This is a quote form a popular music learning website for church musicians:
If your church sings songs that someone else recorded and you are not paying royalties via CCLI, you are a thief and a robber.
You can not legally display the words in public nor perform music without paying royalties.
You really can’t even show videos to your youth group or bible study group without paying royalties either. Churches must also join CVLI (Christian Video Licensing Inc). www.cvli.com
How do you think gospel songwriters get paid? If your church is not a member of CCLI, you can join at www.ccli.com
CCLI stands for Christian Copyrights Licensing Inc.
My church pays around $250 a year and we LEGALLY have access to the music that you hear and see on the radio and tv. Every three years they ask you to send them the list of the songs that you sing in worship so the people that actually wrote the songs you love to sing can get their royalty check (money for writing the song).
There are tons of benefits that go along with being a member of CCLI. There is access to thousands of songs with not just the lyrics but the chord progressions and lead sheets also (the words with the symbols for the chord progressions over them).
If you are not a member and do not plan on being a member, I pray that you realize that you are illegally stealing music and you can not play the role that you didn’t know.
This is an area that our black churches definitely have dropped the ball. I pray that you align yourself with the legal practices of our country regarding the music that you sing in church.
If your church can not afford to do this at the time, please refrain from singing copy written music from the artists/songwriters that you can’t afford to pay until you can.
Right is right and wrong is wrong. Please if your church is out of alignment, do the right thing and join.
MrSparrow
I quoted this post from the site because I believe that Mr. Sparrow makes a strong case for churches doing what is right when it comes to the law of the land. As a believer I do not think we should knowingly break laws and set an example of breaking the law in our churches. This thread became a hot topic on the site with many varying opinions on the legal implications involved in conducting praise and worship in our services.
Whether we agree with the law or not is a mute point in the eyes of God. What does the Bible have to say concerning this? Matthew 22:21 states “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” That should end the debate right there. It does not matter that I “feel” the law is unfair, pointless, or a waste of time and money, but that I am yielding to the Word of God no matter what. My hear says I love God, and I will do what He wills. Make sure your heart is right concerning this, and if your church is not in compliance with this law make it a priority to go to your pastor to be right with God in this area.
The link above will take you to the CCLI website so that you may see the rules and laws about what you can and can not do. Take this seriously, because I don’t want to see any church come under a lawsuit that will cost them so much more than the yearly fee to cover their use of others songs and lyrics. I was told that this did happen to a church to the tune of about 300,000 dollars. (I have not verified this information yet) My point is that you do not want to give the enemy place to shut down your church over something like not making sure you are obeying the law in this area. May it not be named among us!
What do you think about all of this? Post your comments here and let me know what you think.
Becoming A Church Musician 