About CCLI
Simplifying Copyright. Empowering Worship. Enabling Discovery
CCLI empowers affordable and legal expression of worship by simplifying access to songs, resources, and media. Through licenses, content, and worship-focused applications, CCLI and our partners enable discovery and champion the authorized use of copyright works, whilst ensuring artists and owners receive fair compensation.
For churches, organizations, and ministries
Our promise to our customers throughout the world is to deliver by far the deepest catalog of authorized works, made available through simple, comprehensive, and affordable licensing and content platforms. We know that copyright can be confusing, and compliance frustrating. Our mission is to ease the burden of copyright administration, giving you the freedom to use this wealth of creative material in your services and activities.
For artists, owners, and publishers
We’re committed to providing a fair and equitable channel for your works to be easily and instantly available worldwide, while facilitating their use as originally intended.
Our History
Our story began in 1984 when a pastor in Portland, Oregon, learned of a pending $3.1 million copyright lawsuit against the Archdiocese in Chicago. The pastor asked his music minister, Howard Rachinski, to ensure that his own church was acting lawfully.
It became abundantly clear that a copyright solution was needed, both for churches, and the songwriters and publishers creating worship music And so, Howard began to develop a “permission of use” concept, through which churches could obtain blanket permission for specific “non commercial” copying activities.
This led to the formation of Starpraise Ministries which grew up quickly and was incorporated in 1988, becoming Christian Copyright Licensing, Inc. (CCLI).
A ministry of the church, a service to the church
CCLI began as a ministry to better educate and equip churches about copyright laws. Our goal is to protect the church from the consequences of copyright infringement, and to encourage greater use of copyright material in church services. As our services and resources continue to expand and evolve, we remain committed to that cause.
CCLI now serves more than 230,000 churches and organizations worldwide.
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