Essay
Cover Song Royalties: Who Actually Gets Paid
Cover song royalties go to the original writer, not to you. What the compulsory license buys, what it refuses you, and the 2026 statutory rate.
Recording a cover does not make you the songwriter. The composition royalties — mechanicals on the stream or sale, performance royalties when it plays publicly — still belong to the original writers and their publishers.
In the US, the compulsory mechanical license lets you record and distribute a cover of a song that has already been released, without asking permission, if you pay the statutory rate. It does not give you the right to change the lyrics, to print the words, or to sync the song to video. Those still need a direct license.
The 2026 statutory mechanical rate for physical and permanent downloads is set by the Copyright Royalty Board. Streaming mechanicals are paid through the MLC under a different formula. If you are the original writer, a successful cover is new income — but only if the work is registered so the cover's ISRC can be matched to your ISWC.
If you are the covering artist, you own the new master. Your distributor collects that side. The publishing side is not yours to collect.