Cover version permission for a CD - anyone in the UK done it?

Liebe zeit

Silver Member
My band wants to make a CD with a couple of covers among our own stuff. I think I need to approach the MCPS to get the permissions, but it's quite difficult finding out what to do online. Anyone got any experience of this? I thought there might be a copyright aggregating website where we could enter likely numbers of CDs and pay online.

Anyone?
 
To manufacture CDs in the UK, you need to apply for an AP2 licence from the MCPS - CD manufacturers will ask you to provide it (you still need to do do this even if it's all your own music, but then there will be no cost). As long as you are not intending to significantly alter the lyrics or arrangement of a song, you do not need to contact the publisher/composer directly.

There is a helpful FAQ about this here: http://a1cds.co.uk/copyright/mcps-ap2-faq

And the actual online application form is here:
http://www.nmp.eu/MCPSAFL/AFLonline.faces

How much it costs will depend on how many CDs you will be manufacturing.

As a side note, if you release a cover as a digital download on iTunes (or Amazon or similar) in the UK store (and in many other countries, but NOT the US), there is no need to purchase a mechanical licence or seek any additional permission, as the onus is on iTunes to deal with mechanical royalties.

Hope that helps!
 
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