Seeking Permission to cover songs on CD

Subject: Seeking Permission to cover songs on CD
From: GUEST,Fyldeplayer
Date: 03 Jun 19 - 11:17 AM

Im sure there is a simple way to achieve this (?) rather than my process which is to contact directly or through agency to the songwriter. A bit of luck though, Pete Morton played our local club and gave my wife permission in person. More amazingly, Ashley Hutchings agency got hold of him and he gave a very positive approval - all in the space of a couple of hours! If my email to John Tams can be resolved as quickly that would really help.

Subject: RE: Seeking Permission to cover songs on CD
From: Jack Campin
Date: 03 Jun 19 - 11:42 AM

You don't need permission. You just need to make sure the writers get paid.

Subject: RE: Seeking Permission to cover songs on CD
From: GUEST
Date: 03 Jun 19 - 04:45 PM

You do need permission if there is copyright material (licensing is required) - also crediting for airplay so royalties can be paid to the song owners on any general broadcasting or recording into shows. If in the Uk, and the songs are copyright and published - you probably would simply license the material used on the CD through the MCPS who represent writers and publishers. Go to their website PRS/MCPS alliance. It depends who has been assigned the collection rights to a song. If you have trad. material obviously you are just paying yourself.

Subject: RE: Seeking Permission to cover songs on CD
From: GUEST
Date: 03 Jun 19 - 06:23 PM

"You do need permission" - No you don't - Three CDs released to date mostly covers you look up and list the copyright material, tell the PRS/MCPS, who owns copyright of what and how many CDs are being made and pay up. NO PRIOR PERMISSION REQUIRED.

Subject: RE: Seeking Permission to cover songs on CD
From: GUEST,Starship
Date: 03 Jun 19 - 07:13 PM

Permission is required from the writer if the song has not been released.

Subject: RE: Seeking Permission to cover songs on CD
From: GUEST
Date: 03 Jun 19 - 08:09 PM

Licensing by definition is seeking permission. If a first recording if a fresh song, Starship is right you need to go directly to the owner for a first license approval. Otherwise in the UK most parties license via the MCPS. The MCPS act as go betweens, in effect giving permission on behalf of the copyright owners by granting a license, SO when it comes to CD's PERMISSION IS required. Trad. repertoire doesn't need anybody's permission. Though obviously it is to a performer's advantage to have the tracks officially licensed and released so that airplay can be distributed.

Subject: RE: Seeking Permission to cover songs on CD
From: Howard Jones
Date: 04 Jun 19 - 06:42 AM

If you are getting the CDs made professionally (rather than burning off CD-ROMS yourself) the manufacturer will want to see a licence from MCPS. This is straightforward, you give them a list of the songs on the album and they work out the royalties, you pay the fee and they give you the licence. There's a form of words you need to put on the CD label to show it's been licenced. That's all the permission you need (unless, as already pointed out, the song hasn't been recorded before) provided the songwriter is a member of MCPS.

Where a songwriter isn't a member of MCPS it gets more difficult, as MCPS then aren't interested. Then you need to contact the songwriter directly and agree any royalty payment direct with them. Where a song is traditional or out of copyright you don't need permission and don't pay a fee.

I suspect that Morton, Hutchings and Tams are members of MCPS so although they may have given you their blessing you may find that MCPS will still charge a royalty.

If you want to get paid for any airplay you need to register separately with PPL. This protects the rights of the artists (and others involved in the production) in their own performance, so when your album is played on-air or in public you can be paid (the songwriter will be rewarded separately via PRS).

This is for the UK. Other countries have similar rights organisations which no doubt work in a similar way. I believe it's more complicated in the USA where there are several competing rights organisations.

Subject: RE: Seeking Permission to cover songs on CD
From: Acorn4
Date: 04 Jun 19 - 08:21 AM

What if it's a poem that is out of copyright but someone has written a tune to it?

Subject: RE: Seeking Permission to cover songs on CD
From: Howard Jones
Date: 04 Jun 19 - 09:24 AM

Then the royalty due for that track would be apportioned and the tune composer would get a share but the lyrics would be royalty-free.

Subject: RE: Seeking Permission to cover songs on CD
From: JHW
Date: 07 Jun 19 - 04:52 AM

"Where a songwriter isn't a member of MCPS it gets more difficult, as MCPS then aren't interested."
I found this but hope I sorted it.
I did find what I was sure was a song by DG wrongly credited to someone else. DG confirmed but simply said "Send me a copy".
The CD manufacturer provided the contact for royalties, which had to be paid before the CD production.