publisher names should be listed on CD and vinyl jackets, Online credits – Publisher info is also sometimes displayed on websites and music services alongside musician, engineering, and production credits, P.R.O. You can unsubscribe at any time. SoundCloud Once you have that license secured you can … Loudr, a mainstay in cover-focused song licensing and a favorite for more than 12,000 artists, is shifting core digital distribution to CD Baby. Contact us. Mechanical licenses are valid for the U.S. only We make it safe and affordable to legally license and distribute cover songs to the most popular music platforms. Where can I view the exact terms of a Loudr license obtained through Loudr Licensing? The mechanical license you need in order to distribute a cover song is called a “compulsory license” because as long as you’re meeting the requirements above, the publisher cannot prevent you from releasing that recording. It ONLY covers the sale of your recordings for private listening. Each request is securely saved online in your account. Low price leader. Derivative works are NOT cover songs and will require you to get the permission of the existing song’s publisher in order to distribute your recording. Privacy Policy, Create free account Loudr has launched Loudr Licensing, an easy-to-use platform where artists and labels can get the requisite mechanical license needed to monetize a cover song on iTunes, Spotify and other channels. You do NOT need the permission of the songwriter or publisher to record a new version of a Public Domain composition. Legally release your version of any song in 1-2 business days. We clear 100% of the rights you need, guaranteed. Crimson and Cover. Put your own stamp on the song. License your cover songs, for life Mix your style with a proven song and a creative cover can help you break down walls and reach a whole new world of listeners. Do I have to pay more money if a song has more than one copyright owner? You’re well on your way to one of the best cover songs! For more information about legally licensing a sample, go HERE. Fast and affordable cover song licensing Before you distribute a cover song, you need to secure the proper mechanical license. 95% of the time when I request a licence for a cover song the licence is approved in a matter of hours which is amazing and their customer service is also top notch! Give the song away for free on your website (without paying mechanical royalties). There are a lot of different rights and royalties at play when music is performed, sold, or streamed. Cover Song Licensing But if you need a refresher, let’s go! Easily obtain 100% of the rights you need to release any cover song in 1-2 business days. These are often compositions written prior to 1923. Whether you record modern hits, video game music, or deep cuts and classics, the composers should get paid, right? For a one-time fee of $9.99 per cover song, we will: We keep it simple for you, so you can get back to making music. Who we are Instagram The publishing royalty – These royalties (largely mechanical royalties generated from the virtual “duplication” of the song when it’s downloaded or streamed) are owed to the publisher of the song. No matter how unique and different your version is, someone else legally owns the song and is therefore entitled to royalties. Harry Fox Agency (HFA) as most of you know, has been doing this for years via their service Songfile. What is a cover song, and why should I license my cover songs? Try it free starting today! Soundrop clients get a special deal when licensing samples through TrackLib. 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. Other resources to determine if a song is in the Public Domain: A “derivative work” is a new composition created from elements of an existing song or songs still protected under copyright. If a derivative work has been properly licensed with permission from the original publisher or copyright holder, you can distribute that song through Soundrop as an original work as long as the proper songwriting ownership of the new song is listed. If you’re covering video game music, the song you’re recording must have been released in the form of an audio soundtrack in order to be considered a cover song. databases – Performing Rights Organizations like, the owner of the sound recording (the label), the owner of the composition (the publisher), The sound recording rights – which are owned by the person or label that created the cover song track, The publishing rights – which are owned by the songwriter and/or publisher of the underlying composition. Your cover song has been properly licensed FOR LIFE, All royalties are being paid correctly FOR LIFE, There’s no annual fee, so your music will be available FOR LIFE, Manually inspect your audio, cover art, and metadata to make sure it meets all DSP guidelines, Notify publishers and rights holders, as required by law, that you’re covering their song, Automatically pay mechanical royalties (out of your earnings) to the song’s publishers, forever, Distribute your song to the most popular download & streaming platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music, and many more, Facilitate rights splits and pay multiple collaborators at no extra cost, Enter in whatever information you know about the song’s songwriters or original performer, Our licensing network will search, verify, or correct the rest of the songwriter, publisher, and copyright information, An NOI (a notice-of-intent) will be issued to the appropriate publishers to notify them you’ll be covering their song (as required by law when commercially distributing a cover song), Your legally-licensed cover song will be distributed to the biggest music platforms in the world, including Apple Music, Spotify, and many more, Soundrop will automatically subtract all mechanical royalties from your revenue and pay them to the publishers of your cover songs – for life. If they agree, they can set the terms for payment, rights splits, and more. With Soundrop, we’ll make sure you collect the first kind of royalty, and that the publishers are correctly paid everything they’re owed – which is essential if you want to keep your cover songs available online. Also, check out services like TrackLib who offer pre-cleared samples from thousands of original recordings. CNN's Michael Holmes reports. By continuing to browse the site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. For one of your cover songs, you could even have your fans vote to choose the song! Cover songs are an amazing way to bring creativity and intrigue into your catalogue. [Music Licensing 101: How do I license a cover song?] Releasing cover songs for free. The $10 fee-per-cover comes from the royalties earned from the cover song. You also must arrange for the accurate payment of all mechanical royalties generated by the sale or streaming of your version to the song’s publisher. All Rights Reserved. We offer easy cover song licensing for a one-time fee of just $9.99 per song. Think Beethoven, hymns, old folk songs, etc. The best way to stream legal music. Unlike with cover songs, the copyright holder CAN deny you permission to create a derivative work for any reason. Marketing & Promotion License your cover songs the RIGHT WAY. The label royalty – This a fee owed to the owner of the sound recording for the purchase or streaming usage of the track. Soundrop makes this easy. In addition to cover song licensing and music sales, Loudr includes such features as revenue splits for collaborators. However, if you don’t notify the proper rights holders, secure the cover song license or pay the appropriate royalties, the publisher can revoke your right to distribute their composition. Clear any cover song in 1-2 business days. Here’s the basic outline of our cover song licensing & distribution process: The verification process mentioned in Step #3 above is essential to make sure accurate metadata is delivered with your audio, and that proper rights holders are being compensated (which is the key to keeping a cover song available on digital music platforms). Loudr Cover Song Licensing $18 License your Cover Song with Loudr. Three important rules to remember about cover songs: As mentioned above, the song you’re “covering” must’ve already had an official release in order for YOUR version to be considered an actual cover song. Published April 12, 2018 . The songwriter (copyright holder) has the right to be the first to release their song. Do some research into the songwriter and original performer of the song (this will help us to secure the right license more quickly), Use proper title formatting – typically the. Loudr has launched Loudr Licensing, an easy-to-use platform where artists and labels can get the requisite mechanical license needed to monetize a cover song on iTunes, Spotify and other channels. When licensing covers that you’ll just offer for free online (streaming or download), you will still need to obtain a license so that the original songwriter(s) get paid. A sample is a snippet of audio taken from an existing recording that’s protected under copyright and used in a new recording, often in a recording of a totally new composition. Obtain permission (a license) from the owners of a song when you record a cover of it. A Public Domain work is a song that has passed out of its copyright protection period. YouTube It is not a mash-up, it does not use any of the original sound recording, and it cannot deviate too widely from the original arrangement (adding an extra verse, etc. A cover song CAN (and often should) take stylistic liberties, making changes to the genre, tempo, key, instrumentation, etc. If this all seems like a lot to remember, let Soundrop simplify everything for you. There’s no point in releasing a carbon copy! So, if you want to cover a song and distribute it independently you would need to obtain a license. Three important rules about Public Domain works: Important: The “1922 or earlier” rule only applies to compositions, NOT sound recordings. © Copyright - JTV Digital. Songfile is the quick and easy way to license cover songs for physical and digital formats such as CDs, downloads, ringtones and interactive streams. We’ll secure the license for you, and make sure all royalties are paid to the publisher correctly – forever. The service charges a flat $15 plus the cost of royalties. There are two primary rights to consider with a cover song: If you created the recording, most likely YOU are the owner of the sound recording. You need a mechanical license whenever you record and sell/give away a cover version of another musician’s song. Here are a few places to search for publisher information: If you need legal assistance contacting publishers or negotiating terms, see if your town has a VLA offering free legal assistance for musicians. You should focus on creating dope jams; leave all the less-dope stuff to us. Loudr is a US-based music company which recently launched a super-easy cover song licensing process (independent from their existing digital distribution service). 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. I’ve mentioned licenses a few times throughout this guide, so I thought I should define the most relevant ones here. In the United States, due to some complex rights arrangements, there are NO sound recordings in the Public Domain. For instance, if you were to cover the song “Because the Night” and list Patti Smith as the artist, we would catch that, verify the song you’re covering, and correctly credit Bruce Springsteen as the composer. The best way to legally license your cover songs - for life. You could use voting polls on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter to get your fans involved. And songwriters are paid to the melodic and lyrical components of the sound recording for the purchase streaming... Our friends at easy song licensing $ 18 license your cover songs on Soundrop Spotify buys ‘ song! Of different rights and royalties at play when music is performed, sold, or deep cuts classics. 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