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.

The CCLI Church License covers the right to copy music for congregational singing. It does not include the rights to play or perform music in church facilities. The PERFORMmusic License makes it simple and affordable to play or perform millions of Christian and secular songs in your facilities and satellite campuses. Together the CCLI Church License and the PERFORMmusic License offer full coverage for the most common church activities and music use.

Churches and most 501(c)(3) non-profit religious organizations located in the US or its territories are eligible for this license. Colleges and universities do not qualify. Churches outside the US or its territories do not qualify for the license.

The PERFORMmusic License covers a wide range of performances of live and pre-recorded music outside of religious services including:

• Pre- and post-service music
• Café’s and bookstores
• Concerts (non-ticketed)
• On-hold music
• Retreats
• Picnics and barbecues
• Graduations and award ceremonies
• Dance and exercises classes
• Fundraisers
• Conferences and seminars
• Vacation Bible School and camps
• Movie nights
• Youth group gatherings
• And more!

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.

Millions of 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, Instrumentals, and much more. To view the songs covered, simply visit each PRO’s repertory page and search their catalogs.

CCS partners with US performance rights organizations, ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC. The PROs authorize CCS to license churches and ministries to perform and play the songs in their catalogs allowing us to provide a one-stop performance license.

Reporting is not required.

The U.S. performance rights organizations (ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC) offer additional coverage for ticketed events to current PERFORMmusic licensees. These additional fees are calculated based on various factors, including the type of event, venue location and seating capacity, number of tickets distributed, and gross ticket sales. Even free ticketed events require reporting, with fees based on your facility’s seating capacity and entertainment expenses.

As a PERFORMmusic licensee, our goal is to simplify your quarterly reporting process and eliminate the need to obtain licenses directly from ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC individually. It’s essential to report your event as soon as it concludes and during the calendar quarter in which it takes place. You can download the ticketed event submission form by clicking here. Once completed, please email it to support@copyrightsolutions.com. You will then receive a PERFORMmusic Event invoice within 3 days, which is payable upon receipt.

For budgeting purposes, we typically suggest a per-event fee budget of $91.00 or 10% of the gross ticket revenue, whichever is greater.

When you buy a church music license, like the PERFORMmusic License, or pay an invoice for music rights, you are directly supporting songwriters. CCS pays fees to the PRO’s and they pay their affiliated writers and publishers.