Disc Makers is committed to protecting the intellectual property rights of our customers and other copyright owners. Before we manufacture CDs, vinyl records, DVDs, or other media, you must confirm that you have the right to reproduce and distribute everything included in your project.
This includes:
- Music and sound recordings
- Lyrics and musical compositions
- Samples and sound clips
- Cover songs
- Films and video
- Photographs and artwork
- Software and presentations
- AI-generated or AI-assisted music, voices, images, and other content
Disc Makers’ intellectual property compliance procedures help prevent the unauthorized reproduction of copyrighted material. Every reputable manufacturer should require customers to confirm ownership or provide appropriate licensing for material they did not create or do not own.
What rights do I need to manufacture CDs or vinyl records?
You must have permission to reproduce and distribute both the musical composition and the sound recording included in your project.
These are two separate copyrights:
- The musical composition covers the underlying music and lyrics.
- The sound recording covers the specific recorded performance of that composition.
When you write and record all of your own music, you may own both copyrights. If another songwriter, performer, producer, record label, publisher, or rights holder contributed to the project, you may need additional agreements or licenses.
Do I automatically own the copyright to my original work?
Copyright protection generally begins when an original work is created and fixed in a tangible form, such as when a song is recorded or written down.
Registering your work with the U.S. Copyright Office is not required for copyright to exist, but registration creates an official public record and can provide important legal benefits if an ownership dispute or infringement claim arises.
Musical compositions and sound recordings may need to be registered separately, depending on the project and ownership structure.
For current registration information, visit the U.S. Copyright Office (https://www.copyright.gov).
Should songwriters join a performing rights organization?
Songwriters and publishers may choose to affiliate with a performing rights organization such as ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC .
These organizations license certain public performances of musical compositions and distribute performance royalties to their affiliated songwriters and publishers.
Registering a copyright and joining a performing rights organization serve different purposes. Copyright registration documents ownership, while a performing rights organization helps administer certain performance rights and royalties.
What if my project contains samples?
A sample is any portion of an existing sound recording used in a new recording.
Samples can include:
- Music from another artist’s recording
- Dialogue from a movie or television program
- Commercial sound bites
- Audio from online videos
- Spoken-word recordings
- Sound effects or clips taken from copyrighted sources
There is no guaranteed “safe” sample length. Using even a very short portion of someone else’s recording may require permission.
Projects containing samples generally require permission for both:
- The copyrighted sound recording, usually through a master-use license
- The underlying song or composition is usually obtained through permission from the songwriter or music publisher
Disc Makers cannot begin manufacturing a project containing sampled material until the required licensing documentation has been provided.
The rights holder may ask how many copies you plan to manufacture, where you will distribute them, and how the sample will be used. The rights holder may also charge a licensing fee.
Do I need a license to record a cover song?
Yes. When you record and distribute your own version of a song written by someone else, you generally need a mechanical license for the underlying musical composition.
A mechanical license permits you to reproduce and distribute your recording of the song on formats such as CDs, vinyl records, and permanent digital downloads.
You generally need a separate license for each song and may need to account for each format and quantity being manufactured.
For 2026, the U.S. statutory mechanical royalty rate for physical recordings and permanent downloads is:
- 13.1¢ per song, per copy for songs five minutes or shorter
- 2.52¢ per minute or fraction of a minute, per copy for songs longer than five minutes
The greater of the two calculations applies.
Mechanical royalty rates can change, so confirm the current rate before licensing your project.
Disc Makers works with Easy Song Licensing, which can help obtain mechanical licenses for cover songs. Licensing should be completed before your project enters manufacturing.
A mechanical license normally covers a straightforward audio-only cover recording. It may not cover major changes to the lyrics or fundamental character of the song, the use of the original artist’s recording, translation rights, synchronization with video, or the first commercial release of a song.
What if someone else owns content on my master?
If another person or company owns any part of your master, you must provide documentation showing that you are authorized to reproduce and distribute it.
This might include:
- A recording agreement
- A label authorization
- A work-for-hire agreement
- A producer or performer releases
- A master-use license
- A mechanical license
- A distribution agreement
- Written permission from the rights holder
- An AI platform commercial-use license
Depending on the project, Disc Makers may require a completed Audio Manufacturing Agreement or other authorization from the content owner.
What if my disc includes third-party software?
If your disc contains software created by another company or developer, you may need a user-distribution license or another form of permission.
This can apply even to software described as freeware or shareware. The software owner may require:
- A specific license agreement
- Copyright or trademark notices
- Logos or attribution
- Warranty disclaimers
- Legal notices on the disc or packaging
- Limits on how the software may be distributed
Review the software owner’s terms before including any application, installer, player, codec, plug-in, or other third-party program on your disc.
What documents may Disc Makers require?
To prevent manufacturing delays, you may need to submit:
- A completed Intellectual Property Rights form
- A completed Audio Manufacturing Agreement when another party owns content on the master
- Mechanical licenses for cover songs
- Master-use and composition licenses for samples
- User-distribution licenses for third-party software
- Written authorization from a record label, publisher, producer, artist, or other rights holder
- Commercial-use terms or licensing documentation for AI-generated content
The exact documentation depends on the content and ownership of your project.
Should third-party material be credited?
Yes. Third-party material should be properly credited wherever required by the applicable agreement or license.
Music credits may appear in the packaging or liner notes. Film, video, software, and multimedia credits may need to appear on the packaging, disc, or within the program itself.
Follow any specific wording, logo, trademark, copyright notice, or attribution requirements imposed by the rights holder.
Who is responsible for securing copyright permission?
The customer submitting the project is responsible for confirming ownership and securing all required permissions and licenses.
Disc Makers may review the information provided and request supporting documents, but we cannot determine ownership, provide legal clearance, or obtain every license on a customer’s behalf.
Manufacturing your project does not mean that Disc Makers has verified or guaranteed your ownership of the content.
Disc Makers may delay or decline a project when ownership or licensing documentation is incomplete, inconsistent, or raises intellectual property concerns.
Important legal notice
This article provides general educational information and is not legal advice. Copyright, licensing, artificial intelligence, rights of publicity, and contractual issues can be complex and may vary based on how a project was created and how it will be distributed.
Consult a qualified intellectual property attorney when you are uncertain whether you own the necessary rights.