Releasing a cover song through CD Baby requires the appropriate license, accurate credits and distribution settings that match the rights obtained. The requirements depend on whether the release is digital or physical and where it will be available.
Confirm the song qualifies as a cover
A cover is a new recording of a previously released song written by someone else. Copyright in the new sound recording is separate from copyright in the composition, which covers the underlying music and lyrics.
Artists can change how they perform or arrange a song, such as recording a solo acoustic version of a full-band track. Changes to its melody or fundamental character make it a derivative work, which requires explicit permission from the composition copyright holder to distribute.
A composition in the public domain can be recorded without a license for that composition, but its status must be verified for the relevant country. In the United States, songs published more than 95 years ago are generally in the public domain. CD Baby submissions must identify a public-domain song as such.
Get the license for each format
In the United States, a compulsory mechanical license allows a new recording of most existing songs to be released without the copyright holder’s explicit permission. Easy Song offers mechanical licenses for digital downloads and physical releases. Although a license is not technically required for streaming services such as Spotify and Apple Music, CD Baby requires one for cover submissions regardless of distribution settings.
- A CD Baby cover release requires a license for digital downloads, regardless of the selected distribution plan.
- CDs and vinyl require a physical distribution license. A digital license does not cover physical formats, or vice versa.
- Licenses for either format can be obtained through Easy Song or directly from the composition copyright owner.
Enter credits and set territories
In CD Baby’s submission process, select “Cover Song” as the composition type. Enter the license ID and provider, then add the original songwriter names and the original publisher name as it appears on the license. The credits must also distinguish the original songwriters and publisher from the performers on the new recording.
A standard U.S. compulsory license permits distribution only in the United States, so a CD Baby release using that license must be restricted to U.S. territories. Distribution elsewhere requires permission from the composition copyright owner specifying the authorized territories; the distribution settings must reflect that permission before submission.
CD Baby lists a one-time release price of $9.99 per single and $14.99 per album, with no annual fees.
