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Cover Songs in India: The Legal Guide (Can You Release Them?)

Covers are one of the fastest ways to grow as a new artist — but releasing someone else's song without the right license can get your track taken down or your profile penalized. Here's how covers actually work in India.

What is a cover, legally?

A cover uses someone else's melody and lyrics with your own recording and arrangement. Two separate copyrights exist: the composition (owned by the songwriter/publisher) and the sound recording (yours). Releasing a cover means you need permission for the composition.

Do you need a license? Yes.

To distribute a cover on Spotify, JioSaavn, or Apple Music, you need a mechanical license for the composition. In India, this typically means:

• Getting permission from the publisher or rights holder, or
• Going through IPRS, which administers many Indian compositions, or
• Using your distributor's cover-license service if they offer one.

What happens if you skip it?

• Your distributor may reject the release during review.
• The rights holder can issue a takedown — your song disappears from all platforms.
• Repeated violations can get your artist profile flagged.
• YouTube Content ID will claim the composition's share of ad revenue for the publisher.

Covers on YouTube vs streaming

YouTube is more lenient: its Content ID system usually just redirects ad revenue to the publisher rather than removing your video. Streaming platforms are stricter — they generally require the license upfront.

How to do it right

1. Identify the publisher — check IPRS's repertoire or the original release credits.
2. Request the license before you distribute, not after.
3. Credit correctly: list the original songwriters in your metadata — this is legally required.
4. Don't change lyrics without permission — altering lyrics needs separate approval.
5. Keep records of every permission in writing.

What TIR does for covers

Tell us upfront that your release is a cover. We'll verify the songwriter credits are correctly listed in your metadata and guide you on the licensing you need before your song goes live — so it stays live.

Submit your cover song →