Streaming Copyright Considerations
STREAMING COPYRIGHT SERVICES
Live streaming your church services or events is a great way to connect with people looking to make a virtual connection before they visit your church. It is also a great way for church members who are homebound or who are unable to attend services in-person for other reasons to be connected to your services or events virtually.
Live streams are broadcast live utilizing a streaming service such as Facebook Live, Vimeo, or YouTube streaming service; these streams can also be archived for later viewing.
US Copyright Law provides a Religious Service Exemption (Section 110 [3]}. This exemption allows for performing some copyrighted works in a religious service without permission or royalty payments. However, this exemption does not extend to live streams. You must obtain an add-on license to your CCLI license for live streaming online that includes copyrighted songs. Stanford University is an excellent resource for additional info on copyright.
PUBLIC DOMAIN
If you use hymns or songs in the public domain, you do not need to obtain a license. Songs or musical works published in 1922 or earlier are in the public domain; however, a new song arrangement may be copyrighted.
LICENSING FOR SONGS OR MUSICAL WORKS NOT IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN
For hymns or songs that are not in the public domain, you’ll need to obtain a license to do so to use in your livestream.
ONE LICENSE
One License offers reprint permissions from multiple publishers. Their add-on streaming license ranges from $50 and up depending on congregation size: https://www.onelicense.net/how-it-works.
One License covers a lot of the hymns in the 1982 Hymnal; Wonder, Love, and Praise; and Lift Every Voice and Sing, among others: resources that are copyrighted by Church Publishing Incorporated, who is a member of One License. You’ll need to check individual songs with OneLicense to ensure your song selections are covered.
A bundle streaming license grants permission for you to post your digital bulletin on your church website, via file-sharing software like Dropbox or OneDrive, via email, etc. You can also post lyrics and melody lines on the video. Note: the limited streaming license (different than the bundle streaming license) does not cover the posting of lyrics and melody lines.
The streaming license depends on the size of your audience. The license limits the number of downloads/viewings permitted to no more than three times your (ASA) Average Sunday Attendance.
Churches must report all copyright content contained in the live streamed service through OneLicense’s online reporting system.
When a One License account expires, all material licensed under it must be removed.
One License also offers single-use and event licenses based on the number of people attending the event/service.
CCLI
A streaming license add-on is available through CCLI.com here: https://us.ccli.com/copyright-license/. Prices range from $60 annually for a congregation size of less than 200, to $85 annually for a congregation size between 200 and 500.
CCLI has a number of different product lines based on your needs for copyright coverage: Copyright License®, Streaming Licenses, SongSelect®, Church Video License®, and ScreenVue Vault®.
CHRISTIAN COPYRIGHT SOLUTIONS
A WorshipCast license from Christian Copyright Solutions covers internet performance rights for more than 20 million songs from ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC. Annual fees start at $265. More information about this license can be found here: https://www.christiancopyrightsolutions.com/services/worshipcast/
This document captures some of the differences in streaming licenses (Christian Copyright Solutions)