License for selling cover songs in digital downloads

[knuckleberryfinn]

I've been trying to find out about this, but everything I've found relates to US legal requirements.

Here's the specifics: I've recorded nine blues songs, most of the written in the 1920s/30s/40s, but a couple in the late 60s and one in the 90s. I have registered with CD Baby, and have given them the names of the songwriter and publisher for each song. They are a US-based company and advise me that I require a 'mechanical license' for selling these cover songs. As far as I can work it out, if you are doing this independently, you send a legal letter to the publisher of each song and that's that. And the seller of the recordings (iTunes, Amazon, etc.) pays the publisher and/or songwriter. Have I got this right? Or is it different in the UK? I've tried looking on the PRS site but couldn't find anything that related to this - only licenses for venues etc, and songwriters. Any help will be very much appreciated.

Paul

EDIT: Ah, just seen that I am responsible for paying royalties. I suppose it was too much to expect that the sellers would do this - probably a massive pain in the arse.

[Dulcetjones]

Google "Harry Fox Agency". You can make a one time small payment on a set amount of CD's(500, or 1,000, whatever figure you intend to try and sell) for each cover song. Your only other legal option is if you give them away as "promotional CD's". One more detail that may cause packaging headaches, you should have the details stated under the title of each cover song you have payed to use, eg, I had to put all this when I put "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" on a CD: "Trad. Arr. J. Page/R. Plant *Superhype Publishing Inc c/o: Warner Chappell Music Canada Ltd.;Universal-Songs of Polygram Int'l c/o: Universal-MCA Music Publishing".

[knuckleberryfinn]

Thanks Dulcetjones, but it's both a bit trickier and a bit easier with digital downloads. I have all the writer/publisher etc details listen under each track, and it's digital, so no cluttered track listing. So that's easier. But also, being digital download, I will have to pay per unit sold, which means sending a royalty cheque to nine different companies every time I want to settle with them. Having said that, I'm sure there are companies that deal with digital download royalties, but I think I'd rather do it myself, even though it's a bit of a hassle. I have decided that I am going to use the US standard letter and send it to each of the publishers of each of the songs. If I'm doing something wrong I'm sure they'll soon tell me. They will all get their money (all 60 cents per annuum of it, probably) so I'm sure it won't cause trouble. I'll post back with any corrective replies I get from publishers.

Google "Harry Fox Agency". You can make a one time small payment on a set amount of CD's(500, or 1,000, whatever figure you intend to try and sell) for each cover song. Your only other legal option is if you give them away as "promotional CD's". One more detail that may cause packaging headaches, you should have the details stated under the title of each cover song you have payed to use, eg, I had to put all this when I put "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" on a CD: "Trad. Arr. J. Page/R. Plant *Superhype Publishing Inc c/o: Warner Chappell Music Canada Ltd.;Universal-Songs of Polygram Int'l c/o: Universal-MCA Music Publishing".