What Every Church Should Know About CCLI and SongSelect
If you’ve ever worked with worship media, you’ve likely encountered CCLI (Christian Copyright Licensing, Inc.). While many pastors, worship leaders, and media team members recognize the name, the full scope of what CCLI provides isn’t always clear. Whether you’re responsible for displaying lyrics, using worship videos, or incorporating music into your services, understanding CCLI’s offerings is essential for honoring copyright laws while enhancing your ministry.
Why Copyright Compliance Matters in the Church
Honoring copyright isn’t just about legality—it’s about integrity. Churches strive to live honorably in every aspect of ministry, and that includes how they present media. Unfortunately, many churches are unaware of what they can legally use, leading to unintentional misuse of copyrighted content. By securing the appropriate licensing, churches ensure that the artists and creators behind worship music and media are fairly compensated for their work.
What CCLI Does for Churches
CCLI exists to simplify copyright compliance for churches. Rather than obtaining individual permissions for each song, video, or piece of media, churches can purchase a blanket license that covers their needs for an entire year. This makes it easy and affordable to use worship songs and media while avoiding legal complications.
- Flexible Licensing Options: CCLI’s pricing is based on congregation size, ensuring fair costs for every church. For example, a church of 200 attendees pays under $400 annually for a basic copyright license for as many songs as they use all year.
- Reporting Usage: Churches must report the songs and media they use, ensuring that royalties are properly distributed to artists and publishers. Worship presentation software such as MediaShout integrates with CCLI for automated reporting.
- Live Streaming Coverage: With the rise of online services, CCLI now offers a Streaming License to cover worship services broadcasted online. The Streaming Plus option even extends to master recordings, including multitrack stems used in worship bands.
- Video Licensing: Pastors often use video clips as sermon illustrations, which also require copyright permission. CCLI’s Church Video License covers this need, plus there are additional options for direct access to these video clips.
How MediaShout Automates CCLI Reporting
One of the biggest challenges for churches using CCLI is keeping track of which songs have been used in services. Accurate reporting ensures that the right songwriters and copyright holders receive fair compensation. MediaShout eliminates the hassle of manual tracking by fully automating the reporting process.
When users sign in to their CCLI account within MediaShout, they can set up automatic reporting by selecting their preferred frequency and specifying their service times. MediaShout then compiles a weekly report and sends it directly to CCLI’s servers. This means churches never have to manually keep tabs on song usage or worry about missing reports.
Since CCLI’s blanket licensing is already paid for annually, this automation does not affect costs for churches. However, it plays a crucial role in ensuring that working worship leaders and songwriters are fairly compensated for their contributions. Many of these individuals rely on royalty funds to support their families, so accurate reporting directly impacts their livelihoods.
The Power of SongSelect
One of CCLI’s most valuable services is SongSelect, a tool designed to make worship planning seamless. Before SongSelect, worship leaders had to manually type or copy-paste lyrics and search for chord charts online—a time-consuming process. SongSelect eliminates this hassle by providing instant access to lyrics, chord charts, and sheet music for thousands of worship songs. This is available as an add-on to a standard CCLI license for typically under $200 per year. With a SongSelect membership:
- Worship teams can download music in any key, print lead sheets, and access digital copies.
- Lyrics can be easily imported into worship presentation software like MediaShout without manual entry.
- Integration with platforms like Planning Center Online streamlines song selection and team organization.
MediaShout + CCLI: A Perfect Pairing
When churches combine MediaShout with CCLI and SongSelect, they create a seamless worship presentation workflow. MediaShout’s direct integration with SongSelect allows worship teams to quickly pull in lyrics and chord charts, saving valuable time and ensuring legal compliance.
By leveraging these tools, churches can focus on what truly matters—leading their congregations in worship without worrying about legal complications.
Do you use CCLI and SongSelect in your church? Share your experience with us—we’d love to hear how they’ve helped your ministry!
