Can I Use Stay By Rihanna Lyrics For Cover Credits Legally?

I love singing along to 'Stay' when I'm doing dishes, so this topic feels very relatable and a little bittersweet. Here's how I'd handle it if I wanted to share a cover online without stepping on legal landmines. First, singing the song and posting a video where I perform it live is usually okay in the sense that platforms and venue licenses often allow the performance itself, but displaying the full lyrics on-screen or publishing them in text form is off-limits without permission. That surprised me the first time I tried to make a lyric video—I thought giving credit was enough, but it's not the same as having print permission.

In my own projects I split the problem into two parts: the audio side and the visual/print side. For audio, I make sure a mechanical license is in place before distributing to streaming services or selling downloads. It's surprisingly affordable for non-commercial personal projects when done through a licensing platform. For anything with visuals—like a YouTube cover—I either avoid showing full lyrics, use a tiny excerpt (carefully, and only when it’s clearly fair use, which is subjective), or I ask the publisher for a sync and print license. Publishers can be generous sometimes, especially for smaller creators, but other times they either ask for money or route everything through Content ID deals on platforms.

If you're not up for negotiating with publishers, there are easier workarounds that still let your creativity shine: create an original visual accompaniment that doesn't display lyrics, transcribe the chords instead of the words, or include only a very short quoted line and link to the official lyric page in your description. Also, crediting the song and songwriters is kind and expected—write something like ‘‘Stay’ (written by Sia Furler and Mikky Ekko) — performed by me’—but remember that it's not a substitute for any formal license if you reproduce those lyrics.

In short, sing it all you want, but be careful about printing or showing the words. If you want, tell me where you plan to upload the cover and whether you’ll monetize it; I can give platform-specific tips and link a couple of services I trust for getting the rights sorted without losing too much sleep.

I've put covers of my favorite songs on social media more times than I can count, so this question hits close to home. Short version: you can sing 'Stay' by Rihanna in a cover, but you cannot legally reproduce the song's lyrics on-screen or in writing without permission from the rights holders. That little distinction—performing vs reproducing—changes everything. When I make an audio-only cover (like a Spotify or Bandcamp upload), there's a well-established route: the compulsory mechanical license in the U.S. lets you record and distribute someone else's composition as long as you follow the law (notice, paying the statutory rate, and reporting). Services like Songfile (Harry Fox Agency), DistroKid, or CD Baby make that part painless for many creators these days.

Where it gets sticky is if you want to show the lyrics in your video, post them in the description, or make a lyric video. Lyrics are protected as written text by the music publisher and are not covered by the mechanical license that applies to recordings. For any reproduction of the lyrics—even printing them in the video credits—you technically need permission from the publisher (often called a print or lyric license). In practice, platforms like YouTube often let videos with on-screen lyrics slip through but then monetize them or flag them via Content ID; the publisher ends up getting the revenue. That means a cover where you simply credit 'Stay' and its songwriters (for example, Sia and Mikky Ekko are associated with the song) is good etiquette but not a legal replacement for permission if you intend to reproduce lyrics.

If you want to do this properly, here's a straightforward path I follow: (1) identify the publisher (ASCAP/BMI/SESAC databases or lookup tools can help), (2) reach out or use a licensing service (Easy Song Licensing or a distributor that handles mechanicals and syncs), and (3) secure a sync license if you plan to pair your cover with visuals. Sync licenses are not compulsory and can be more expensive because the publisher negotiates terms. For purely audio covers sold/streamed, get the mechanical license; for videos with lyrics shown, expect to request specific permission for the lyric reproduction and a sync license for the video.

I learned the hard way that simply crediting the song in the description isn't enough to avoid claims. If this is a hobby video for friends, many creators accept the risk and rely on platform arrangements, but if you plan to sell the cover, use it in a commercial project, or build an audience, it's worth getting the proper licenses. If contacting publishers directly feels intimidating, services exist that streamline it for a fee. Personally, I usually avoid showing entire lyrics on-screen and instead provide a short quoted line (kept tiny) or link to the official lyric page, and then I secure the mechanical license for audio distribution. That keeps my conscience clear and my channel calmer when Content ID robots come knocking.

If you're thinking about a specific distribution channel, tell me which one and I can walk you through the exact services I've used and the typical costs—happy to help figure out the cleanest route for your cover of 'Stay'.

I tend to get a little technical when music rights come up, but I’ll keep this as practical as possible. You can perform and record a cover of 'Stay' and share that performance, but reproducing the lyrics (printing them in captions, putting them in the video, publishing them in a description) is a separate right owned by the song's publisher. Performing rights for live gigs are usually covered by venues' blanket licenses with performance rights organizations, but that doesn’t extend to posting lyrics online or turning the song into a synchronized video.

From a U.S.-centric legal viewpoint, a mechanical license (17 U.S.C. §115) allows someone to reproduce and distribute a musical composition in audio format—this is the license you get when you’re making a cover and distributing it on platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, or selling downloads. Agencies like the Harry Fox Agency provide a transactional service (Songfile) for this. Streaming mechanics get more nuanced—interactive streaming services typically handle mechanicals via agreements, but independent uploads might still require you to secure licenses via your distributor. For video covers (YouTube, Instagram Reels, TikTok), the big issue is the synchronization license: sync rights are required to pair music with images, and there is no statutory compulsory sync license, so you must negotiate with the publisher. Many publishers assign rights management to third-party companies, and responses vary—sometimes they reject, sometimes they license for a fee, sometimes they let platform agreements cover it and claim ad revenue.

Reproducing lyrics is yet another category called print or reprography rights. If you put the lyrics in your video or description, you're reproducing the text and need permission from the publisher. A credit like 'Lyrics by Sia, performed by Rihanna' or 'Song: Stay (Rihanna), writers: Sia/F. Ekko' is fine and recommended, but it's not a license. In casual usage people often post small lyric snippets under fair use arguments, but fair use is unpredictable and risky—especially if you use the whole chorus or verse.

If you want to do things by the book: locate the publisher (PRO repertoire search), ask for a sync license for video projects and a print license if you plan to reproduce lyrics. For straightforward cover distribution of audio-only recordings, obtain a mechanical license via Songfile or through your distributor (many aggregators offer cover licensing add-ons). For video, be prepared to either get a sync license, rely on platform deals (and accept potential monetization to rights holders), or avoid reproducing lyrics and show original visuals instead. If you tell me where you want to post the cover (YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Spotify), I can give a checklist I use to avoid headaches when uploading—and some quick links to lookup tools.