1. To apply for the copyright of music works, you need to obtain the authorization of the original copyright owner during the application process;
2. During the application process, you can apply directly to the National Copyright Center or through an agency.
3. If you choose to cover directly, you need to directly use the original works of lyrics and songs, so you need to obtain the authorization of the relevant rights holders before you can obtain the copyright of the cover. However, the adaptation and cover requires the modification of the original lyrics and songs, and you must obtain the authorization of adaptation and permission of the relevant people in advance;
4. For the live cover, the cover singer needs to communicate with the songwriter in advance and obtain the performance license before the cover. In the process of cover, the accompaniment of the original song is also used, and it is also necessary to negotiate with the recording producer who has the accompaniment tape. If the means of network communication is selected for cover, in addition to the performance right of the songwriter, he needs to obtain a series of related rights such as the reproduction right and distribution right of the songwriter and the recording.
The registration process for obtaining the cover right is as follows:
1. Submission materials: application for registration of works, identification documents of authors or other copyright owners, certification documents of copyright ownership of works, and descriptions of works;
2. Fill in the Work Registration Form and the Guarantee of Rights.
3. Pay the fee.
4. After receiving the application materials for work registration, the work registration authority shall conduct verification according to the regulations, and the verification period shall be one month.
5. The works that meet the requirements for voluntary registration after verification shall be issued with a work registration certificate by the work registration authority and announced.
To sum up, performing a work adapted by others requires the dual authorization of the copyright owner of the original work and the copyright owner of the adapted work. If it is a non-profit non-commercial performance, the author of the work should be signed.
Legal basis:
Article 13 of the Copyright Law of the People's Republic of China
The copyright of a work produced by adapting, translating, annotating or arranging an existing work shall be enjoyed by the person who adapted, translated, annotated and arranged it, but the copyright of the original work shall not be infringed when exercising it.