You can legally release cover songs through DistroKid, but only when the recording meets the requirements of a cover.

The distinction matters.

A cover isn’t a remix

If you record every instrument and vocal yourself, you’re creating a new recording of someone else’s composition.

That’s a cover.

If you use the original artist’s master recording, stems or samples, you’ve moved into a different rights situation.

A normal cover licence isn’t enough.

DistroKid makes this distinction clearly in its guidance.

What does DistroKid charge?

DistroKid’s current cover-song licensing service costs $12 per track per year.

The service handles the administrative process and required songwriter payments.

Can every song be covered this way?

No.

Certain compositions or uses don’t qualify through standard compulsory cover licensing.

DistroKid specifically gives examples including medleys, mashups and some works that were never separately released in the required way.

Don’t confuse composition rights and master rights

A song has at least two major copyright layers:

the composition

the recording.

Cover licensing deals with your use of the composition.

It doesn’t give you permission to use somebody else’s recording.

Is DistroKid good for covers?

For occasional cover releases, the convenience is attractive.

For a large cover catalogue, the recurring $12 annual fee per recording can become substantial.

That’s when artists should compare alternative licensing structures.

The right distributor depends not just on how many songs you release, but what kind of songs you’re releasing.