Mechanical licensing · Royalty administration
Every song on your release, licensed before it goes live.
We research the rights, secure the licenses, pay the songwriters and hand your distributor the proof it asks for — for independent artists, labels and distribution companies.
- Rights research included
- Physical, download & streaming formats
- Distributor-ready paperwork
Where licensed music goes
- Spotify
- Apple Music
- YouTube Music
- Amazon Music
- TikTok
- Deezer
- TIDAL
- Pandora
- SoundCloud
- Audiomack
- Boomplay
- YouTube
- Anghami
- JioSaavn
- NetEase Cloud Music
- KKBOX
- Qobuz
- iHeartRadio
- Snapchat
- Shazam
- Beatport
Who we work with
One licensing desk for the whole release chain
A cover on a debut single and a thousand-track catalog migration need the same thing: the right license for each song, format and territory — and records that hold up later.
Independent artists
Recording a cover? We find who owns the song, secure the license and give you everything your distributor will ask for at upload.
Labels & production companies
From one single to a full catalog: format-by-format licensing, royalty accounting and statements your finance team can reconcile.
Distributors & aggregators
Offer cover licensing to your users without building a rights department — bulk intake, status by track and one point of contact.
What we do
Licensing work, done properly and documented
Cover song licensing
Audio-only licenses for new recordings of previously released songs, in the formats you plan to sell or stream.
Rights research
We identify the writers, publishers and administrators behind each composition and confirm their shares before anything is filed.
Notices & direct licenses
Notices of Intention for U.S. physical releases, voluntary licenses from publishers and custom permissions when the standard route doesn’t apply.
Royalty calculation & payment
Royalties calculated at the rate in effect for each format and year, paid to rights holders on schedule and documented line by line.
International clearance
Outside the U.S. there is no single compulsory license. We route each request to the publisher or national society for the territories you need.
Distributor-ready documentation
License IDs, publisher names as licensed, songwriter credits and permitted territories — packaged the way distributors ask for them.
Know the limits
What a mechanical license covers — and what it doesn’t
Covered
- Your new audio recording of a previously released song
- An arrangement in your own style that keeps the melody and character of the work
- Reproduction and distribution in the licensed formats and quantities
- Distribution in the licensed territories
Needs separate permission
- Changed lyrics or a translation
- Samples, remixes or any part of the original master recording
- Music videos and other synchronization with images
- Medleys and mashups
- Songs that have never been released
How it works
From track list to licensed release in four steps
Submit your release
Send the track list: titles, original writers, durations, ISRCs if you have them, formats, estimated units and target territories.
We research and clear
We confirm ownership and splits, check each song’s eligibility and request the right license for each format and territory.
Royalties are settled
You approve a quote that shows every royalty line. We pay the rights holders and keep the records.
Deliver with proof
You receive the license documentation and the exact credits to enter at upload. We stay on for renewals, top-ups and statements.
Do I need a license to release a cover song?
Yes. You own your recording, but the song belongs to its writers and publishers. Distributing your version requires a mechanical license, and most distributors will not accept a cover without proof of one.
Streaming services already pay publishers. Why would I need a license?
In the U.S., interactive streaming services license compositions through a blanket license administered by The MLC. But many distributors require a download or cover license as their own policy, physical and download sales need their own licenses, and outside the U.S. the rules differ by country.
What does a mechanical license not cover?
Music videos (synchronization), samples or any part of the original master, changed lyrics, translations, medleys and mashups, and songs that have never been released. Each of these needs direct permission from the owners.
Can I change the lyrics or translate the song?
Not under a standard license. Your arrangement can reflect your style, but the melody and the fundamental character of the work must stay the same. A lyric change or translation needs the publisher’s written approval, which we can request for you.
Planning a release? Clear it before it ships.
Send us the track list. We reply with what we need, the route for each song and a quote — before anything is filed.