Ask Kix…Everything you wanna know about country music! Our listeners submit their questions about country music and Kix will answer…
This week's question is from Carlos who writes…
Kix,
Lately, it seems that artists like to sing the songs or even hits of other artists. Is it as easy as calling the artist with the hit and asking their permission? Can you explain the process?
Thanks, Kix!
Signed,
Carlos
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Kix's Response:
That is a good question, Carlos!
The first time a song is recorded the writer and publisher have to issue you a license to release it for sale, so they get to pick who they want to release it the first time but after that, it’s fair game. So, if you heard something on the radio you wanted to record, you could. If it’s a hit on country radio, I wouldn’t advise trying to get it played on country radio anytime soon, but if something is a hit on pop, rock, or alternative radio, a lot of times an artist will hear it and then the song finds it’s way over here. An example of this recently is Darius Rucker's big hit "Wagon Wheel."
Thanks for listening! You guys are really paying attention out there…
