The differences between CCLI and other licensing companies

As well as CCLI, there are several organizations that provide licenses to churches and Christian ministries. However, no two organizations cover exactly the same rights or repertoire, so it’s important to understand the differences and what to look out for when choosing the right licenses for you.

OneLicense

The reproduction of copyrighted songs, such as printing lyrics or projecting them from a computer, usually requires permission. While CCLI’s Church Copyright License® covers a broad list of more than 600,000 songs, OneLicense represents the catalogs of liturgical music publishers. While there may be a small overlap, the license(s) you require will depend on the songs you use, and you may need licenses from both organizations.

Both CCLI and OneLicense offer licenses that permit songs from their respective repertoires to be played live during services which are streamed, or uploaded to the internet. The license(s) you need depends on the songs that will be included in your online services. Additionally, while CCLI’s Streaming Plus LicenseTM permits the inclusion of authorized song recordings such as multitracks, artist tracks, and backing tracks, OneLicense does not offer an equivalent, meaning you would need direct permission to use song recordings in your streams.

Christian Copyright Solutions (CCS)

While CCLI and OneLicense cover song reproduction rights, when music is played or performed on church premises outside of worship services, performance licensing is usually required. This is where Christian Copyright Solutions (CCS) comes in. They cover the right to play or perform more than 28 million Christian and secular songs during church activities. CCS licenses are not an alternative to song or lyric reproduction licenses, and many churches will require both.

CCS also offers a streaming license called WORSHIPcast. This license permits you to stream live performances of the 28 million songs they authorize from your church website. The WORSHIPcast license does not permit you to stream music recordings.

Multitracks.com

Multitracks.com offers a streaming license and a lyric license. Although these licenses may appear to be comparable to CCLI’s licenses, they cover a much smaller repertoire of songs and are not a direct alternative. If your church only intends to use songs from the Multitracks.com catalog, these licenses are worth considering, however many churches would find this limiting. CCLI recommends checking the repertoire and terms of Multitracks.com licenses before purchasing, to be sure they will be sufficient for your needs.

What about the Religious Service Exemption?

The Religious Service Exemption under U.S. Copyright Law applies to the performance of music during worship services. It does not cover the reproduction of songs and lyrics, or music played before or after your services and during other activities. So when music is played on your facilities or in activities beyond your worship services, it’s likely you’ll need the PERFORMmusic License from CCS.

How do I find out more?

You can find further information and check the publishers and catalogs authorized by each organization on their respective websites. CCLI always recommends you carefully check the details of both ours and any other licenses to ensure they provide the coverage you need. If in doubt, we’re here to help we’re here to help.