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!

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?