Question about Recording a Cover Song

smhatahy · 03-10-2007, 04:28 PM

The Worship Team at my College Fellowship wants to record a CD, with original songs and covers of a few worship songs. I was wondering about the legality of this. Would we have to get permission from the artist if we were not planning to sell the cd?

ApparentlyNothing · 03-10-2007, 06:30 PM

I'm pretty sure that as long as you're not selling it, you should be fine.

B429R · 08-27-2007, 05:23 PM

Same question here.

My band is planning on creating a CD with 11 songs, 9 originals and 2 P&W songs. Blessed Be Your Name and Famous One. Would we have to get permission from Matt Redman and Chris Tomlin before we could record and sell this?

snizzle · 08-27-2007, 05:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ApparentlyNothing

I'm pretty sure that as long as you're not selling it, you should be fine.

+1. I'm pretty sure this is the standard. As long as you don't make money from it, you're pretty much ok. Nate will give a much better answer.

-shane

ApparentlyNothing · 08-27-2007, 06:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by B429R

Same question here.

My band is planning on creating a CD with 11 songs, 9 originals and 2 P&W songs. Blessed Be Your Name and Famous One. Would we have to get permission from Matt Redman and Chris Tomlin before we could record and sell this?

Contact the owner of the copyright, which is going to be the songwriter. You'll have to get permission and also pay the songwriter a certain amount per CD sold.

Incidentally, I know a certain indie artist who covered a Radiohead song and sold it on her EP without permission. As far as I know, she still hasn't been notified that she needs to start paying Thom York.