How to Distribute a Cover Song to Amazon Music and Deezer
Amazon Music and Deezer together reach over 130 million listeners across more than 180 countries — and both platforms accept cover songs through standard distribution, provided the right licensing is in place. Neither platform allows direct uploads from artists; both require a music distributor to handle delivery, metadata, and licensing. This guide covers exactly what’s required to get your cover song live on both platforms, including the technical specifications each one enforces and how royalties work once you’re live.Can You Upload a Cover Song to Amazon Music?
Yes — but only through an official music distributor. Amazon Music doesn’t accept direct submissions from independent artists. Distributors deliver your audio files, artwork, metadata, and licensing information to Amazon’s catalog, and Amazon Music requires the same compliance standards it applies to label releases: proper copyright clearance, accurate credits, and audio that meets its technical specifications. For cover songs specifically, Amazon Music requires the appropriate mechanical license to distribute legally — the same requirement that applies across virtually every major streaming platform. A distributor that handles cover licensing automatically removes the need to source this separately.Amazon Music’s Technical Requirements for Cover Songs
Beyond licensing, Amazon Music enforces specific audio and metadata standards:- Loudness standard: Amazon Music normalizes all tracks to -14 dB LUFS. Mastering your cover to this standard (or close to it) ensures it plays back at the intended volume rather than being aggressively turned down by the platform’s normalization.
- Audio quality: Lossless WAV or FLAC source files are recommended for the cleanest delivery — Amazon Music supports lossless and Ultra HD tiers, so higher-resolution source audio is preserved where applicable.
- Cover artwork: High-resolution square artwork is required, matching the same 3000×3000 px standard used across most major platforms.
- Metadata accuracy: Misspelled artist names, incorrect contributor credits, or inconsistent titles are among the most common causes of manual review delays on Amazon Music.
- Explicit content labeling: If your cover includes explicit lyrics from the original, it must be labeled correctly before submission.
Can You Upload a Cover Song to Deezer?
Yes, through the same distributor-based process. Deezer operates in over 180 countries with a particularly strong presence in Europe and Latin America, making it a valuable addition for artists targeting those regions specifically. Like Amazon Music, Deezer requires proper mechanical licensing for cover song distribution — handled automatically by distributors like Globex Music as part of the standard upload flow. One detail worth knowing: Deezer is one of the streaming services that, in many distributor frameworks, can be reached for cover songs without requiring you to source a separate mechanical license yourself — the platform’s own licensing infrastructure covers the composition rights for streaming. This makes it one of the more straightforward platforms for cover song distribution. That said, using a distributor that bundles mechanical licensing automatically (rather than relying on platform-specific exceptions) is the safer and simpler approach, since it ensures consistent compliance whether or not the underlying platform rules shift.Deezer’s Artist-Centric Payment System
Deezer uses something most other platforms don’t: the Artist-Centric Payment System (ACPS). Rather than a flat per-stream rate, ACPS boosts payouts for artists whose tracks generate genuine fan engagement — listeners actively searching for and adding your music to playlists, rather than passive background listening. For cover songs, this has an interesting implication: a cover with a small but genuinely engaged audience (fans who search for your specific version, save it, and return to it) can outperform a cover that gets passive plays through algorithmic placement alone. This rewards artists who promote their cover directly to an audience rather than relying purely on inherited search traffic from the original song.Step-by-Step: Distributing to Both Platforms
Step 1 — Prepare your audio
Master your cover at or near -14 dB LUFS to match Amazon Music’s normalization standard. Export as WAV or FLAC at 16-bit/44.1 kHz minimum. This same file works for Deezer and every other major platform — there’s no need for platform-specific masters.Step 2 — Choose a distributor covering both platforms
Verify that Amazon Music and Deezer are both included in your distributor’s standard platform list — not all distributors include every platform by default. Globex Music delivers to both as part of its standard 150+ platform package.Step 3 — Upload, flag as a cover, and enter metadata
Use the exact original song title, credit the original songwriter (not the original performing artist if different), and flag the release as a cover song. This single metadata entry applies across every platform you select — you don’t need to repeat the process per platform.Step 4 — Select Amazon Music and Deezer in your platform list
During distribution setup, ensure both platforms are checked. There’s no reason to exclude either — both are included at no extra cost with Globex Music’s standard $1 per single pricing.Step 5 — Submit and wait for moderation
Globex Music completes moderation within 48 hours. Delivery timelines after approval vary slightly by platform — typically 2–5 business days for Amazon Music and a similar window for Deezer.Step 6 — Claim your artist profiles
Once live, claim your Amazon Music for Artists profile and your Deezer for Creators profile. Both give you access to streaming analytics, listener demographics, and the ability to submit tracks for editorial playlist consideration — neither platform allows direct playlist submission outside these portals.Understanding ISRC Codes for Cover Songs
Every cover song needs its own unique ISRC code (International Standard Recording Code) — a 12-character identifier that distinguishes your specific recording from the original and from every other cover of the same song. Your distributor assigns this automatically when you upload; you don’t need to obtain it separately. An ISRC code looks like this:USRC17607839 — broken into country code, registrant code, year, and a unique designation number. For cover songs specifically, the ISRC is what allows Amazon Music, Deezer, and every other platform to correctly attribute streams, royalties, and analytics to your version specifically, separate from the original recording and any other artist’s cover of the same song.
You never reuse the original song’s ISRC — that code belongs exclusively to the original recording. Your distributor generates a new one for your cover automatically during the upload process. If you’re working with a producer or label that wants to assign you their own ISRC prefix, this is handled at the distributor level before your release goes live — not something you need to request from Amazon Music or Deezer directly.
How Royalties Work on Amazon Music and Deezer
Both platforms split royalties the same way every cover song release does — master recording royalties to you, mechanical royalties to the original songwriter:| Platform | Approximate per-stream rate | Notable feature |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon Music | ~$0.004–$0.005 | Alexa voice search integration |
| Deezer | Variable — boosted by ACPS | Artist-Centric Payment System rewards engaged fans |
Why Amazon Music Matters for Cover Songs Specifically
Amazon Music’s integration with Alexa creates a discovery channel that doesn’t exist on other platforms. Once your cover is live, fans can play it through voice command — «Alexa, play [your cover title] by [your artist name]» — without any additional submission process. For cover songs, this means listeners can specifically request your version by name once they know it exists, adding a layer of discoverability that complements the search-based discovery you get from being indexed alongside the original song.Why Deezer Matters for Cover Songs Specifically
Deezer’s strong presence in Europe and Latin America makes it valuable if your cover targets audiences outside the US-dominant platforms. Combined with its high-fidelity HiFi audio tier and the Artist-Centric Payment System, Deezer rewards covers that build a genuine, engaged audience rather than relying purely on passive algorithmic plays — which favors artists who actively promote their release rather than just uploading and waiting.Common Mistakes to Avoid
Assuming Amazon Music accepts direct uploads. It doesn’t — every release, original or cover, must go through an approved distributor. Ignoring the loudness standard. A cover mastered significantly louder than -14 dB LUFS will be turned down automatically by Amazon Music’s normalization, which can make your version sound noticeably quieter or duller than competing tracks. Forgetting to select both platforms. Some distributors require explicit platform selection per release. Double-check that both Amazon Music and Deezer are checked before submitting — there’s no reason to exclude either when both are included in standard pricing. Skipping the cover song flag. As with every platform, failing to flag your release as a cover and provide the original songwriter’s name disrupts royalty routing and can trigger takedowns even on platforms with relatively simple licensing requirements.Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a mechanical license to put a cover song on Amazon Music?
Yes. Amazon Music requires proper licensing for cover song distribution, the same as virtually every major streaming platform. Distributors that handle mechanical licensing automatically — like Globex Music — manage this as part of the standard upload process, so you don’t need to source a license separately.How long does it take to publish a cover song on Deezer?
After your distributor approves the release — typically within 48 hours with Globex Music — delivery to Deezer generally takes a few business days, similar to most major streaming platforms. Plan for about one week total from submission to your cover going live.What ISRC code do I use for my cover song?
You need a new, unique ISRC code for your specific recording — never the original song’s ISRC. Your distributor assigns this automatically during upload. You don’t need to request it from Amazon Music, Deezer, or any platform directly; it’s generated as part of your release setup.Does Amazon Music pay more or less than Deezer for cover songs?
Amazon Music pays a relatively fixed per-stream rate of approximately $0.004–$0.005. Deezer’s rate varies through its Artist-Centric Payment System, which boosts payouts for tracks with genuine fan engagement — meaning a cover with a smaller but dedicated audience can earn more per stream on Deezer than the same cover would on a flat-rate platform.Can I play my cover song through Alexa once it’s on Amazon Music?
Yes. Once your cover is live on Amazon Music through an official distributor, it’s automatically searchable and playable via Alexa voice commands — no separate submission process is required for voice integration.Globex Music distributes cover songs to Amazon Music, Deezer, and 150+ other platforms from $1 per single, with mechanical licensing and ISRC assignment handled automatically. No annual fee, 100% of your master royalties.
