Copyright Laws of a Cover Version

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This is a bit of a long shot but can anyone help me on this?

A while back I did a cover version of an old song called , "Lean On Me" orginally by Bill Withers and I wasn't sure if I was allowed to sell this as an mp3 as a Cover Version? Or would this involve getting in touch with the guys that own the song in the first place?

The reson why I'm wanting to do this is because I uploaded it to youtube and I have been getting alot of private messages asking me where they can buy this from and I only have ONE copy at home on CD that I can make into an mps but not sure whether I'm allowed as it's a cover version.

Can anyone shed any light on this?
#off topic forum
  • Contact a copyright attorney and ask them.
    I think you will need to get permission from the person or corp. that owns the rights to that song.
  • You can record and release a cover song, especially if it has been covered already. Lean On Me has been covered many times.

    However, you will have to pay royalties on it, and my understanding is that if you get permission you may have to pay less in royalties.

    That being said, contact a lawyer in the field to make sure you do it right.

    All the best,
    Michael
  • Had this bookmarked already:

    WWW FAQs: How can I legally play my own cover of a song on my website?
    • [1] reply
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    Copyright Laws of a Cover Version

    This is a bit of a long shot but can anyone help me on this? A while back I did a cover version of an old song called , "Lean On Me" orginally by Bill Withers and I wasn't sure if I was allowed to sell this as an mp3 as a Cover Version? Or would this involve getting in touch with the guys that own the song in the first place?