How to License a Cover Song: Royalties, Permissions, and the Law for UK Artists

What is a cover song licence?

A cover song licence — technically a mechanical licence — gives you the right to reproduce an existing composition in a new recording. When you record a song written by someone else, you are using the composition copyright: the melody, lyrics, and structure of the original song. That copyright belongs to the songwriter and their publisher, not to the person who made the original recording. A mechanical licence grants permission to create and distribute your recording of their composition, in exchange for a royalty payment to the rights holder. Crediting the original artist on your release does not substitute for a mechanical licence. Credit acknowledges authorship; a licence grants the legal right to reproduce and distribute.

Do you legally need a licence to release a cover song?

Yes, for any commercial release — streaming, download, physical, or sync. If you upload a cover to Spotify, Apple Music, or any DSP without a mechanical licence, you are technically infringing the copyright in the underlying composition, regardless of whether you are making money from it. The practical reality is that most smaller releases go unchallenged, but the legal exposure is real and increases with scale. YouTube operates differently — most major publishers have blanket agreements with YouTube that allow covers to be monetised by the publisher rather than taken down, which is why cover videos persist on the platform. But that arrangement benefits the publisher, not you; it does not mean you have permission. Live performance of cover songs in the UK is covered by the venue's PRS licence, so you do not need a separate licence to perform a cover at a gig.

How to get a mechanical licence for a cover in the UK

In the UK, MCPS (Mechanical-Copyright Protection Society), which operates as part of PRS for Music, handles most mechanical licences for cover songs. The process depends on how you plan to distribute. For a standard digital release, MCPS offers an Online Licensing system that covers streams and downloads across DSPs. The licence fee is calculated as a percentage of the royalties your cover earns — there is no large upfront payment. For physical releases (vinyl, CD), the process is slightly different and involves applying for a physical mechanical licence before manufacture. Timelines for MCPS licence approval are typically two to four weeks for straightforward applications, longer for complex or internationally co-written works where multiple publishers hold shares.

What about streaming platforms — do they handle it automatically?

Some distributors include cover song licensing as part of their service, typically for an additional fee. DistroKid's cover song feature, for example, secures a US mechanical licence through Harry Fox Agency (now Songfile). The important caveat for UK artists is that a US Harry Fox licence covers US distribution only. If you are releasing a cover to global DSPs, a US licence alone is insufficient — you need coverage for the UK (MCPS), the EU, and other territories separately. Always ask your distributor specifically which territories their cover song licensing covers. 'We handle it' is not the same as 'we handle it globally'. If in doubt, go directly to MCPS for UK coverage and verify what additional territory arrangements are in place.

Cover songs and publishing royalties

When your cover song generates royalties, those royalties split between you and the original songwriter. The original songwriter continues to earn their publishing royalties (PRS performance royalties, MCPS mechanical royalties) from your recording — this is the whole point of the mechanical licence, and it is how songwriters earn income when other artists cover their work. You, as the performer of the new recording, earn neighbouring rights — royalties from PPL (UK) and SoundExchange (US) when your recording is broadcast or streamed on digital radio. You do not earn any composition royalties from your cover, because you did not write the song. Your income from a cover release comes from the recording, not the composition.

What happens if you release a cover without a licence

Releasing a cover without a mechanical licence exposes you to several real consequences:

• Platform takedowns — the rights holder or their publisher can issue a takedown notice to any DSP. Your release will be removed, and accumulated royalties may be withheld.
• Content ID claims on YouTube — YouTube's Content ID system will automatically match your cover against the original composition's reference file. The publisher will monetise your video and receive the advertising revenue. You receive nothing, and the Content ID claim may also affect other content on your channel.
• Legal action — for commercially significant infringement, publishers can and do pursue legal claims. Statutory damages for copyright infringement in the UK can reach up to £50,000 per work.
• Withheld royalties — some distributors hold royalty payments when a licensing dispute is raised. You may not recover the income even if the dispute is eventually resolved in your favour.

Cover songs on YouTube: how the licensing works

YouTube has blanket licensing agreements with most major publishers, which means most cover songs are not taken down when uploaded — they are monetised by the publisher instead. This creates a common misconception that cover songs on YouTube are fine without a licence. They persist because YouTube's Content ID system handles the claim automatically on behalf of the publisher: the publisher gets the revenue, not you. For an official release on YouTube Music or as part of a monetised channel, the same mechanical licence requirement applies as for any DSP. The blanket agreement covers the platform's liability, not yours as the uploader.

Code Group Music manages cover song licensing administration as part of its publishing administration service. If you are releasing covers and are unsure whether your licensing is complete, our catalog assessment will identify the gaps. Start at codegroupmusic.co.uk/#catalog-assessment.