Post Cover Songs LEGALLY on YouTube 2024 (Step by Step Guide)

[@TopMusicAttorney]

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[@_B.C_]

What if you’re a streamer and you want to work on cover songs live on stream, how would that work legally?

[@MatthewEverettGates]

Really good coverよ！

[@GTSongwriter]

Is this still up to date?

[@AMPProf]

Jagged little pill in trap jazz sucks

[@LeapingDodo]

I feel there's a good number of sections missing: 1. Translations. Japanese music especially has a lot of people covering the music in english and getting sued left and right by japanese companies due to the local copyright being extremely rough. 2. is dsps charging for mechanical licenses i.e. distrokid and soundrop still required? 3. since distrokid gets licenses from HFA, could you get it directly and not from distrokid? What's the logistics of that? And if you don't need it or can get it from other places with less friction in UX. What does that look like?

[@tundraosu]

@@LeapingDodo YES, I really need to know the legalities and how to get monetized doing English covers of Japanese songs

[@maxayeza]

I just released a new cover song and to be sure I added a Cover Licensing Seal of Authenticity to the cover art.

[@ThatOrko]

What song did you cover

[@maxayeza]

@@ThatOrko , Eternal Flame, a timeless masterpiece from the 80's :)

[@Rose-lh3ch]

What if I have instrumental from KZbin? Should I have a license? From where Can I get the instrumental when I want make money from doing covers?

[@jazzboy]

Did a sax cover of White Christmas on KZbin and it was blocked. So, not sure how it's actually doable. Any insights?

[@mikeyskymusic]

Thanks! I literally had to learn all his last week while battling my distributor over some cover releases! I wish this got posted last week lol. Thank you though this is awesome!!

[@jennifergee138]

Thank you so much for explaining the difference between those 3 types. This is incredibly helpful!

[@TopMusicAttorney]

You're so welcome!

[@joelvinson]

I'm a new DJ and I'm so glad I found this channel. Admittedly though, I'm scared to death to try and make music. Time to delve through the archives before I post anything. Thanks!

[@TopMusicAttorney]

Never be afraid. Let people see your growth in your journey I'm all about taking action. The fastest way to have your music career the way you want is to get started now. Don't be afraid of failure failure is a good thing You learn more from failing than anything else. And then that's when the real growth happens. You got this 💪

[@ThatOrko]

That is super exciting to be just getting started. The more you learn early on in your journey and embrace the journey the faster you were going to grow. 🖖

[@TheCelestineProph]

Hello, Thank you for covering this topic again. I'm disappointed that now I have to get permission if I interpolate a song to do as a cover . I dont play piano well enough to do a cover playing that instrument. I was going to interpolate the songs with other instruments but alas I'll have to think about this now. Q: Can one use a legitimate Karaoke track (i.e. Soundchoice) which has been purchased by me and can be used at open mic nights, karaoke bars and even local festivals where they seek out local musicians to perform? Cheers. Talk Soon.

[@i.e.Native]

Sincere inquiry with cover songs; if I translate the words of a song to a foreign language do I have to detail the rights holders: publisher and songwriter the terms of the translation or because it will be the same vocabulary would I simply apply for the mechanical licensing? Is this a rendition or a true cover song?

[@daved9665]

Hi - What happens for parody songs where all the words are purposely modified?

[@TopMusicAttorney]

That would fall under fair use likely!

[@daved9665]

Thank you! @@TopMusicAttorney

[@TheRemyRomano]

Right on. KZbin used to have a blanket license and they published all of the music that was covered, but they stopped doing that long time ago. That’s what I have always told people to go look and see if the music is being covered. If it’s not don’t do it. Historically the Eagles have always been one of the groups that you stay away from.

[@AndrewFloeter12]

I did an Eagles cover of Best of My Love. My channel got a copyright strike, and the video got taken down.

[@elmerstunes]

@@AndrewFloeter12 Ditto for Hotel California.

[@NorthmanGuitarCovers-Vkng737]

You're not wrong about The Eagles... Also AC/DC... KZbin will f**k you up if you upload either of those two bands... I've also heard to stay away from The Cars.

[@christinamichelle8790]

@@NorthmanGuitarCovers-Vkng737and Brian Adams

[@ChanellJWilson]

I learned that the hard way. I did an eagles song that got taken down.

[@joetalkshow]

Amazing information. I've had song parodies taken down. I thought satire and parody WAS allowed. Also, what's the rule on using karaoke tracks for your cover? Great video!

[@robertpolnicky7702]

I got nailed on 2 of don henleys. Karaoke. Copyright strikes. Pretty much done with you tube.

[@Rockwatcher]

Such great information. Thanks!

[@verbone]

Gotta love the law. Use 1 second, get sued for two kinds of royalties. But, redo an entire song, good to go!

[@BillAnt]

This is why I'm not a musician. lol

[@brxndonthorne]

I went to upload a cover song video to KZbin and it forced me to mute the audio in Russia and Belarus m. However, it was still muted in the USA. Never had this issue, how can I resolve this? The label who owns original song is universal.

[@WEdHarris]

Thank you for this! Very informative and your delivery was great!

[@TopMusicAttorney]

@WEdHarris Thanks for the kind words; please join us tonight for our weekly YT Livestream here at 5 pm PST.

[@jthomaskay]

Do you have a checklist of what to do from an independent creator's perspective? For example, if someone wanted to cover your song or use it for any other reason? What's the best route to get content covered by Content Id, etc? Thanks.

[@miggz1294]

I find the midi for old songs I like and drop my own drums on it . I don't release it though because I feel like it's not mine . 😢 so is tht beat a cover ?

[@R1PPA-C]

There was a time when I used to create remixes of my most favourite tracks quite often (usually female vocals) I never did anything with them as I knew without an inside connection to the rights owner I'd just be wasting my time trying to get clearance. I know this is a little off topic but this video has just reminded me of the small back catalogue I've had sitting around for years and would love to put some of them out to world one day.

[@TopMusicAttorney]

Just remember remixes are different than cover songs. Cover songs are great way to market and showcase your style and provide inspiration for future tracks.

[@R1PPA-C]

@@TopMusicAttorney absolutely I was off topic. I also feel cover songs are also in a whole different ball park to remixes. Done correctly they can be as great if not greater than the original. Take Sam Smiths BBC live lounge cover of Whitney Houston's ' How will I know ' Two incredible versions of an incredible song, both amazing in their own right.

[@nativeheartsurvival4450]

So, I've been thinking to post a few covers on Facebook, just for my friends to hear. Facebook only accepts videos, so I made one with a video creation app. Would I be safe to post the song( s), or should I do that " due diligence" first? Thanks. I think you are amazing!

[@MDOurMD]

You make good points about doing cover songs. I was opposed to it too, but now I'm realizing that many of my favorite artists started out doing cover songs (i.e., The Beatles, The Stones, Elvis, etc.).

[@juliaking9682]

CD Baby still requires you to have a license. The MLC only covers digital distribution but not digital downloads or if you want to print CD's. This video is a really helpful explanation but when you click the cover song bubble when registering they still require a license.

[@nonametrick1]

Question: If I made a video with a good portion of a copyrighted song playing in it, can't I just choose for it to not be monetized and still be able to post it? (I'm new to youtubing and am having trouble finding an answer)

[@TopMusicAttorney]

Hey! Thank you so much for the question. You can join my live session on Wednesday's at 5pm PST on this channel, and throw this question out there. I try to answer as many questions as I can. Feel free to email me at [e-mail] and I can share some additional resources.

[@apostrotastrophe1]

Hello Krystle; on DistroKid you must pay a monthly fee for every single release of every cover, i.e. if you want to release the exact same master of the same cover song as a single as well as on an EP and/or on an album, you have to pay the same monthly fee for each of these uploads individually and in perpetuity, i.e. for as long as you want the song to remain online. Does this seem right? I understand paying DistroKid a one-time fee to obtain these licenses, but if I understand your video correctly, a monthly recurring fee for "maintaining", I suppose, these licenses seems... Wrong?

[@JonEric]

I'd like to echo this question. I posted a cover song in 2022 to Spotify and all the rest. I used Distrokid to do it, and they REQUIRED me to purchase a license for that song before they would distribute it. Moreover, they wouldn't permit me to shop around; I had to buy it, as a recurring purchase, from Distrokid, on top of the subscription fee I already pay them to distribute my music in the first place. Is there a way to tell Distrokid they're doing it wrong?

[@danielhaschke8401]

@@JonEricThe amendment to the cover song copyright law came to effect in January 2023. Before then, you had to purchase mechanical licenses in order to distribute cover songs to streaming platforms. After Jan 2023, streaming platforms now pay blanket mechanical licenses that cover that for you.

[@JonEric]

@@danielhaschke8401Fair enough, but Distrokid is still charging their recurring fee and they still don't seem to offer any way to opt out of paying it.

[@O.S.R.C.]

@@danielhaschke8401 I know I'm listening to the video, and I hear whats being said, but just to be clear.. are you stating that in 2024, when I record a cover song and put it out there, I don't need to use DistroKid ( or other services), I don't need a lic. of any kind? I can just record the song ( a cover) and that's it? I find this amazing that it's so lacking in this regard. I've been a gigging musician for over 4 decades, and it was always understood that SOMEONE had to submit a list to BMI, ASCAP. or SOCAN. I DO intend on releasing covers ( and potentially the odd one or 2 with a video... like everyone else who did it during lockdown). Why on earth, if no lic. are required do sites like Distrokid continue to exist?

[@YakumoKobe]

@@danielhaschke8401 It's 2025 and I'm still required by Distrokid to pay a fee in perpetuity if I want to release a cover song. Didn't check other Distribution services but I'm afraid to simply release a cover song without notifying the service. Maybe it's because I live in Italy so other laws apply and Distrokid wants to be "ok" with them? I feel ok releasing ONE cover and pay 12$ a year, less ok if I want to publish a cover album with like 10 songs and pay 120$/y forever...

[@asrickman1]

Girl you're godsend thank you for your business! 😢🤘🏽💜

[@TopMusicAttorney]

Thank you. Means a lot.

[@ThatOrko]

Welcome to the community

[@newlenmedia]

Most of the issues I have come across have been with KZbin. Just look at some of the Rick Beato videos where he plays a part of a song as an instrumental tool. Labels have made KZbin take those videos down due to alleged "copyright infringement" when Rick Beato argues that his usage of a song falls under "fair usage." He's even testified before Congress about this. You should definitely talk about covers specifically on KZbin.

[@ModusVivendiMedia]

Yes, unfortunately automatic algorithms like Content ID don't have any judgement to determine something like "fair use". It also doesn't know if you've secured a license in advance. (The way that's supposed to work is that when you get the license, the copyright holder asks their distributor to have KZbin "white-list" your channel, so that it will ignore Content ID matches against their content that it detects on your channel. But if they fail to get the white-listing in place, you'll still get flagged or monetized.) In the past, a copyright owner would need to sue if they thought you were infringing, so if it was clearly fair use they probably wouldn't bother since they might lose that case in court, but now they don't have to lift a finger to have KZbin block or monetize videos automatically on their behalf, fair use or not.

[@robertpolnicky7702]

Right. And what's the reason for that. Ad revenue. What.

[@robertpolnicky7702]

You tube used to just remove the video. No copyright strike. What changed.

[@mthomas1091]

Thanks for the info. Are there best ways to avoid takedowns if I legally sample something (like through Tracklib)? I’m naturally cautious of what streaming services/distributors will do at this point 🙄

[@Patrick-ryan-collins]

Im so glad I watched this. Illegal is now my favorite genre... ❤

[@erickurd6976]

Great info! 🙌

[@TopMusicAttorney]

Glad you think so!

[@ztekhouse]

Question for you. I'm an Aussie artist and producer. Ive also wanted to do covers but information is so scarce on exactly how to do it. Does being in Australia change things?

[@TopMusicAttorney]

I have not researched copyright laws in your territory, but will see if I can look into it! Thank you for being here 🙌

[@theend9494]

@@TopMusicAttorney would help as I am looking at uploading to You Tube , from Aussie, also what is the go with using say same guitar solo in the track, same keyboard parts

[@Puzz...693]

So glad i stumbled upon you through wings of pegagus?😂 I have a band doing covers and originals and this is valuable ❤

[@TopMusicAttorney]

Thanks for the kind words. Please feel free to drop a note and let me know what you're working on - [e-mail].

[@KombatKarateLBC]

Question: What do you think of SessionStudio, created by Bjorn from Abba?

[@mrtdmccollum]

Hey is it illegal or Unethical for TuneCore, Distrokid, etc to charge a yearly premium to get a mechanical license per cover vs getting it from Harry Fox or each online store? Ex If I did a Jazz Saxophone cover of Fall Out Boy Centuries.

[@mrtdmccollum]

@TopMusicAttorney I love the discussion on your channel. You rock!

[@mrtdmccollum]

Part 2... should we be afraid of "Content ID" claims on cover song videos on KZbin?

[@Boleskinebeatz]

LOVE your channel. So, to be clear are you saying that to upload a cover with a video to KZbin you don't need a sync license now because they already have an agreement in place with the majors labels ( Sony in my case) ?

[@danlaw1208]

She never clarify on this, you know why

[@wooddogg8]

@@danlaw1208 Agreed, she left that totally murky.... though I don't know why she didn't clarify

[@ModusVivendiMedia]

She didn't clarify because KZbin PROBABLY has a license in place with the publisher, but it's not guaranteed. (Just to note, these are licenses with publishers, not record labels, though the major labels also have publishing arms under the same corporate umbrella.) Some songwriters make sure there is NOT a license to use their music, and any uses are automatically blocked (Eagles, AC/DC, Beatles, for example, from what I have heard). Some works might not be uploaded by the publisher, so, while Content ID won't flag your cover, the songwriter won't be paid either, which in theory potentially puts you at risk for a takedown or even being sued (though the latter is very unlikely, as it's expensive and cumbersome for them to do). And there's no way to find out for sure without just uploading the video and seeing what happens. So the reason she didn't clarify is because in reality it is not clear.

[@boywithoutaparachute]

I've been dying to get an answer to this question. What if you take a soundbite from a film (like Rob Zombie does) and put that in your song. I've seen Arists from (again) Rob Zombie to all sorts of hip hop artists, to indie bands do this. Do you require a license or permission for taking soundbites from movies or news clips or speeches by public figures and putting them in songs?

[@TopMusicAttorney]

You 100% need to get permission for that kind of sampling. That was a big trend especially in the '90s and a lot of those artists ended up having to pay big later. Do not just sample movies and put them in your songs without permission. Rob zombie /label is paying for those samples. I believe all of that also caught up with Nine Inch Nails. As people were deciphering were the downward spiral hits and noise samples that were coming from movies like Texas chainsaw massacre, The abyss, thx etc. A lot of that stuff I'm sure they got cleared early but I believe some of it they try to slide through the radar. Get that clearance!

[@boywithoutaparachute]

@@TopMusicAttorney wow thanks so much for that info super helpful.

[@BillAnt]

​@@TopMusicAttorney- Ahh yeah I definitely remember a lot of EBM artists used samples too like CombiChrist, Pulse Legion, etc. I was always wondering about the sampling of old movie sound bites. heh

[@LazaroAlejandroOficial]

WE LOVE ❤YOU! For everything you do for our Indie Artists Community. Thank You! so much

[@Errol-ly1xi]

So, if you post a "journey" to singing like a particular artist, you still credit the original artist in every video description including shorts? Like 'how to sing like Queen'.

[@MidwestSunsetDrive]

Great video. QUESTION; What about my band members Split Sheet????Many of the DSP’s won’t TOUCH our songs without a split sheet. I can’t get a signature from the original artist. Thanks.

[@amig012]

what a remixes then? song is usually heavy restructured and chopped. Thx for very informative video

[@Sakima205]

so mixtape days are officially and completely dead? can't make a song without beat licenses?

[@Loraine.aka.WolfSpirit95]

This was very informative. I'm in a guitar forum, and another person had their KZbin account cancelled for posting a cover, or at least that is what he believes. I'm nervous, because I'm a horrible player and singer, but I do covers. I'm sure they don't even sound like the originals sometimes, but I post some publicly. I'm afraid of losing my account now, and KZbin doesn't communicate or respond when people disagree with them blocking their account for good. That doesn't seem right. I will have to now do some due diligence to make sure a lot of others have covered the song I'm thinking of making public. It's a shame that we have to live in fear of losing everything we've worked so hard at, and I have 4 years of recordings from the fist time I picked up a guitar until now, albeit most are unpublished. I don't want to lose my receptacle with all them together.

[@EltonCarrMusic]

This is so helpful. Thank you 😊

[@wildhorsemusic1111]

I do the shots feature on Ultimate Guitar and want to upload them as shorts and reals. Thoughts?

[@TopMusicAttorney]

Make sure you get permission from Ultimate Guitar if they have final ownership of the clips!

[@wildhorsemusic1111]

@TopMusicAttorney why would they own them? Does KZbin own Shorts?

[@Staykool777]

Hi counselor. I wrote a song but one of my melodies contains an interpolation of a Charile Pugh song. Do I need his permission to put the song out? D I need to contact him first?

[@TopMusicAttorney]

Yes. you need permission to release interpolations.

[@tanyushmusic]

Thank you Krystle, however I am still a bit confused 🤔. Am I right to understand that basically there are 2 routes: 1) create a cover song and put it on youtube for example with as sense royalties going to the original artist 2) release the cover officially through one of the distributors (whether to add content ID or not is another story?).. and also register the song in one of the mechanical license agencies? You mentioned Easy Song also in another video about Distrokid agreement probably, it would be good to know more about pros and cons of that. Did I miss anything? I did not fully understand what to do if you put a visual content to the cover song, like e.g. I put a photo (one taken by me and another cover has an image from Pixabay. If I do a vocal cover with ASMR and multiple layers of voices (I am a newbie, it was a creative experiment and also sort of in attempt to render a specific feeling), and either post it on youtube without any instruments or with my own or someone else’s piano / guitar / ukulele (with their credit/permission) however not releasing officially, so what is the best way to do about it? In terms of respecting copyright of creators. Also I wonder what would be the difference if the channel is created in USA vs Canada vs Europe vs Russia ? Also what if you do a tutorial how to play someone else’s song on a specific instrument? (Guitar/ Uke / Piano). I noticed some people do not sing full song at once, is it for a reason? They only do part by part explaining chords etc. Another question is if to do a remix for social dancing like urban kiz, zouk, Argentine tango (alternative tango), what do you need to make sure to do beforehand? And how much would it cost? Overall I am a big lover of cover songs, not only they help some songs to live longer and be revived, but also become popular. I discovered many songs in various languages thanks to first finding a cover by chance. And some covers are gorgeous and even well produced. It is fair of course that authors get royalties however I feel like those artists should be rewarded at least with some % , although of course I assume also there many bad covers which original artists might not be thrilled with… Can the creator of the song object having certain covers? Forbid them? ____ Many questions :)) Maybe you can make a video about it if it is too much to answer. PS Happy that I found your channel, watched a few videos and loved the way you explain complex contracts! Thank you!! ❤🙏🌼

[@dw543]

What if the song you want to cover contains samples of another song? You didn’t cover this. Does this complicate things further at all?

[@ModusVivendiMedia]

Are you actually replaying the samples themselves? Then you're also using samples, and need a license. But if you are recreating the samples with your own performance of them as original audio, then you're good to go.

[@MorrisMills]

what about the Copyrigting t your version of the sound recording you can expound on that s well?

[@AkaTengu]

Thank you for sharing your expertise on this topic with the supporting sections of the laws and nice cover of Blinding Lights! Just for clarification, you mentioned lyrics and song structure staying true to the original in a cover. Does it matter if you change the key, tempo, or any of the harmonic, melodic, or rhythmic aspects of the vocals, main motif, or hook? Examples like arpeggiating vs block chords, staccato vs legato, expanded harmony, or say take an 8th note melody and change it to 16th notes.

[@pahpyaw]

If I use an instrumental track of Perfect by Ed Sheeran then record my voice, is that considered cover or sampling ?

[@flapjack413]

I was wondering pretty much the same thing. I've been having fun with removing guitar & bass from tracks with AI track separation, and adding my own guitar/bass. Been thinking about uploading some lately. I'm pretty sure I couldn't monetize them, but I don't have enough subscribers to monetize my channel, and it's not at all my goal anyway. Not sure if it would get my account deleted though. Did you ever find an answer to your question?

[@MyraDeshieldsFerrell]

Amazing knowledge- thank you!!! ❤

[@tuckerdawson]

Ok so my question is this. I use CD Baby for originals and have been using Soundrop to distribute covers. Is there any point in doing this at this point? My thing is is that CD Baby specifically references Easy Song to get licenses but fron what youre saying i feel like you reaoly only need to do that if you're selling ut physically on cd. And then on the other side what about digital download platforms like iTunes and Amazon?

[@TopMusicAttorney]

Exactly! CD Baby should be fine distributing your covers. I have not distributed through them in a long time, but I distributed covers through them previously. Hope this helps!

[@avaonalee]

Thank you! A few questions: 1) if you upload a cover song to a DSP (with a proper mechanical license), does the DSP still automatically upload a video to YT of the static art and audio ? 2) if you have a cover song uploaded to DSPs and want to go back and make a music video for it to put on YT, can you get a sync license after?

[@TopMusicAttorney]

Hey, hey! Thanks for the questions. Do you have time to jump on one of our livestreams and ask this?

[@avaonalee]

@@TopMusicAttorneyI could! When are they?

[@46HertzOfficial]

What would it classify as if I took a song, changed the lyrics, changed the genre, and also changed the instruments so essentially only the structure and melody/chords, etc. would stay the same?

[@TheRealEreez]

I see you answer the question of shifting a song to a different genre, but what of the "you have to remain faithful to the original melody" information I see mentioned virtually everywhere?

[@TucsonBillD]

I have a question… many older songs from the first half of the 20th. century have a spoken intro. In doing a cover of these songs and deleting the intro how would the rights be licensed?

[@wolflahti412]

I understand about posting covers on streaming platforms (I think), but I came to this video because the title specifically mentioned KZbin (a social platform, not a streaming one), and this just left me confused. Mechanical licenses, Compulsory licenses, Synchronization licenses.... And what about selling a CD with a cover? It all makes my brain hurt.

[@TopMusicAttorney]

It's a lot - please feel free to reach out if you're expertise sorting it all out.

[@nachoshaw7084]

Question: What is the stance on DJ's playing artists tracks and how is it possible to get post videos without them being taken down? As a DJ, there is a very long and awkward process of preparing tracks that may not be blocked or removed from a set. This makes it very difficult to play tracks that people know along with tracks that actually go together. When will the music companies realize that DJ's play a vital role in music publicity and widen the scope of the tracks played. There are many tracks that might be hard to find or no one knows what it is but when a dj uses that track, its focused into a group who ordinarily wouldn't get that track exposure. I (as a dj) get a majority of tracks from listening to other djs which im sure only increases the sale of that track. Yes djs 'can' post videos but its to much effort and does not align with the versatility or expressional delivery of a dj Most djs would be happy to buy a license that could be submitted to youtube as proof of performance permissions if something like that could be made available. Question 2: This is a sampling question -As a dj / producer, we try not to take samples from mastered tracks and instead, re-create them in a DAW. By doing that, would it be classed as 'cover' of that part of a track as its no directly sampled? Thanks so much

[@thomandy]

So which distributor do you use these days to get stuff up on spotify etc? DistroKid claims to get the license on your behalf, but if you don't need them, how to actually get the music up without obtaining it? I'm a bit lost.

[@DiannaStHilaire1]

What about for digital downloads on Bandcamp? They are not with a distributor so would you then still need a license from Easy Song ?

[@midlifeadventures3138]

Went through this with an artist doing a cover song. She changed a song from man to woman and they wouldn't grant a mechanical license.

[@TopMusicAttorney]

Who wouldn't grant the mechanical license?

[@midlifeadventures3138]

@@TopMusicAttorney Distro. 5 yrs ago We had to contact song owners / publishers directly and get a custom license. They wanted a crazy amount for the licensing for an independent artist. So ended up removing the song from the album and didn't release the song. I think this is a rare case or maybe not. The word change also changed the song title from man to woman. So that might have made things different I don't know.

[@ThatOrko]

I feel like artists take issue if it's seemingly changes the theme of the song or intention. I honestly haven't heard the situation that you would do too much but it does happen

[@ronjie]

Two scenarios: 1. I cover an alt-folk song and turn it into a hardcore punk rock song - if I change the guitar solo, is that materially changing the spirit of the song? 2. Take #1 but translate/interpret the song into a different language. Still a cover song?

[@PurpleHounding]

Your videos are a great resource.

[@TopMusicAttorney]

🙏

[@nedring987]

How do I go about using a cover for sync?

[@TreesaLee]

And do you have to get a mechanical license for each song?

[@mortenjensen2682]

Thanks for the vid. I'm in the process of recording a bunch of covers and have released 4 this year so far through Distrokid .. thinking that was the way to go and felt safe just buying the coversong license ... after hearing you suggest in another video that artists just release the songs themselves on YT I'm gonna try that ... I change these covers around freely but arrangement/structure of the songs usually stay the same but I may make a grunge song into a reggae or ska interpretation and some times change the whole perspective but changing multiple words..... sometimes even a passing chord ... maybe I wasn't hearing all you said .. English is not my 1'st language and when the legal mumbojumbo jargon comes into play I check out somehow ... this is exactly what I hate about being a musician/ producer ..... figuring out how to get paid .... and that why I was just taking the "easy" way w Distrokid hoping I was covered both on distribution and coversong license ...

[@Maxume]

I find your videos very, very informative but is the extreme overuse of jump cuts and zooming really necessary?

[@TopMusicAttorney]

Haha I'll discuss it with my editor. Thank you for being here! 🙌⚖️

[@ThatOrko]

Don't forget you can always watch the full live stream on the channel and that doesn't have any jump cuts or edits. There's also chapters to help you navigate through the sections. Thanks for the feedback and we appreciate you being a part of the community

[@maurojo1]

Quick question,I am a cover song artist on Spotify and all the DSPs,my distributor is DistroKid.I had a lot of covers on You tube before I used a distributor, and only one cover of Bryan Adams got a strike. But my other covers stayed on for almost a year despite the copy right warning by KZbin. I decided to delete all of those covers. Now I only have the ones that DistroKid uploaded to KZbin. As I can't afford to pay the Sync license,due to paying my terminally ill wife's hospital bills. Can I stil upload any promo cover song vids?

[@casaraku1]

If it is on Spotify, they don't check if the legality of the poster?

[@YouUsAndAI]

Hello, thank you! So to be clear, I live in Canada, and I want to lip-sync an entire song and post it on youtube...so that's legal? There is a company called "Lick'd" that will allow us to buy the copyrights to a song, but we cannot lip-sync the song. Do you know if there's a company like that will let us lip-sync? Thank you so much!!

[@therealGP]

What about if you have a section of an original song that is an interpolation? For ex: I have a completely original song but within it I included the lyrics and melody for a well-known song by Elvis (but in a different key and under a different chord progression)? Is there anything to worry about when releasing via Distrokid, etc. ?

[@Tyrannocaster]

What a dumpster fire this issue is.

[@astanleyp]

So is it perfectly legal to do a drum or guitar cover using the original audio behind you?

[@danielcsizmarbass]

Hi there, I would like create bass covers of famous songs. Original song with the bass guitar I play. What do i need to do to not be deleted or blocked? In youtube there is a millions of instrument covers, I can not believe that all of them asked for permission. or yes? Thank you

[@beachbarlouie]

What about the Eagles? Many covers of them were stricken.

[@christinamichelle8790]

@@beachbarlouie on KZbin or socials where there’s video? Or Spotify/amazon? I know there’s no way to ever safely do a KZbin cover of certain artists--especially Don Henley and the Eagles. Sad- one of my favorite bands growing up …I stopped listening to their music when Henley was copywrite striking ppl’s channels into oblivion vs receiving monetization -- they would’ve made a lot of money had they just went that route.

[@hiphopwong]

Seems like people doing covers of Eagles or Lynyrd Skynyrd get taken down from KZbin regardless of your description of mechanical license? Used to be true also with Prince covers but it changed after he died and his estate took over.

[@ModusVivendiMedia]

That's because when it's on KZbin, the license that stops them is a synchronization license (because it's video, instead of audio-only). The Eagles etc. cannot stop you from submitting an audio-only cover of their music to Spotify, or to KZbin Music (where it shows up as an "art track", of audio-only, displaying only the album cover art). But they can stop you from posting a VIDEO which uses their songs.

[@BenGresl]

What kind of license would I have to get or would I need one at all if I were to take a video of my self covering a song acoustically if I were only posting it on social media ??

[@RonLevi]

How about creating a new recording with different lyrics without changing the music (ala Karaoke)? Is that interpolation or covering, and what permissions are needed from whom to post it on KZbin? ... or upload to DSPs?

[@KombatKarateLBC]

I've had Tik Tok remove my songs that I posted. Saying I was in copyright violation.

[@TopMusicAttorney]

Tell me more

[@KombatKarateLBC]

I'm a singer song writer. I use Bandlab to record and distribute my songs. to Spotify, Soundcloud, and KZbin. I also have a Instagram and Facebook. I uploaded a file to Tik Tok, but they removed it stating I was in copyright violation, because Wayne Mooney owns the rights to this song, but I'm Wayne Mooney... I've replied to this comment already, but it seems to dis-appear after a few minutes.@@TopMusicAttorney

[@MaurenDelgado]

Question: where do you get the sync licence?

[@MaurenDelgado]

Do you have to contact the record label company that owns the copyright?

[@TopMusicAttorney]

Hello! Please reach out to me directly at [e-mail] and I can send you some resources.

[@MaurenDelgado]

@@TopMusicAttorney Hi, thanks! I sent you an email already!

[@CodeOfPop]

10:04 i covered Everything I do by bryan adams and hotel california by eagles and they were under universal music, even-tho i created it all with my own creation and ideas and unique, they still hitted a copyright strike on my YT. please share how to get a sync license easily for cover singers like me :(

[@breathingspace23]

If I use the audio from a copyright song, separate the tracks in my DAW and assign several instruments in midi to different instruments, add several instruments from myself, and sing the song myself. Is that considered a copy song? I have no problem obtaining any licenses required. I would change the song from rock to country. I find your ai content very helpful. Thank you

[@Durkhead]

Have you heard the band The John Candy i dont know how they get away with there samples

[@Lockbox_music]

If I wanted to release a cover ONLY to spotify and/or apple music (no digital sales/downloads like on itunes or amazon music) would I still need to obtain any additional license? Or does spotify/apple music built in license cover me legally

[@brianb4877]

It just seems like there’s no safe way to cover songs on video without the synchronization license, which of course is too expensive and/or too complicated to obtain. Personally, I understand. I don’t think people should cover songs without going through the proper channels. It’s just frustrating that there’s no practical way for people like myself that want to do it the right way. Even if others are doing it, you have no real confirmation that the content is legal/protected.

[@wooddogg8]

Yeah, that part confused me. If you're going to post a cover on You Tube, you're going to want to put a visual on the screen. Whether it's an entertaining video or just your band's name. Like, you don't need a synchronization license but should get one or see if other people are covering the song or..... What?

[@ModusVivendiMedia]

@@wooddogg8 So the law says, you need to get a sync license in advance. But almost nobody does it, and most (BUT NOT ALL) copyright owners don't care, because Content ID matching means they will automatically get paid royalties for your plays, so it's easy passive income for them. I suspect in the future the law will change to reflect this reality (that you'll be able to avoid the need for a sync license if there is a reasonable expectation that royalties will be paid automatically), but it's not there yet. Also, the "BUT NOT ALL" part means that some copyright owners can and will block or strike your video, even if 95%+ of them will be happy to just monetize it. And since there isn't any list or way to look up who does or does not have a license with KZbin (or Meta, TikTok, etc.) to allow this use, or who does or does not block or strike or file takedown notices or sue in court, then it's just a guessing game and based on learning from the hard-won experience of others. There isn't anything a copyright attorney can say or do to clarify this further, unfortunately.

[@EchelonMusicCollect]

We are trying to upload a cover video for YOUNG & BEAUTIFUL (LANA DEL REY) and it keeps getting blocked. now sure how to fix this , any tips would be appreciated

[@jackietunes]

Hello, Great information, Thank you. Do you have one discussion on attempting to remix (not cover) a song?

[@Iamcharityqueen]

What is a remix? I am in the process of making a cover song but it is slightly modified from the original song, plus I wanted to add a verse (not of my own) in the beginning of the cover song. After watching this, I’m so confused on what to do. Idc about making money, but I loved the verse that someone else created and added to their cover of a different song and thought it would go well with the recreation of the song I am doing. Is there anyway possible that I can do this legally? I know is not my art, so I want to make sure is clear that I don’t own the rights to any of the lyrics.

[@TreesaLee]

So, I’m ok to put my cover of a performance of a song on KZbin, IG, FB without putting I RO NOT OWN THE RIGHTS TO THIS SONG?

[@freddymercury2259]

If I want to cover a song but translate the lyrics from English to Spanish, is that a Cover or Considered Interpolation?

[@jasonengberg1583]

Great episode! Two tangents… if an artist wanted to do a series comparing a new song to an old song by way of medley, that is now ok as long as you keep the integrity of the song? Tangent 2, if I submitted covers on KZbin and they are flagged as copyright material previous to this change; do I need to notify KZbin to remove the copyright notice? These is very useful content! Much obliged!

[@annaadotd6405]

I know probably no one is going to answer this, but using the same guitar riff counts as sampling? I want to make covers, but I don't have any experience with guitars and base guitars, so can I use the same riffs and base lines, or do I need to somehow change them?

[@BillMaxVoxPax]

@TopMusicAttorney I have a made videos doing ASMR covers of a few songs. mostly kind of spoken kind of sung. but they are not monetized, am I safe?

[@ddthorn]

My question is. Can i take the instrumental of a song and just add my voice with the same lyrics and post it on youtube without any issues? What if i dont monitize it ?

[@flapjack413]

I was wondering pretty much the same thing, only I'd be replacing the guitars/bass. No interest in monetizing it. I think you need 1K or more subscribers to monetize your channel anyway, and I'm not trying to do youtube as a source of income, just something to have some fun with now and then. Did you ever find an answer? I don't want my account to get deleted over a stupid guitar cover, lol.

[@NondoPondo]

One word is just a technicality because that legally makes it a rendition because the lyrics have legally changed, and that falls outside the frame work for their compilation packages. Right?

[@brunovincent1969]

Great video, but can you specify if this is ok or not? I play a cover song this way: Play the guitar , sing the song. Do I need a license for that? There are no samplse, only me doing musicla interpretation

[@JimijaymesProductions]

How close to the original is deemed a cover song. Because if it is structure, that makes nearly all EDM covers not covers because EDM doesn't follow pop and rock structures, it generally has drops that mimic the vocal melody, a counter melody or are just minimal drops with very little melodic content. I lot of producers appear as if they do covers (as opposed to a remix), because they can't get the rights to the sample. Naeleck - Creep, Ran-d - Zombie, Cheat Codes - Let Me Hold You, Syn Cole - Californication and pretty much all versions of Bella Ciao are examples where yes they have the main chorus melody but add other sections, extra melodies or don't even include the verses. I wonder if these are all technically considered interpolation.

[@thatlovejones]

Would playing a cover song at a much faster tempo than the original but keeping song structure and lyrics completely intact be okay in most cases? Oh, and thanks a million for this video, seriously helpful and cool as can be to boot.

[@levkaza]

I've made some amazing covers of songs through Suno. I'm not interested in making money from this I just want to upload it to KZbin without being banned. Is that possible?

[@TopMusicAttorney]

Hey there! We can help you understand this process best through a consultation with an attorney - please reach out. [e-mail].

[@dianadee4300]

Why do cover song videos get "copyright strikes" if you are NOT monetized?

[@skyesthelimitro]

Question: I'm kind of a noob so I'm dumb, please excuse that. Is it considered sampling or interpolationto use, say, a karaoke backtrack and only doing a cover of the vocals? I'm not good with instruments, so where does that leave folks like me?