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How to Distribute a Cover Song Legally in India

Cover songs are a proven way to grow an audience, but releasing one without the right licence is copyright infringement — and platforms can remove your track and close your account. The good news: getting a cover licensed is a straightforward process once you know which licence you need and where to get it.

Step 1: Understand the mechanical licence

A mechanical licence is required to legally reproduce and distribute a cover song in audio-only formats such as streaming, downloads, CDs, and vinyl. It ensures the original songwriter gets paid when you release your version. This is different from a sync licence, which you need if you pair music with video, and from a master licence, which covers use of the original recording. Your cover uses your own recording, so you need the mechanical licence for the underlying composition.

Step 2: Know the rules for India

Licensing requirements vary by country. If you distribute your cover to India, you need a mechanical licence under Indian copyright law. Streaming-only releases on some platforms are handled by the platforms themselves, but downloads and physical copies always require you to obtain the licence, and many distributors require proof of licensing before they will deliver your release. In India, copyright in a musical work generally lasts for 60 years after the author's death, after which the work enters the public domain. A song still in copyright always needs a licence.

Step 3: Get the licence before you distribute

You can obtain a mechanical licence through licensing agencies such as Easy Song Licensing or the Harry Fox Agency, or through your distributor if it offers cover licensing. Easy Song's Cover Song Licensing service starts at $19.99 per song plus royalties, with a Proof of Licensing document delivered in 1 to 2 business days. Under compulsory mechanical licensing rules, you must not change the lyrics, must not change the fundamental melody (general rearrangement is allowed), and the song must have been previously recorded and commercially released. If you want to change lyrics or melody, you need direct permission from the publisher through a custom licence.

Step 4: Credit correctly and upload

When you upload your cover, list the original authors and publisher correctly in the metadata, and mark the release as a cover in your distributor's songwriter section. Keep your Proof of Licensing document — your distributor may ask for it, and it is your evidence that the release is legal. Do not upload a cover that samples the original recording: that needs a separate master licence from the record label, and no mechanical licence covers it.

Common mistakes to avoid

Uploading a cover without any licence is the biggest mistake, and "I gave credit in the description" is not a licence. Releasing a cover video on YouTube without a sync licence is another — YouTube's Content ID system may monetise it for the rights holder or block it entirely. And never assume a licence for one territory covers the world: check which territories your licence includes before selecting worldwide distribution.

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