Copyright Licences
Licences for Churches
Keeping Churches Covered
The heightened accessibility offered by the internet, coupled with major advances in technology, means that churches now have access to a vast range of music, video and creative works for use in their services and activities. But the issues related to copyright are complicated, and legal compliance can be confusing. CCLI is here to make it simple. Our licences are tailored for the differing needs of churches and are designed to enable the fair and legal use of creative works while saving valuable administrative time, effort and expense.
Church Copyright Licence™
Protect your church. The Church Copyright Licence permits churches to project or print out the words and music to the world’s great worship songs and hymns. With this licence, the church is covered for recording services on behalf of those unable to attend in person. Further, the licence permits the creation of custom musical arrangements where no published version exists. A simple alternative to seeking direct permission from each copyright owner, the Church Copyright Licence is a trusted solution and presently covers more than 24,000 churches in the UK.
Full details: Church Copyright Licence Terms of Agreement
Project and Print Lyrics
Project song lyrics or reproduce them in custom song and service sheets for congregational singing
Access Lyrics - NEW
Easily access more than 200,000 song lyrics through SongSelect
Pricing: Church Copyright Licence
The Church Copyright Licence is offered as an Annual Licence, renewed each year, or a one-time Event Licence.
Important to note:
Get cover to photocopy, scan and file-share typeset sheet music by adding the supplementary Music Reproduction Licence.
Get simple access to thousands of lyrics and sheet music files by adding SongSelect.
Order TodayConfused about copyright?
Healthcheck
Use our Healthcheck tool to confirm your church is correctly covered.
I am DEFINITELY in favour of what they do, and our ministry has been blessed by our partnership with CCLI … I am a living witness, they’re fantastic!
CCLI Streaming Licences
Worship together online. The CCLI Streaming Licence™ provides a solution for churches wishing to stream or webcast their services, including live worship, via platforms that are otherwise only intended for personal use. Upgrade to the CCLI Streaming Plus Licence™ to add authorisation to stream Master Recordings and Multitracks. Both licences include the right to show lyrics as part of the stream, to enable viewers to sing along. If you are using your own church website to stream services, weddings, or funerals, you may also require a Digital Music Licence for Worship directly from PRS for Music.
The CCLI Streaming Licence and CCLI Streaming Plus Licence are available to Church Copyright Licence holders.
For full details and prices visit our Streaming Your Services page.
Stream Services
Post live-recorded worship services on your church's site or other streaming platforms
Stream Master Recordings and Multitracks NEW
Use master recordings and multitracks (e.g. stems, backing tracks, community tracks) during your streamed church services
Pricing: Streaming Licences
The Streaming and Streaming Plus Licences are offered as Annual Licences, renewed each year. Choose Streaming Plus if you use master recordings or multi tracks in your online services.
Important to note:
The Streaming Licences are available to customers with a Church Copyright Licence.
CCLI Music Reproduction Licence™
Covering typography. You may be unaware that permission is required to photocopy typeset sheet music even if the work you wish to reproduce is no longer in copyright. Why? Because typography retains its own copyright. To address this issue, the Music Reproduction Licence was designed as an optional add-on to the Church Copyright Licence. This licence enables you to legally photocopy or scan typeset pages from many of the songbooks and music publications commonly used by churches. It also permits you to share sheet music digitally—such as by emailing PDFs to others or by downloading music from a file-sharing app.
Full details: Music Reproduction Licence Terms of Agreement
Copy or Scan
Photocopy only the pages you need from a single master songbook, music publication or file
Share Digital Files
Distribute digital sheet music files to choir or band members via email or shared app
Pricing: Music Reproduction Licence
The Music Reproduction Licence is offered as an Annual Licence, renewed each year, or a one-time Event Licence.
Important to note:
The MRL is available only as an add-on to the
Church Copyright Licence.
Legally photocopy from non-music publications by adding the
CLA Church Licence.
Confused about copyright?
Healthcheck
Use our Healthcheck tool to confirm your church is correctly covered.
CCLI serves every part of the Body of Christ. I remember when it was almost impossible to legally print out and project all the song lyrics to the songs we were singing. Obtaining permission from every publisher was a daunting task. CCLI has made it so easy to comply with copyright laws by simplifying the process in so many ways. They have allowed me to focus more on the heart of ministry and less on the maze of administration. I am truly grateful for their vision and integrity.
CLA Church Licence
When it’s okay to copy. As a church agent for the Copyright Licensing Agency (CLA), CCLI offers a licence tailored for churches that wish to make photocopies from non-music publications. With the CLA Church Licence, you are legally covered to copy pages from publications such as study books, journals, magazines, children’s activity books and drama scripts where permission is required.
Full details: CLA Church Licence Manual
Photocopy Typography
A copyright can exist in typeset pages, even if content itself is no longer in copyright. Copyright in the typeset page lasts 25 years from first publication
Check for Permission
As a best practice, always check the copyright information within the publication to confirm whether permission is required or if it is included
Pricing: CLA Church Licence
The CLA Church Licence is offered as an Annual Licence, renewed each year.
Important to note:
Legally photocopy from music books and sheet music publications by adding the Music Reproduction Licence.
I am honoured to endorse CCLI—an organisation that exists to see the praises of God declared throughout the earth. Praise God for people who through excellence and unity are committed to spirit and truth worship being restored to the House of God.
Church Video Licence
Unlock the power of film. The Church Video Licence™ provides the legal cover required to publicly show film scenes during services. When combined with other licences, it also permits churches to show films and TV broadcasts outside of worship services, for example, during youth clubs, outreach events and social activities. The Church Video Licence covers more than 1,300 studios and producers, including: 20th Century Fox, Disney, MGM, Paramount, Pixar, Universal, BBC Worldwide and ITV Productions. To further inspire your use of film scenes in teaching, free access to our sister site, ScreenVue® Vault is included.
Learn more: Church Video Licence + ScreenVue
Illustrate Your Teaching
Underscore key sermon points or bring children’s teaching to life with relevant and dynamic film scenes
Use Film and TV for Mission
Inspire Gospel conversations by showing films and TV broadcasts as part of community events
Pricing: Church Video Licence
The Church Video Licence is offered as an Annual Licence, renewed each year, or a 14-day only Short-Term Licence (priced per person).
Important to note:
To show films outside of Acts of Worship (regular worship services) you’ll also need the PRS for Music Church Licence which covers music on the film’s soundtrack.
To show TV broadcasts you’ll usually also need a TV licence, PRS for Music Church Licence and PPL Church Licence. Find out more.
Order TodayCCLI continues to be an invaluable resource for churches everywhere who want easy access to all the latest songs and hymns, while fulfilling their legal and ethical responsibilities regarding copyright.
PRS for Music Church Licence
Use music more. As an agent for PRS for Music, CCLI tailors coverage for churches to host live music performances, concerts and recitals on their premises*. While music played during regular worship services (known as Acts of Worship) does not currently require licensing, the PRS for Music Church Licence covers your church for other music performances, such as during socials and outreach events and film soundtracks. When combined with the PPL Church Licence you’ll also be covered to play commercial music recordings on formats such as CD and MP3.
Full details: Playing Music Licence Manual
*In some circumstances detached church halls may need to be covered separately.
Host Concerts and Recitals
Covers up to six concerts or recitals each year on church premises. More than six will require direct licensing from PRS for Music
Play Music Recordings
Combine this licence with the PPL Church Licence to cover commercial music recordings played on church premises
Pricing: PRS for Music Church Licence
The PRS for Music Church Licence is offered as an Annual Licence, renewed each year.
Important to note:
To play music recordings you’ll also need the
PPL Church Licence.
CCLI serves every part of the Body of Christ. I remember when it was almost impossible to legally print out and project all the song lyrics to the songs we were singing. Obtaining permission from every publisher was a daunting task. CCLI has made it so easy to comply with copyright laws by simplifying the process in so many ways. They have allowed me to focus more on the heart of ministry and less on the maze of administration. I am truly grateful for their vision and integrity.
PPL Church Licence
Add ambience. As an agent for Phonographic Performance Ltd. (PPL), CCLI offers the PPL Church Licence. When combined with the PRS for Music Church Licence this covers churches to legally play music recordings on CD, MP3 and other formats in activities on church premises. Although music played during Acts of Worship does not currently require licensing, recordings played at other times—such as during clubs, socials, outreach events or by third-party groups meeting on your premises—requires both licences.
Full details: Playing Music Licence Manual
Music in Church
Music adds background atmosphere in church life and enhances related activities such as kids clubs, socials and mission events
Music and Third Parties
Cover activities and group meetings on church premises such as parent/toddler groups, coffee mornings, dance and fitness classes
Pricing: PPL Church Licence
The PPL Church Licence is offered as an Annual Licence, renewed each year, or a 14-day only Event Licence.
Important to note:
In addition to the PPL Church Licence, your venue must also be covered by a PRS for Music licence in order to play music recordings (CDs, MP3s etc.).
Confused about copyright?
Healthcheck
Use our Health Check tool to confirm your church is correctly covered.
Churches have the benefit of a simple 'one stop' solution to most of their copyright problems with the added benefit of knowing that most of the revenue generated goes into Christian Ministry.
Licences for Schools
Inspiring Collective Worship
School licences from CCLI offer a simple and effective way to ensure you’re legally covered to reproduce songs and hymns during assemblies and times of Collective Worship. Because The Schools Printed Music Licence (SPML) does not cover songs reproduced in assemblies, an alternative source of permission is required to use songs for this purpose. To provide a cost effective solution, CCLI’s school licences simplify legal access to the words and music of thousands of popular assembly songs.
Collective Worship Copyright Licence
Encourage assembly singing. The Collective Worship Copyright Licence permits schools to project or print the words and music of a huge number of popular hymns and assembly songs during times of Collective Worship. You can project lyrics onto a big screen, print song/service sheets or make OHP acetates. With this licence, schools are also covered to make musical arrangements for transposing instruments where a published version does not exist, and even record songs sung during assemblies. Licence fees are based on the total number of pupils on the school roll.
Full details: CWCL Terms of Agreement
Project and Print Lyrics
Project song lyrics or reproduce them in custom song and service sheets to encourage singing in assemblies
Custom Arrangements
Make custom arrangements where no published version exists; often a must for school bands which include woodwind or brass instruments
Pricing: Collective Worship Copyright Licence
The Collective Worship Copyright Licence is offered as an Annual Licence, renewed each year.
Note:
Get cover to photocopy, scan and file-share typeset
sheet music by adding the supplementary
Collective Worship Music Reproduction Licence.
Get simple access to thousands of lyrics and sheet music files
by adding SongSelect.
I am honoured to endorse CCLI—an organisation that exists to see the praises of God declared throughout the earth. Praise God for people who through excellence and unity are committed to spirit and truth worship being restored to the House of God.
Collective Worship Music Reproduction Licence
Copy and share. In publications, a distinct copyright exists in typography. This means that permission is required to photocopy from typeset pages even if the song you wish to reproduce is no longer in copyright. The Collective Worship Music Reproduction Licence permits schools to photocopy, scan and share typeset sheet music from many of the hymn and song books popular in school assemblies. With this licence you can also distribute digital sheet music files by emailing them as PDFs or sharing them via a secure file-sharing app.
Full details: CWMRL Terms of Agreement
Copy or Scan
Photocopy only the pages you need from a single master songbook, music publication or file
Share Digital Files
Distribute digital files of sheet music to choir or band members via email or shared app
Pricing: Collective Worship Music Reproduction Licence
The Collective Worship Music Reproduction Licence is offered as an Annual Licence, renewed each year.
Note:
Get cover to photocopy, scan and file-share typeset
sheet music by adding the supplementary
Collective Worship Music Reproduction Licence.
Get simple access to thousands of lyrics and sheet music files
by adding SongSelect.
CCLI has the vision and potential to be the most significant music resource to a post-modern church living in the throes of a global spiritual awakening.
Licensing Organisations
Simplifying Copyright
CCLI recognises that every organisation is different. We appreciate that understanding copyright and how it applies to your organisation can be complicated and frustrating. We’re here to help simplify things for many Christian organisations, shops, businesses and itinerant workers.
You’ll find more information about how we can serve different types of organisation in our Licences for Organisations page. However, since every organisation is unique, we usually find it’s best to start by talking through your particular needs.
Contact UsHave we covered the songs you love?
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