How to Upload Cover Song on Distrokid

If you want to learn how to properly release cover songs on streaming services in a way that is both easy and legal, I've thoroughly researched DistroKid'southward cover vocal licensing feature and wrote all of my findings downwards here for y'all.

DistroKid allows you to legally distribute and release cover songs with its Cover Licensing feature that automatically obtains the licenses needed and makes certain the original songwriters are paid every month for just $12 annually per song.

DistroKid cover song licensing allows you to easily distribute cover songs by only checking off a box when uploading your song instead of having to track downwardly, obtain, and manage the appropriate cover licenses all by yourself.

Earlier we dive into how DistroKid cover songs work and how you can get started in detail, just a few quick things:

#1 – Nothing that is mentioned by me or DistroKid is meant to be taken as official legal advice, etc, etc, etc.

#2 – To release covers sons with DistroKid for the lowest possible price, make sure you larn about the DistroKid discount before signing up.

With that out of the way, if you're set up to learn everything y'all need to know nigh how you can release encompass songs with DistroKid, simply keep on reading, my friend! 🙂

DistroKid Cover Song Licensing Explained

DistroKid Cover Song Licensing allows you to legally release encompass songs by obtaining the right license(s) and making sure the right people are paid on time.

DistroKid cover song licensing costs $12 annually per song in improver to the legal amount that is automatically withdrawn from your monthly royalty earnings to the original songwriter(s). The DistroKid cover license is a $one per month fee that is paid annually (pregnant $12 billed to the credit card you have on file).

The cover licensing fee is used to obtain the licenses needed, make sure the original songwriters are paid every month, and brand sure your release is kept up to date on copyright laws.

Aside from the legally-mandated fee of nine.1 cents or 1.75 cents per minute of playing time or fraction (whichever is larger) to be paid to the original songwriter, you get to proceed 100% of the remaining earnings.

When using DistroKid to legally release a encompass song, it is important that yous understand that DistroKid classifies a encompass song every bit an sound recording that y'all have performed and recorded yourself but the music was written by someone else.

This means that you can't apply samples of the original song and must have really recorded all of the elements of the cover vocal yourself.

Why DistroKid Tin can Hands Release Covers

You are able to easily release cover songs through DistroKid thank you to legal rules on cover songs called "compulsory licensing" which ways anyone tin cover a song and its creator is non allowed to say no (hence compulsory).

In addition to this, the royalty rate for embrace songs is "statutory" (aka stock-still) and is set by 3 copyright royalty judges appointed by the Librarian of Congress.

This means that DistroKid is able to easily implement a system that automatically obtains licenses and pays out songwriters correctly since the law states that creators are not allowed to say no and the original songwriter's earnings are easy to summate since the royalty charge per unit is fixed.

How To Upload Comprehend Songs With DistroKid

Whenever you distribute a release using DistroKid, there is a checkbox on the release form for you to confirm if the vocal is an original (aka you wrote it) or if the song is a cover (aka someone else wrote it).

Choosing the comprehend song option will automatically apply DistroKid's cover vocal licensing which is a $1 per month fee that is paid annually (significant $12 billed to the credit menu y'all have on file) that is renewed annually to manage the cover song license for yous.

To upload a cover vocal with DistroKid, follow these steps:

Log in to your DistroKid dashboard
Click on "Upload" at the top of the page
When you lot become to the "Songwriter" department of the release course, select the "Another artist wrote it (information technology'southward a comprehend song)" pick
Review the data DistroKid displays on encompass song licensing
Input the track's original creative person/songwriter and original song title
Check of the box that confirms "This rails does Non sample or remix another artist'southward recording"
Finishing submitting your release as normal

This is the surface area of the DistroKid release grade that you are looking for:

This is what happens once you lot select the cover vocal option:

After submitting a release that uses DistroKid embrace licensing, DistroKid will obtain the mechanical license for you and automatically deduct the legally-mandated fees from your earnings each month and pay it to the original songwriter.

To make sure your release goes out on time, make certain that there are no errors (visualized as a red 10) and that you have used the original song'south championship exactly every bit information technology is depicted in its original release.

After your cover song has been successfully submitted, you will be able to view and download all of your existing licenses by clicking on your DistroKid profile icon at the top correct and then selecting the "Cover song licenses" choice.

11 Things You Need To Know When Uploading Cover Songs With DistroKid

Hither are some actress things you should know and tips for when you lot are using DistroKid to distribute cover songs to Spotify and other streaming services:

DistroKid Embrace Song Wait Times: Information technology can take up to fourteen business days to secure a cover vocal license so make certain to factor that in when planning your release
Cover Song Titles: Do not include the proper noun of the original artist in the track title (ie: "Wonderwall" and NOT "Wonderwall (originally by Oasis)"
Unreleased Songs In Moving-picture show: DistroKid can't obtain licenses for any vocal that was used in a film score or video game that was never released separately from that pic'southward or game'south soundtrack
Unreleased Songs In Games: DistroKid can't obtain licenses for songs that were released as part of CD compilation outside of the U.s.a.
Traditional Songs: DistroKid can't obtain licenses for traditional songs that are now part of the public domain
No Medleys Or Mashups: You lot tin't utilize DistroKid cover liceneses to release medleys or mashups
Must Use DistroKid Licenses: You must DistroKid'due south cover license even if yous have (or plan to ) obtain the license on your own
No Sampling Allowed: You lot can't use sound samples of the original recording or of the original artist'south operation in the song you submit equally a DistroKid cover
Obtain A New License For Every Cover Upload: You must purchase a DistroKid cover license every time you upload a comprehend song with DistroKid, even if you have uploaded that same embrace vocal in the past with DistroKid
No YouTube Content ID: Cover songs submitted through DistroKid are not eligable for YouTube Content ID (although other songs that are eligibale will still piece of work if you are releasing an album)
Derivative Works: If the lyrics or final limerick is fundamentally changed from the original composition it may exist considered a derivative work and may require direct permission from the vocal'due south music publishers. Us copyright law mentions that embrace liscense are just valid when the original lyrics and melody are mostly the aforementioned equally the original song.

It's important to follow these tips or else your song may not be released, be delayed, or in that location could even exist some unfortunate legal activeness taken against you past the original songwriter.

Which DistroKid Programme Is Best For Releasing Cover Songs?

Information technology is possible to release encompass songs when you are on any of the plans that DistroKid has available, however, I would recommend using the Musician Plus plan so that you tin can set a custom release appointment.

If you want to upload covers for the everyman price I would recommend the basic Musician plan, even so, my ultimate recommendation would be to employ the Musician Plus programme.

Because it can take up to 14 days for DistroKid to obtain the embrace license, this may mean that your embrace song will become released at a very random time and may exist hard to promote considering you lot don't have a clear release date on the basic Musician plan.

To learn more nigh how you can selection the right DistroKid plan for you, I'd recommend checking out any of these articles:

DistroKid Pricing Explained
DistroKid Musician vs Musician Plus
The big fat DistroKid review

Regardless of which programme you choose, I'd recommend learning about the DistroKid discount earlier y'all sign upwardly and so that you can get your program for the everyman possible price.

Click the link above to learn more (including a full walkthrough), but here is a spoiler for you:

The all-time disbelieve that DistroKid offers is 7% off your first yr with DistroKid: to save seven% off with DistroKid click here.

What Happens If You Don't Employ DistroKid Cover Song Licensing?

You must use DistroKid's encompass song licensing even if you've obtained a cover license on your ain.

If you do not, your encompass may exist taken downwards or there could exist legal activity taken against you by the original songwriter(southward).

The reason for this is due to the fact that the only way that DistroKid's organization can confirm that the original songwriter is beingness paid accordingly is when DistroKid's license is practical to your release.

DistroKid Alternatives

If you lot would similar to do some shopping effectually before selecting DistroKid as your music benefactor, I'd highly recommend that.

It'due south always proficient to be informed!

Although I call back DistroKid is awesome and definitely recommend it, I besides did a bunch of research before selecting them (that is how I'm able to write all these articles hehe).

Below are some alternatives to DistroKid that I have researched and written almost. I do my best to brand it an unbiased shootout of what each company offers on their websites (but sometimes my DistroKid fanboy shows quite a bit).

DistroKid vs TuneCore
DistroKid vs CdBaby
DistroKid vs UnitedMasters
DistroKid vs Ditto
DistroKid vs Amuse
DistroKid vs SoundCloud
DistroKid vs Landr

P.Southward. I'll be sure to update this section with more comparisons and alternatives as I enquiry and write near them. 🙂

P.P.Due south. If you lot too want to learn about music publishing and brand sure that y'all are not leaving any money on the table with your music distribution setup, I'd recommend checking out these 2 articles:

Is DistroKid A Publisher?
Songtrust vs DistroKid

Some of my favorite music marketing tools

Thank you for reading this article, my friend, and I hope you establish it helpful as you lot build your own successful career in music. 🙂

Hither is a list of my favorite and nigh recommended tools and resources that I've personally used to go my music streamed over 4,000,000 times on Spotify as an artist.

Any of the paid services or tools listed here are most likely affiliate links, and so if you do make up one's mind to use any of them, I'll earn a pocket-sized commission.

But in all honesty, these are the exact tools that I personally use, honey, and recommend to anyone – including my ain friends and family.

Music Distribution

To become your music on Spotify on all the other streaming services, I use DistroKid considering yous go unlimited song uploads for a low annual price.

If you desire to learn more nigh DistroKid and music distribution, check out the in-depth DistroKid review that I've put together.

Or, if y'all desire to get started with DistroKid right now, you tin relieve on your get-go year with the DistroKid discount.

Facebook Ads For Spotify Success

Although Facebook Ads can be a existent pain to get working properly, at that place is no denying that they are incredible for growing Spotify streams and getting your music in front of real fans.

This is why I've put together a completely free form that you lot can check out called Facebook Ads For Musicians' Spotify Streams. 🙂

Music Publishing Royalties Collection

For collecting all of the publishing, mechanical, and live performance royalties owed to me whenever my music gets streamed or played, my go-to is Songtrust.

Songtrust is a publishing assistants company which means that in add-on to collecting all of those royalties for me, they do information technology on a global level.

To larn if Songtrust is right for yous, I'd recommend checking out this article on Songtrust vs BMI.

And if yous want to get started with Songtrust right now, I'd recommend learning about the Songtrust discount lawmaking then that you can get the best cost. 🙂

Website & Smart Links

I'grand personally not a big fan of the link-in-bio and smart links for music pages similar ToneDen and Hyppeddit.

Instead, I prefer having a full-blown WordPress website that allows me to have a full website in addition to unlimited music links.

For getting started with this, I really like Bluehost because it is the cheapest and a theme called Thrive Themes because information technology is the most flexible and easiest to use.

I've actually created a free Smart Links Form that you tin take to learn how to get set and beginning getting more than streams with custom smart links (I've even included the templates I am using!).

Want more than tools and resource for your music career?

If you'd like to run across even more of my favorite marketing tools and resources for musicians and music artists, I've created an even larger list on this page: Best Marketing Tools & Resources For Musicians (& Music Artists).

P.S. There are even some gratuitous tools and resource included on that folio as well! 🙂

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Source: https://bestfriendsclub.ca/distrokid-cover-songs-licensing/