Great news for Churches, Consumers & Record Producers, but how will it affect Songwriters & Publishers? The CRB's long-awaited ruling to not increase the mechanical rate of 9.1 cents will keep costs down for CDs, digital downloads & rehearsal recordings.

During copyright workshops, there's usually one table in the most remote corner of the room that avoids eye contact, keeps their heads down and starts squirming in their seats. As I begin outlining various activities that require prior permission from copyright owners, the discomfort is palpable.

“I am really confused. First we got the CCLI license. Then we were told we needed a BMI license to perform our worship music publicly.  So we now have a CCLI and a BMI license. Then we're told we need CVLI because we show and use video clips.  Are we purchasing duplicating subscriptions and licenses?  We want to be covered and do everything right, but we also don't want to buy two things that cover the same issues.” - Perplexed Worship Leader

Sound familiar? If you’re like many worship leaders, all these different copyright licenses can be very perplexing.  I can understand your confusion, and I hope the following explanation will bring some clarity.

Many churches want to harness their websites for convenience and cost savings to allow worship team members to download songsheets, charts, orchestrations and digital audio files for rehearsal purposes. It makes perfect sense, but is it legal? Short answer—not without prior permission from the copyright owner(s).

 

Christian music publishers and records labels are struggling to find a new model to lift them from the valley of digital download despair. The process of signing new songs and artists is not a cake walk nowadays, partly due to broader digital avenues for indies to promote and distribute their own works. Whether a church, ministry or small business, if you’re thinking of getting into the publishing and/or record business, carefully consider what you can offer a promising new songwriter or artist that will set you apart?

Read about Senators Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Arlen Specter (D-PA) brandished enough political ire to elicit a favorable response on Feb. 19 from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell that will now allow churches to legally host Super Bowl events.

"Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)" spans a remarkable bridge of 235 years, blending four centuries of worshipers--Chris Tomlin, Louie Giglio, Edwin Othello Excell, John Newton, and John P. Rees.

The adaptation of public domain works presents today's songwriters with an amazing gift and opportunity to retool ancient prose into relevant and revived songs for today's congregations. But who owns these adaptations, and how does the US Copyright office view these modified works?

Churches in the business of music? Hillsongs, Willow Creek Church, Saddleback Church and Gateway Church have all faced this question and embraced it with different perspectives and models.

I recently spent time consulting with a Florida church currently addressing that question and developing plans to launch a music publishing company and record label. I always look forward to interacting with church leaders in developing a solid foundation for building a music publishing business—one of the big challenges is helping churches understand that it IS in fact a business, and a very complex one at that.