Can I Register a Song With Samples?

Be sure to clear them first.

Unless you have explicit permission from all concerned parties, do not register any songs containing samples with Songtrust. Registering songs with uncleared samples is a type of copyright infringement. An example of this would be if you used a loop from a Michael Jackson song, but didn’t ask his label or publisher if you could use it in a song you released. (Samples require clearance from a song’s master owner and publisher. Without it, you can’t register your song and collect songwriting or publishing royalties.)

Make sure you are aware of the difference between sampling and interpolating a song as well — something we discuss in detail here.

Thanks for reading. Please rate the article below.

Want to keep up with Songtrust for frequent music and publishing updates?