UK-based music distribution platform RouteNote has inked a deal with Affordable Song Licensing to make it easier for musicians to distribute cover songs.

RouteNote and Affordable Song Licensing’s partnership paves the way for artists who want to distribute their cover songs to all digital service providers (DSPs) in the US or sell physical copies. By simplifying this process for artists, they’re able to more quickly release the music and remove the headache of securing the proper licenses.

To release a cover song you need to obtain a compulsory mechanical license, which is a clause in copyright law that grants artists the right to re-record a song that has previously been released. According to Songtrust, “to release a cover version via download or physical media like LPs or CDs, you would need to pay the compulsory mechanical rate, but your license request cannot be denied.”

Affordable Song Licensing was established in 2016. Since their launch, they’ve helped thousands of musicians acquire the proper compulsory mechanical license. Through Affordable Song Licensing, licenses cost $12 per song in addition to the royalties, which covers both physical sales in the United States and digital.

Once you’ve released your cover song with RouteNote it’s important that you monitor your downloads and streaming numbers. The rates you paid for your compulsory mechanical license are for a specific usage of the cover song and require you to stay within the limits of the agreement. If you go over your licensed limit you’ll need to purchase an additional one so you aren’t infringing the songwriter and/or publisher’s copyrights.

The news of RouteNote and Affordable Song Licensing’s partnership comes just a few days after the music distributor launched its mobile application for Android devices. An iOS app is currently in the works and will be released in the future.

If you’re ready to get your music to the world, get started distributing with RouteNote here.