What is the cost to record someone else's copyrighted music?

The cost will actually vary. You need to do a copyright search, and then send notice/request to the copyright holder or their authorized agent. Some are willing to negotiate terms. You will need to provide them with the following infromation:

1) How many recordings will you make?
2) Manufactured in what country? (WITHIN U.S.)
3) Distributed in what country? (WITHIN U.S.)
4) Which type of Organization do you represent? (INDIVIDUAL)

You will have to pay royalties in advance to each owner based on the number of copies you are going to make. The current rate is: 9.1 cents or 1.75 cents per minute of playing time or fraction thereof, whichever is greater. So lets say you have a song that is 5 minutes long and you want to make 1000 copies of your cd, you would have to pay the copyright owner $91. So if you have 10 songs that are the same amount, then you will be paying $910 out in royalties just to start, then make monthly royalty payments. Sometimes you can negotiate with copyright holders for a lesser amount if it is a cover song, or if it is for personal distribution, and/or will not receive any airtime.

You may need a Compulsory License for Making and Distributing Phonorecords (mechanical liscense). You will have to do a search to see if mechanical licensing is available for each song you wish to do. If the copyright owner is unwilling to negotiate, or if the copyright owner cannot be contacted, the person intending to record the work can use the compulsory licensing provisions of the copyright law. if that is the case then you will still have to pay the royalty fees as well as $12 CL fee for each song.
For more infromation go to http://www.copyright.gov

Hope this helps. Susu