What is a Cover Song?

Common usage of the term “cover song” refers to a new recording of an existing song by a musician who is not the original composer or recording artist. A cover song must be a “faithful rendition” (no change in melody, lyrics, and arrangement), and the original song must be distributed or offered to the public by the original artist or their record label before the cover version is recorded.
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A cover song must not include any part of the original master recording, regardless of the duration. That would make the song a remix or a mashup that requires an additional license.
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Whenever an artist records and releases a cover song, they need to obtain a mechanical license that will secure the payment of the mechanical royalty to the original songwriter(s). Cover songs may be eligible for compulsory mechanical licenses. In some cases, these licenses are obtained by digital service providers (DSPs).