Ready to use music beyond your services?  

August 25, 2021

A quick explanation on an easy way to legally play and perform music outside of services.  

Churches across the country are resuming in-person services and events. It’s exciting progress that comes with added factors church administration must consider. While in-person events may require new protocols and safety measures, the PERFORMmusic Facilities License makes copyright compliance for music played or performed outside services simple.  

PERFORMmusic is a one-stop performance license that allows religious organizations to legally play and perform more than 28 million Christian, holiday, and secular songs of all genres with no reporting requirements. Coverage is immediate and affordable, giving your church tremendous freedom to enrich all your activities with music. Knowing your church is copyright compliant allows you to focus your energy on creating meaningful experiences for your congregation.  

There are a few questions we often get about performance licensing, so we’re tackling those today:  

  1. Why do we need a church performance license? 

The Religious Service Exemption in US Copyright law allows churches to play and perform music during religious services, but it does NOT apply to music outside of services. Churches have the same requirements as any business, restaurant, or venue and you must have the proper licensing in place to use live and pre-recorded music onsite before and after services, in cafes or bookstores, or at social and outreach events. 

  1. Do I need both the CCS and CCLI Licenses?

When using copyrighted music, there are two important rights to consider. CCLI covers the reproduction rights (copy, print, or store lyrics), while CCS covers performance rights (perform live, or play recordings of songs outside of worship services). So, if you are playing or performing music outside of your services, the answer is YES! Together the CCLI Church Copyright License and the PERFORMmusic License offer full coverage for the most common church activities and music use. 

  1. What activities are covered by PERFORMmusic?  

PERFORMmusic covers an unmatched variety of live and pre-recorded music for use throughout your facilities. Covered activities include holiday celebrations, fundraisers, youth gatherings,  social outreach events, conferences, seminars, concerts, and more.  

  1. What venues are covered?  

The PERFORMmusic Facilities License covers all facilities on your primary and satellite campuses and even travels with you to other venues. The license is not available to colleges, universities, and seminaries. 

  1. What songs are covered by the PERFORMmusic License? 

More than 28 million Christian and secular songs from the combined catalogs of ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC are covered. This includes all genres of music, from  Contemporary Christian and Gospel to Rock, Country, Holiday, Choral, Patriotic, Pop,  Children’s, and much more. 

Have any more questions about performance licensing? The Christian Copyright Solutions team is available to help. Please don’t hesitate to email [email protected] or call 855-576-5837. 

About CCS:  

CCS is a leading authority on church music copyrights and our primary focus is providing licensing and clear educational resources to churches, as well as representation, administration, and advocacy for copyright owners. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. The information contained here is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice or a substitute for legal counsel. 

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