If you’re singing a Beatles tune, or playing a Billie Eilish track, you’re covering it.

If you play a song that another artist originally played, then you’re performing a cover of it, even if you change some elements of it (e.g. what instruments are used, its style, or how it’s arranged).

If you cover a song but you change the lyrics (e.g. a parody), it still has to be considered a cover. Please note! Parodies will also need to be named under the original name of the song.

If you cover a song that was originally sung but you perform it as an instrumental, it still has to be considered a cover.

If you perform an original song, but include a small amount of an existing song (say a riff, or one line of a melody), it still has to be considered as a cover. This may seem extreme, but there are significant real world consequences to this, with the legal case around the melody in one bar of ‘Down Under‘ being a great example of it.

All covers will need to have the exact same track title as the original.

If your release contains a cover, even if it’s only one track on an album of original compositions, you’ve got to follow the guidelines set out here. And if you’re in need of a mechanical license, then we’d suggest using Affordable Song Licensing to get one!

Have a watch of the video below for more info on cover songs!

Check out the full RouteNote Style Guide here!

If you have any further queries, feel free to get in touch with us!

More on cover releases:
Can I upload cover songs with RouteNote?
What should I put in the P line if my release is a cover?
Can I cover a song and use audio from the original track?
How do I format stores and territories for a cover release without a mechanical license?
How do I license a cover?
How do I credit the original artist if my release is a cover?
Which stores and territories can I send a cover track to?
What should I put in the C line if my release is a cover?
Can I choose ‘soundtrack’ as my genre if the release is a cover?