How to Post Covers on Instagram Without Copyright

Want to post your amazing cover of a popular song on Instagram but worried your video will get muted or taken down for copyright infringement? You're not alone. This guide breaks down exactly how to share your music legally, navigate Instagram’s copyright system, and keep your content live so your talent can get the attention it deserves.

Understanding the Basics of Music Copyright on Instagram

Before you can safely post a cover, you have to understand what you’re up against. Instagram, like YouTube and TikTok, uses an automated system called Content ID to scan every video uploaded to its platform. This system compares your audio to a massive database of copyrighted music. If it finds a match to a protected song, it can automatically block, mute, or place a copyright claim on your content on behalf of the rightsholders.

Copyright law for music is split into two main parts, and knowing the difference is important for any musician:

• The Composition Copyright: This protects the underlying melody and lyrics of a song - the "sheet music" version. It's owned by the songwriter(s) and their publisher. When you perform a cover, you are using this copyrighted composition.
• The Sound Recording Copyright (The Master): This protects a specific recorded version of a song. For example, Taylor Swift's recording of "Anti-Hero." This is owned by the artist’s record label. When you use a karaoke track or official instrumental from an original song, you’re touching this copyright.

Instagram has licensing deals with major publishers and labels, which is why you can use popular songs from their music library in Reels and Stories. But when you upload your own performance of someone else’s song, things get murky. The system might think you’re illegally uploading the original recording, or the publisher may not have granted Instagram the broad rights to allow user-generated covers of their catalog. This is where the trouble usually starts.

Debunking the Dangerous Myths About Posting Covers

There's a lot of bad advice floating around about how to get away with posting covers. Believing these myths is the fastest way to get your content removed or even your account flagged.

Myth 1: The "15-Second Rule"

You’ve probably heard it: “As long as you use less than 15 (or 30) seconds of a song, it’s fine!” This is completely false. From a legal standpoint, using even one second of a protected work without permission is still copyright infringement. There's no magical "safe" duration. This myth likely started because platforms themselves, for promotional purposes, let you add short clips of licensed music to your posts. But that's a feature of the app, based on their limited license deals - it's not a legal principle you can apply to your own uploaded audio.

Myth 2: "Just Credit the Artist and It's Okay"

Giving credit to the original artist in your caption by writing "Cover of 'Song Title' by Original Artist" is an important and respectful thing to do. However, it offers you zero legal protection. Attribution does not take the place of a license. While it might prevent a small indie artist from wanting to file a claim, major music publishers and their automated systems do not care about your caption. They care about whether the proper licenses have been secured.

Myth 3: "It's Fair Use!"

Fair use is a complex legal doctrine that allows the limited use of copyrighted material without permission for purposes like criticism, commentary, news reporting, and education. A straightforward performance of a song - what a musical cover is - almost never qualifies as fair use. It's not transformative enough. Relying on fair use as your defense for a cover on Instagram is a losing bet.

3 Safe Ways to Post Your Covers on Instagram

Now that you know what not to do, here's how to actually share your covers without constantly looking over your shoulder. We'll start with the easiest method and move to the most professional.

Method 1: Use Instagram’s Music Sticker on Your Live Performance Video

This is the most effective and simplest workaround for avoiding copyright flags on Instagram right now, especially for Reels and Stories. Instagram's system is much friendlier to content that uses its official, licensed audio. Here’s the trick:

1. Record your cover song performance on video as you normally would. Focus on getting a great visual and solid performance audio.
2. Import your video into the Instagram Reels or Story editor.
3. Tap the Music icon and search for the original, official version of the song you just covered. Select it.
4. Now, tap on the audio controls. You'll see two audio tracks: "Camera Audio" (your performance) and the track you just added.
5. Turn the "Camera Audio" all the way up so your performance is heard clearly. Then, drag the sound level of the official song down to the lowest possible level (you can sometimes get it to 1%). Some creators even turn the licensed track's volume to 0.

Even if the original song is playing at 1% volume or lower, Instagram’s Content ID system often recognizes the licensed audio and prioritizes it. To the algorithm, your video now officially includes an approved music track, protecting the rights holders and making your video much less likely to be blocked or muted. It tells Instagram, "Hey, I'm using music from the approved library," even though the audience is really hearing your own performance.

Method 2: Get the Right Licenses (The Professional Path)

If you're a serious artist looking to grow your brand, want to press your covers on vinyl, or potentially monetize your content, getting the legal permissions is the only truly bulletproof path. This is more work, but it’s the correct way to handle music copyrights and removes all risk.

For Audio-Only Versions (if you release the cover on Spotify/Apple Music):

You need a mechanical license. This gives you the right to create and distribute an audio-only recording of another artist's composition. Luckily, this is pretty easy to get in the U.S. through services that issue compulsory licenses.

• Services like Songfile (by The Harry Fox Agency) or Easy Song Licensing allow you to search for pretty much any song, pay a small fee (regulated by law, usually a few cents per copy you distribute), and get a mechanical license quickly and legally.

For Video Versions (what you need for Instagram, YouTube, TikTok):

Because you're combining the music (audio) with a visual element, you need a synchronization license, or "sync" license. This is trickier and often more expensive than a mechanical license.

• You need to contact the music publisher(s) directly. A song might have several songwriters, each represented by a different publisher. You have to get permission from all of them.
• How do you find the publisher? Use the public databases on performing rights organizations (PROs) like ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC. Search their song catalogs for the track you covered, and they will list the publishers you need to contact.
• Be prepared to wait and potentially pay. Securing a sync license can involve negotiation, takes time, and may cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars depending on the song's popularity. Major artists often deny sync requests, so be aware that a "yes" is not guaranteed.

Method 3: Perform Music in the Public Domain

The safest and most cost-effective option? Play songs for which the copyright has expired. When a song enters the public domain, it is no longer protected by copyright and can be performed, recorded, and adapted by anyone for free without permission.

• What's in the Public Domain? In the United States, works published in 1928 or earlier are generally in the public domain. This includes a ton of old folk songs, early blues and jazz standards, and classical compositions.
• Watch out for modern arrangements! While the original composition of "Amazing Grace" is in the public domain, a specific modern *arrangement* or *recording* of it might be copyrighted. Make sure you’re creating your own unique performance of the original-era song.
• Where can I find public domain music? Websites like PDInfo and the Public Domain Information Project provide extensive lists of songs you can cover without a single worry.

Bonus Tips for Staying Off the Copyright Radar

Beyond the core methods, here are a few best practices to implement to reduce friction with Instagram’s algorithm.

• Go acoustic and make it your own. Highly produced covers that sound very similar to the original master recording are more likely to be flagged by automated systems. A simple, stripped-down folk version on a guitar or a creative jazz reinterpretation is less likely to be confused for the original track.
• Avoid using the original song's instrumental. Never, ever sing over the official instrumental or karaoke track of a popular song. This uses both the composition and part of the sound recording, which makes for an unambiguous copyright match for Content ID. Create your own backing track or perform with live instruments.
• What if I still get a claim? If your video gets blocked or muted, you will get a notice from Instagram. Read it carefully. Often, it's just a claim, not a strike. The rights holder may choose to monetize your video (run ads on it), but that's it. If you believe your use is fair or you have a license, you can file a dispute through Instagram’s formal process. Do not dispute a claim if you don't have a legal right or license - you'll only make things worse. Usually, the easiest path is just to take the video down.

Final Thoughts

Navigating Instagram's copyright rules can feel intimidating, but it doesn't have to stop you from sharing your music. By using platform-friendly tools like the music sticker, securing the right licenses for serious projects, or creatively interpreting public domain songs, you can build your audience and showcase your talent without your content disappearing.

As you build your presence as a musician across social media, staying organized and consistent with your posting schedule can be just as important as navigating the copyright stuff. We know how time-consuming it is to plan, film, edit, and post on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Here at Postbase, we built a tool from the ground up to help modern creators like you skip the frustrating parts of social media management. With our visual calendar, you can plan out your whole content strategy in one place, schedule your videos to publish everywhere at once without headaches, and see analytics that help you make better content. We created Postbase to help you focus more on making music and less on wrestling with software that feels like it’s stuck in 2010.