Why covers need a license
If you're releasing a cover — your recording of someone else's composition — you need a mechanical license before it can be legally distributed. This is a legal requirement rooted in copyright law, not a DistroVibe-specific policy; it applies regardless of which distributor you use.
Marking a release as a cover
When uploading, mark the release as a cover song in the release form and provide:
- The original song's title.
- The original writer/composer information.
This information is what allows correct mechanical licensing and ensures royalties are properly routed to the original songwriters alongside your own recording royalties as the performing artist.
Metadata rules specific to covers
Beyond licensing, covers are subject to additional metadata rules:
- Your release title and artist name must not imply endorsement by, or affiliation with, the original artist — for example, you can't title a release in a way that suggests the original artist is somehow featured or involved.
- The original songwriter credit must be accurate — this isn't optional metadata, it's tied directly to the licensing and royalty routing described above.
What happens if this is skipped
Releases missing required cover song information, or covers submitted without being properly flagged as such, risk rejection during QA review or, worse, a takedown after the fact if a rights issue is flagged post-release — flagging it correctly upfront avoids both.
Original compositions inspired by other songs
If your track is an original composition that merely samples, interpolates, or is influenced by another song (rather than being a full cover), that's a different situation with its own clearance requirements — contact support if you're unsure whether your specific case counts as a "cover" for these purposes or something else entirely.