Copyright & Licensing

For a private compilation, our licence covers the music. The artwork is yours to get right. Here's how to make a record you'll love, legally.

Is It Legal to Make Your Own Vinyl?

Yes: your own recordings are yours to cut, and VinylArt Co holds an MCPS-PRS Limited Manufacture licence that covers one-off playlists of released songs for private occasions. That licence doesn't cover an exact copy of a released album, or artwork, logos and photos you don't have the rights to.

01.The Basics

There's an important distinction between the music on your record and the artwork printed on it.

The Music

Covered for private occasions

VinylArt Co holds an MCPS-PRS Limited Manufacture licence. This means we're legally authorised to create custom vinyl compilations for private special occasions.

You pick the playlist; for a private occasion, our licence covers cutting it.

The Artwork

Your responsibility

We do not hold licences for visual artwork, logos, or photography. You confirm that you have the rights to use any images you upload.

Use your own art, have a picture generated, or use royalty-free images.

What does this mean?

Our music licence covers the audio, but it doesn't extend to the visual branding of artists. We can put a song by a famous band on your record, but we can't print the band's logo, their album artwork or their record label's logo.

Artwork rules apply to:Record coversCentre labelsPicture discs

02.No Album Replicas

Think "Mixtape", not "Bootleg"

Our licence lets us cut unique playlists for personal enjoyment. It does not let us copy someone else's album, whether it's in the shops or long out of print.

Changing the running order or leaving a track off doesn't change that: if a record recreates someone else's album, we can't make it.

We can make

• Your wedding playlist
• A "Best of the 80s" compilation
• Birthday party favourites
• Your own recordings
• A mix of commercial tracks + personal recordings

We cannot make

• An exact copy of a famous album cover
• A copy of someone else's album
• Someone else's album with the tracks reshuffled

03.Artwork You Can Use

Your own original artwork
Photos you took, art you created, designs you made
Generated pictures
Unique images from our built-in picture maker, or other image tools you have the rights to
Royalty-free stock images
From free stock-photo sites (check the licence lets you print the image)
Licensed stock images
From paid stock-photo libraries, with a licence that covers printing it on a product
Content with written permission
Work where the artist has explicitly given you permission

Note: Just because an image is online doesn't mean it's free to use. Check the licence lets you print it before you upload.

04.Artwork to Avoid

Original album covers
e.g., a famous album's cover art
Band logos & trademarks
e.g., a band's logo or emblem
Record label branding
e.g., record label logos
Celebrity photos & likenesses
A photo of a famous person usually belongs to whoever took it, and can make your record look officially endorsed
Fan art of artists
Your own drawing of a pop star still uses their likeness
Trademarked phrases
Tour names, catchphrases, band slogans in their official style

About celebrity photos

A photo found online almost always belongs to the photographer, and a famous face on the cover can make a record look like an official release the artist endorses. So a compilation of a pop star's songs with their photo on the cover is something we can't print, whoever took the photo.

We review submissions and may cancel orders containing unauthorised copyrighted or trademarked material.

05.Generated Pictures

Our designer can generate a picture for you from a short description: a quick way to get unique, professional-looking artwork. Keep it original, though: a generated picture can still copy something protected if you ask it to.

Tips for your description

Good descriptions

• "Psychedelic rock style, 70s vintage colours"
• "Abstract vinyl grooves, neon lights"
• "Minimalist geometric patterns"
• "Retro sunset landscape"

Avoid descriptions like

• "Make it look like [album name]"
• Naming specific artists or bands
• Copyrighted cartoon characters
• Celebrity likenesses

06.Quick Checklist

Before you upload, make sure you can tick all these boxes:

My tracklist is my own music or a custom compilation—commercial tracks, personal recordings, or a mix of both
I created the artwork myself, had it generated, or have a licence to print it
My artwork doesn't contain famous album covers or band logos
My artwork doesn't feature celebrity faces or likenesses
I'm not trying to recreate an existing vinyl release

07.Questions?

Not sure if your artwork is okay? Send us a preview before you order—we're happy to help you figure out if your design is good to go.