Listen, let me explain this. You can sing a song live all day long and not have to worry about copyright infringements. But, if you display the words to a song on a projector, you need to join CCLI in order to be legal. That is the law.
Realize that the fee for joining CCLI is based on your membership numbers. I have copied the info straight from the CCLI website. Most churches can afford the fees.
It really is about doing the right thing.
Church Copyright License
Now there's an easy and affordable solution for churches that reproduce songs . . . or would like to.
It's called the Church Copyright License. It can loose your music department from the rigid demands of the copyright law and leave you free to legally copy over 150,000 songs and hymns. Here are just some of the ways the Church Copyright License allows you to copy songs:
Record your worship service on tape.
Studies reveal that over 50% of churches record their weekly services for a tape ministry. This service is a real blessing to shut-ins, adults who work with children during services, missionaries and out-of-town members. The Church Copyright License allows you to legally include the song service on your recording.
Project songs from your overhead or slide projector.
Creating slides and overhead transparencies for projections is a practice used by many churches. They find projecting the songs by slide or overhead projector is useful for worship services, youth meetings, adult classes or prayer group where hymnals or other song resources are not available. Overheads are also helpful when introducing new songs and with the Church Copyright License your song selections are almost limitless.
Copy songs in bulletins that you hand out before worship service.
Many churches find it helpful to print the songs that will be sung during the worship service in the weekly bulletin. It makes it very easy for members to participate in the song service and gives the music minister a lot of flexibility. With the Church Copyright License you can legally copy any of over 150,000 covered songs. Almost every song sung in churches today.
Copy music on to songsheet handouts.
Here is another very convenient way to provide your congregation with songs for your services. Covered music can be copied from hymnals or songbooks or simply typed and duplicated. This practice is especially helpful for special services like Easter or Christmas programs when you're expecting visitors.
Copying songs from a variety of sources to create your own church songbooks.
This is proving to be a wonderful option to many churches. It allows them to select their favorite songs from a host of hymnals and songbooks and compile their own congregational songbook. It's an ideal and cost-effective way to utilize traditional and contemporary songs in your worship services.
Maintain a database of songs on your computer.
Even copying songs onto your computer requires legal permission. But for churches that regularly print songs in bulletins or on songsheet handouts a computer file of songs is a logical step. In fact some churches with very modern capabilities actually project songs from their computers. Whatever the case, the Church Copyright License is a perfect companion for a computer song base.
Make audio or videotapes of weddings, camps and special services.
The copyright law even prohibits copying songs on videotapes and cassettes at special functions without permission. But that doesn't have to stop you from recording congregational singing at weddings, holiday services and programs, even church-sponsored meetings outside the church. The Church Copyright License can help you cover all your bases.
IMPORTANT: This License does not convey the right to photocopy octavos, cantatas, musicals, orchestrations, vocal scores, handbell music, or other instrumental arrangements.
What's the Cost?
The annual fee for a Church Copyright License is determined by the size of your church. Church size is based on regular attendance at your main service(s). If your church holds multiple services, use the combined attendance figure. The total fee includes License, postage and handling.
Royalties from License fees are distributed to the song composers and publishers fairly, based upon a special song survey that churches fill out when requested (six months out over 2.5 years).
Category Church Size Annual Fee
AH 1-24 $49
A 25-99 $101
B 100-199 $170
C 200-499 $223
D 500-999 $312
E 1,000-1,499 $382
F 1,500-2,999 $460
G 3,000-4,999 $519
H 5,000-9,999 $655
I 10,000-19,999 $792
J 20,000-49,999 $1050
K 50,000-99,999 $1575
L 100,000-199,999 $2655
M 200,000 + $4260
What You Can Do
Print songs, hymns and lyrics in bulletins, programs, liturgies and songsheets for use in congregational singing.
Create your own customized songbooks or hymnals for use in congregational singing.
Create overhead transparencies, slides or use any other format whereby song lyrics are visually projected (such as computer graphics and projection) for use in congregational singing.
Arrange, print and copy your own arrangements (vocal and instrumental) of songs used for congregational singing, where no published version is available.
Record your worship services (audio or video) provided you only record live music. Accompaniment tracks cannot be reproduced. You may charge up to $4 each for audiocassette tapes and CDs, and $12 each for videotapes and DVDs.
What You Cannot Do
Photocopy or duplicate octavos, cantatas, musicals, handbell music, keyboard arrangements, vocal scores, orchestrations or other instrumental works.
Translate songs into another language. This can only be done with the approval of the respective publisher.
Rent, sell or lend copies made under the license to groups outside the church or to other churches. (It is OK to distribute recordings to shut-ins, missionaries or others outside the church.)
Assign or transfer the license to another church or group without CCLI's approval.
