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Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane)īy Walter Kent, Kim Gannon, and Buck Ram (1943)īy Joseph Carleton Beal and James Ross Boothe (1957)īy Katherine K. In order to avoid paying a mechanical royalty, your recording would need to be an instrumental version of the composition, and you could NOT call it “Carol of the Bells.”īy Noel Regney and Gloria Shayne Baker (1962)īy Steve Nelson and Walter E. The music, a Ukrainian folk song called “Shchedryk,” is in the public domain.
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*The lyrics and title of Carol of the Bells are copyrighted.
Who owns the rights to the song let it snow license#
The holiday season generates a large amount of sales and internet searches for seasonal music, and with proper tagging your efforts will reach countless new listeners who could very quickly be converted into fans.Holiday Songs that Require a License to Cover The following songs are copyrighted and require a cover song license in order to distribute:Īll I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teethīy Peter J. By taking a holiday classic like the ones above and making it your own you’re further engaging already devoted followers while simultaneously creating an amazing opportunity to reach new fans. There is no question that some of the songs mentioned above have been reinterpreted by so many artists that putting an original spin on proceedings seems impossible, but it’s often the most challenging of endeavors that prove to be the most fruitful.
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“Sleigh Ride” (Leroy Anderson, Mitchell Parish).“The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)” (Mel Tormé, Robert Wells).“Winter Wonderland” (Written by: Felix Bernard, Richard B.Here are just a few notable songs that would require a mechanical license:Ĭhristmas Songs NOT in the public domain… PDInfo Online ( is a good starting point if the liner notes and copyright information are unavailable. Many classic Christmas songs that are presumed to be in the public domain are in fact copyrighted, so make sure to double-check your sources before deciding a track is public domain. Here is a list of holiday songs currently in the public domain:
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You do not need mechanical licenses to sell your version of these works, but certain arrangements me be copyrighted (do your own research). In other words, works that are unavailable for private ownership or are otherwise available for public use. You may or may not be aware of the term ‘public domain,’ but it refers to works whose intellectual property rights have expired, have been forfeited, or are inapplicable. Today we’re going to look at holiday covers, and how you can leverage royalty-free songs to reach new listeners who otherwise may have never discovered your music. The problem with covers as far as young artists and groups are concerned usually involves royalties and whether or not they can afford to market their recording beyond streams and videos. Not everyone loves them, but every year a number of artists new and old rise to the top of their respective music scenes by adding their own take to an already well-known song. The topic of cover songs can be a tricky one.
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