Can I release a cover song?
Short answer
Yes, and it costs nothing extra: a cover song is included in your plan. It goes to streaming services only, such as Spotify, Apple Music, TIDAL, Deezer and YouTube Music, not to download stores. Credit the original songwriters. You can change the arrangement freely; changed lyrics, melody or title, a translation or a medley need written approval, samples from other recordings and mashups need licences for both the recording and the song, and parodies can't be released.
What it costs
Nothing extra. A cover song is included in your plan, and you don't buy or send us a licence.
Where it goes
A cover goes to streaming services such as Spotify, Apple Music, TIDAL, Deezer and YouTube Music (not download stores).
It is not sent to the iTunes Store or Amazon downloads (or to YouTube Content ID), in any country. For streaming, the services generally handle the mechanical licence themselves, under their own licences with the collecting societies, such as TONO and NCB in the Nordic countries, ICE in Europe and The MLC in the United States. Downloads, videos and sync need their own licences.
What you do
- On the song in Upload, pick Cover under Version. You pick one for every song: Original, Cover, Radio edit or Remix. For a radio edit or remix of a cover, pick Radio edit or Remix, then answer Is this a cover? with Yes.
- Under Who wrote this song?, credit the original songwriters and composers with their real names.
- Answer the two questions: did you change anything, and does the track contain samples, a mashup, a DJ mix or a parody. Tick everything that applies.
- If you changed the lyrics, melody or title, made a translation or a medley, used samples from other recordings or made a mashup, upload the proof of permission. For a medley, upload approval for each song in it, and link each document to its song. A person at Kakorri reviews it: you can submit once it is approved. Samples from a sample pack need no upload.
- Confirm your answers.
What you can change
You can change the arrangement, genre, tempo, key, instruments and length without asking anyone. Changed lyrics, a changed melody or title, a translation and a medley need written approval. A person at Kakorri reads it before the release goes out.
A radio edit that only cuts parts or mutes or bleeps words needs no approval. If you replace words or sing new ones, that's changed lyrics and needs written approval.
Parodies and DJ mixes can't be released through Kakorri at the moment. Samples from other recordings and mashups need licences for both the recording and the song, and a person at Kakorri reads them before you can submit. Samples from a sample pack whose licence allows release on streaming services need no upload. Your draft is saved in the meantime.
The licences the streaming services hold cover streaming only. They don't cover downloads, videos, sync or samples.