Cover songs are a popular way for artists to reach new listeners.

But releasing a cover involves rights you don’t own.

That’s why the process is different from distributing an original composition.

What counts as a cover?

A cover generally means you’ve made your own new recording of a previously released song.

You haven’t sampled the original recording.

You haven’t simply remixed someone else’s master.

You’ve performed and recorded the composition yourself.

DistroKid explicitly notes that remixes, mashups and uses of the original recording aren’t the same as standard covers.

DistroKid’s cover licensing service

DistroKid currently charges $12 per cover song per year to manage the licence.

It then handles the relevant process and songwriter payments.

The recurring fee is important

One cover:

$12 each year.

Ten covers:

$120 each year.

Fifty covers:

$600 each year.

Artists building large cover catalogues should model that before committing.

Alternatives

Other distributors structure cover licensing differently.

Amuse currently advertises a $14.99 one-time charge per cover.

Too Lost also currently advertises $14.99 as a one-time cover licensing fee.

Different services may cover different territories or licensing workflows, so always check the exact terms.

Bottom line

DistroKid makes cover licensing relatively easy.

The question is whether a recurring annual charge works economically for the type of catalogue you’re building.