UUFSD has a license to perform certain music based on our license with Christian Copyright Solutions:

Our Worshipcast license is Account #xxxx008. It is offered through Christian Copyright Solutions. The invoice # is 47054, and it was bought on May 13, 2020. The reference for the payment # is BKOP7E5A8044. It is good through May 13, 2021. (see Tracey, Joe or Rich for license number).

The License covers music from the following 3 organizations. You can search each organization separately for titles that you want for a worship service. The license is for music that is performed by us, and not typically for pre-recorded music. (However, many of the pre-recorded compositions are allowed on Youtube so long as we do not monetize the video; others require Youtube to mute the music before making the video public. You cannot tell unless you try. See URL below for examples of Youtube copyright claims against our music and how we handled them).

Here is a link to the CCS Pocket Guide for Church Licenses

ASCAP repertory site:
https://www.ascap.com/repertory

BMI Repertory site:
http://repertoire.bmi.com/ListView.aspx?torow=25&fromrow=1&page=1

SESAC Repertory site:
https://www.sesac.com/#!/repertory/search

Youtube Example Copyright claims — the first musical piece was allowed with no monitizing; the second one was blocked and we chose to have Youtube mute it. See Example Copyright claims

If you choose to Dispute the copyright, Youtube will immediately release the video to the public, and then you wait to have your dispute (to get sued?). We have not taken the Dispute route, even if we think we have the right to publish (too much potential legal hassle).

Religious Service Exemption for Copyrighted Music

The following description of RSE is from the CCS website:

Before going any further, let’s look at the specifics; the U.S. Religious Service Exemption is in the Copyright Law Section (110[3]) states the following:

“performance of a non-dramatic literary or musical work or of a dramatico-musical work of a religious nature or display of a work, in the course of services at a place of worship or other religious assembly” shall not constitute an infringement of copyright.

In other words, you don’t have to get permission from the copyright owner or pay royalties to perform music or display the lyrics of a work in a religious service. While the RSE allows churches to play and perform music in worship services, it doesn’t allow churches to use music freely in activities outside of services. In most cases, using copyrighted songs outside of religious services requires performance licensing.

Email from CCS on April 18, 2022

Rich,

Thank you for your interest in CCS and the WORSHIPcast Streaming License.

WORSHIPcast is designed to cover a church website. If you intend on using third party platforms only, including Zoom, YouTube, Facebook. etc’, I would recommend you consider looking at our sister company CCLI and their Stream License or new Streaming Plus License.

Here’s a link to more information.

To be specific:
Q: 1) If a service is entirely on Zoom, but not recorded, is that service covered by the Religious Service Exemption or PERFORMmusic License or WorshipCast license? (i.e. is Zoom itself considered streaming?)
A1 : No it is not covered by the RSE. It is not covered by PERFORMmusic or WORSHIPcast either.

Q2) If a service is both live and on Zoom, but not recorded, which license (as above ) is that covered by?
A2: RSE covers the live service (in house, in person). None of the other licenses cover Zoom.

Q3) If a service is streamed to a church account on YouTube, is that covered by WorshipCast license?
A3) No . When streaming to a church YouTube account, you are under YouTube’s terms of agreement.

CCS doesn’t cover third party sites. Check out the streaming options from CCLI that I recommended above.

Kind regards,

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Stin Fox
Copyright Specialist
Christian Copyright Solutions