Legally podcasting (including music)

[David Snodgrass]

Does anyone understand the particulars about posting recordings of a worship service online, including the worship music that is used? I heard that you can legally post worship music as long as your have live musicians playing the worship music. Is this correct?

Currently, we just post the sermon online, but eventually we would like to be able to post the whole service.

[Zach Wingo]

The short answer is no. If you are using CCLI for your licensing then you are only allowed to record your live worship time and it can only be distributed by tape/CD in limited numbers (up to 15% of your congregation size). The intent is to allow you to meet the needs of your congregation only and they assume only a limited number of your congregation will request a copy of the service. This is from the CCLI support page:



Question / Issue
Does the Church Copyright License cover music we want to use on our church website?


Answer / Solution
No. By its nature, a website is accessible far beyond the boundaries of a local church congregation. Since the Church Copyright License includes no provisions for broadcast or streaming rights, the use of copyrighted music or lyrics on a website is not covered by the Church Copyright License. If you would like to include music on your church's website, you need to secure the proper performance/broadcast licenses.

Contact the following companies that represent these permissions in the United States:


ASCAP at www.ascap.com

BMI at www.bmi.com

SESAC at www.sesac.com

[Kevin Rector]

If you write your own worship music or play music from the public domain you can podcast it.

[David Snodgrass]

Thanks, guys, for your response. I figured it was something along those lines.

I wonder how many churches "copy" sheet music and charts for choir or other worship team members when they are really not suppose to.

[Kevin Rector]

I wonder how many churches "copy" sheet music and charts for choir or other worship team members when they are really not suppose to.

A lot.

[David Snodgrass]

We even have to report the songs we display our screens that we use for worship. And I guess I can kind of understand it...years ago when hymn books were sold the author's would make royalties on how ever many books were sold. These days, you just go to google and type in whatever song you want, paste into your worship software and you are good to go.

I guess when we get to the point where we want to whole service online I'll research what it would take to purchase that sort of license. That being said, if you get a license through CCLI or ASCAP, what happens if you use a worship song which is not copyrighted through those copyright agencies? I guess this thing could really get dicey.

[Jim Chabot]

If you write your own worship music or play music from the public domain you can podcast it.

Another option is to record and save some footage of public domain songs being played/sung at your church and then splice them into your podcast where needed.