BENGALURU: As artistes, sometimes we come across a song that we love that have been composed, recorded and released by other artistes, and we want to put our own spin on. Making a cover version of another’s song can be a fun creative process. Some artistes are exclusively cover artistes, some do a mix of covers and originals, and some prefer to do only original music. Here are some of our top tips to do a cover song:
Make it your own: Put your own spin on the song. It doesn’t have to be exactly like the original. What do you like about the song? How does the song bring out what you do best?
Check legal rights: Check the legal rights required to record and release a song composed by someone else. The rights may be different for different territories, and platforms, so make sure it constitutes for a fair use.
Find your niche: If you’re doing many covers, think of how you can artistically tie them together. Are Carnatic versions of pop songs your thing? Do you like mood covers? Consistency as an artiste is helpful, so think of how the different covers you make can be connected.
Find the right format to share: Whether you are looking at audio-only or audio and video, different platforms have different formats. Instagram works better with vertical video formats, while YouTube is optimised for horizontal formats. Spotify and Apple are great for audio-only releases. Try to get your music out to as many places as possible.
Tag the original artistes andcomposer: Artistes are always happy to know they’ve inspired other performances, so always make sure you tag the original artiste and composer. If they like your version, they may even share it, and you may find new audiences!