CCLI

CCLI (Christian Copyright Licensing International) is a privately owned licensing company founded in 1988 by Howard Rachinski in Portland, Oregon. It provides copyright licenses to over 230,000 churches and ministries worldwide, covering more than 600,000 worship songs and hymns from over 7,000 publishers. CCLI is not a traditional performing rights organization but serves a similar function for the worship music sector.

How CCLI Works

CCLI was created to solve a specific problem: churches were copying and projecting copyrighted worship songs without permission, exposing them to legal liability. The organization's founder developed a "permission of use" concept where churches pay an annual fee for a blanket license that covers specific non-commercial copying activities.

CCLI offers several license types:

• Church Copyright License: The base license covering projection of song lyrics, printing lyrics in bulletins or song sheets, making custom arrangements, and translating songs. Covers over 600,000 worship songs and hymns.
• CCLI Streaming License: Extends coverage to live-streaming or uploading worship services that include music to church websites or social media. Covers over 450,000 songs performed live during online worship. Streaming Plus adds coverage for master recordings (artist tracks, backing tracks, multitracks).
• CCLI Rehearsal License: Allows sharing commercial music recordings among musicians for rehearsal purposes via email, external drives, or planning software.
• SongSelect: A subscription service providing transposable chords, sheet music, and free lyrics for over 230,000 worship songs and hymns.
• PERFORMmusic License (through Christian Copyright Solutions): Covers playing or performing music throughout church facilities and at events beyond worship services. Covers over 43 million Christian and secular songs.
• WORSHIPcast License (through Christian Copyright Solutions): Covers streaming live performances of over 43 million Christian and secular songs from ministry-owned websites.

Churches report their song usage to CCLI, which uses that data to distribute royalties to the songwriters and publishers whose works were used. CCLI's streaming license starts at $82 per year for churches already holding a Church Copyright License, or $105 per year for an average church (100 to 199 people).

CCLI is part of a family of organizations that offer software, apps, tracks, and media solutions for churches. The current president and CEO is Malcolm Hawker. CCLI is headquartered in Vancouver, Washington.

Real-World Example

A church with 200 weekly attendees purchases a Church Copyright License for approximately $300 to $400 per year (pricing varies by congregation size). The church projects lyrics of 30 different worship songs during Sunday services over the course of a year. Without a CCLI license, each of those 30 songs would require direct permission from the individual copyright owner, which could cost hundreds of dollars per song and take weeks to negotiate.

With the CCLI license, the church reports which songs it used through CCLI's online reporting system. CCLI collects those reports from all licensed churches, aggregates the usage data, and distributes royalties to the 7,000-plus publishers and songwriters whose works were performed. A worship song played at 1,000 CCLI-licensed churches in a given reporting period generates royalty income for its songwriter proportional to that usage.

If the church also live-streams its services, it adds the CCLI Streaming License (starting at $82 per year for existing license holders). This covers the live performance of worship songs during the broadcast. Without it, streaming a service with copyrighted music constitutes unlicensed public performance.

Why It Matters for Independent Artists

If you write worship music, hymns, or contemporary Christian songs, CCLI is the primary channel through which churches legally use and pay for your work. Getting your songs into CCLI's catalog means that over 230,000 churches worldwide can legally project, print, stream, and rehearse your music. Every time a church reports using your song, you earn royalty income.

To get your music into CCLI's catalog, your songs must be published by a CCLI-affiliated publisher or you must have a publishing entity that can register your works directly. Many independent worship songwriters partner with a publishing administrator to handle CCLI registration and royalty collection.

If you are a worship leader or music minister at a church, a CCLI license is not optional. Copyright law applies to churches just as it does to any other organization. The Church Copyright License is the simplest and most cost-effective way to ensure your church is legally covered for the music it uses each week.

CCLI is not a substitute for a PRO. If your worship songs are performed publicly outside of church settings (on radio, TV, or in concert venues), you still need to register with a PRO like ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC to collect those performance royalties. CCLI covers the specific use case of worship settings only.

PRO Comparison Table

Territory Covered

CCLI operates worldwide with offices in the United States (global headquarters in Vancouver, Washington), the United Kingdom (serving the UK, Ireland, and the Middle East), Australia (serving Australia, New Zealand, and Asia), South Korea, South Africa, and Germany. The organization serves over 235,000 churches, schools, and ministries across multiple countries.

CCLI's copyright licenses cover worship songs and hymns from over 3,500 publishers and song owners worldwide. The Church Copyright License covers more than 500,000 worship songs and hymns. The CCLI Streaming License covers more than 450,000 songs performed live during online worship. The PERFORMmusic and WORSHIPcast licenses (through Christian Copyright Solutions) cover over 43 million Christian and secular songs from all genres.

CCLI is not a traditional PRO with reciprocal society agreements. Instead, it contracts directly with publishers and song owners to represent their catalogs for church and ministry use. This means CCLI's coverage depends on which publishers have signed agreements with CCLI, not on bilateral society treaties.

How to Join CCLI

For Songwriters and Copyright Owners

1. Verify eligibility: Your songs should meet certain criteria in terms of how often they are being reproduced by others. If your songs are becoming popular in church settings, contact CCLI's Intellectual Property Department.
2. Sign with a publisher (recommended): CCLI partners with more than 3,500 publishers. Signing with an established CCLI-affiliated publisher is the most common way to get your songs into CCLI's catalog. The publisher administers your rights and handles CCLI registration.
3. Self-publish and register directly: If you choose to self-publish, you can become a registered copyright owner with CCLI by completing the Owner Agreement. Contact CCLI's Intellectual Property Department for details.
4. Complete the Owner Agreement: Sign the General Owner Agreement, which governs the relationship between CCLI and the copyright owner. This agreement authorizes CCLI to license your works to churches and ministries.
5. Register your works: Provide CCLI with your song titles, writer credits, publisher information, and copyright details. There is no charge to register songs with CCLI.

For Churches and Ministries

1. Determine your license needs: Choose from the Church Copyright License, CCLI Streaming License, CCLI Streaming Plus License, CCLI Rehearsal License, SongSelect subscription, PERFORMmusic License, or WORSHIPcast License depending on your activities.
2. Calculate your fee: License fees are based on your average weekly attendance (for churches) or enrollment (for schools). The Church Copyright License for a church of 100 to 199 people costs approximately $300 to $400 per year. The CCLI Streaming License starts at $84 per year for existing license holders, or $108 per year for an average church.
3. Purchase online: Buy your license through the CCLI website.
4. Report song usage: Use CCLI's online reporting system to report which songs your church uses. Royalties are distributed to songwriters and publishers based 100% on these reports.

Required Documents

• For song owners: Owner Agreement, song registration details (titles, writer credits, publisher information)
• For publishers: publishing contracts and catalog information
• For churches: organization details and average attendance figures

Membership Fees and Overhead Rate

Fees

• Song registration fee: None. There is no charge to register songs with CCLI.
• Owner Agreement fee: None.
• Church Copyright License: Varies by congregation size. Approximately $300 to $400 per year for a church of 100 to 199 people. Pricing scales with attendance.
• CCLI Streaming License: Starts at $84 per year for churches already holding a Church Copyright License, or $108 per year for an average church (100 to 199 people).
• SongSelect subscription: Separate subscription for transposable chords, sheet music, and lyrics.

Overhead Rate

CCLI does not publish its overhead rate as a single percentage. The organization makes "certain deductions from Licence Fee revenue to cover running costs, in accordance with contracts agreed with various copyright owners, administrators and rights management organisations." No additional management fees or other amounts are deducted from licence fee revenue beyond what is specified in those contracts.

Royalties paid to song owners are calculated based on a credit system. CCLI allocates one Credit for each Copy Activity reported by licensees in each reporting period. Credits are weighted according to church size. The total program revenue is divided by the total weighted credits to arrive at the Credit Value. Song owners receive a percentage of the program revenue earned by their works, scaled according to the total number of license holders within each region.

Royalty Distribution Schedule

CCLI pays royalties to registered song owners twice annually. Payments are based 100% on the song usage reports submitted by license holders through CCLI's online reporting application.

Churches are required to report their song usage regularly. CCLI aggregates these reports across all licensed churches, calculates royalty shares based on the frequency and weighting of each song's usage, and distributes payments to the appropriate songwriters and publishers.

The twice-annual distribution cycle means that song owners receive payments approximately 6 months after the reporting period closes. This timing allows CCLI to collect and process all church reports before calculating payouts.

Reciprocal Agreements with Foreign Societies

CCLI is not a traditional PRO and does not maintain reciprocal agreements with foreign collective management organizations in the manner that ASCAP, BMI, or PRS for Music do. Instead, CCLI operates through direct contractual agreements with publishers and song owners.

CCLI partners with more than 3,500 publishers worldwide, connecting the catalogs they represent with churches throughout the world. Major publishing partners include Capitol Christian Music Group (representing Chris Tomlin, Matt Redman, and many others), Hillsong Music Publishing, Bethel Music, Integrity Music, and Elevation Worship Publishing.

CCLI is part of the SESAC Music Group family of organizations. Christian Copyright Solutions (CCS), which offers the PERFORMmusic and WORSHIPcast licenses, is a related entity that extends CCLI's coverage to include secular music catalogs through agreements with ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC repertoires.

For performance royalties outside church settings (radio, television, concert venues), songwriters must still register with a traditional PRO like ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC. CCLI covers only the specific use case of worship settings.

Notable Members

CCLI's catalog includes works from the most widely performed worship songwriters in the world. Based on CCLI chart rankings and church usage data, notable members include:

• Chris Tomlin (born 1972): Contemporary Christian music singer, songwriter, and worship leader. Songs include "How Great Is Our God," "Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)," "Holy Forever," "Forever," and "We Fall Down." In 2012, CCLI reported his songs were performed more than 3 million times in churches worldwide. Signed to Capitol Christian Music Group. (Wikipedia)
• Matt Redman: Double Grammy Award-winning worship leader and songwriter. Songs include "10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord)" (Grammy for Best Contemporary Christian Music Song and Best Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music Performance in 2013), "Blessed Be Your Name," "The Heart of Worship," and "Do It Again." Has sung at Madison Square Garden, Wembley Stadium, and the Royal Albert Hall. (Official site)
• Keith Getty (born 1974): Composer and hymn writer. Co-wrote "In Christ Alone" with Stuart Townend, one of the most widely sung modern hymns in churches worldwide. Received the OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) for services to music and worship in 2017.
• Stuart Townend: Hymn writer and worship leader. Co-wrote "In Christ Alone," "How Deep the Father's Love for Us," and "The Power of the Cross." His hymns appear consistently in CCLI top usage charts.
• Phil Wickham: Singer and songwriter. Songs include "This is Amazing Grace," "Living Hope," and "Great Are You Lord" (with All Sons and Daughters). Multiple songs in CCLI top 20 charts.
• Reuben Morgan (Hillsong Worship): Songwriter and worship leader. Co-wrote "What A Beautiful Name" and "Cornerstone." Hillsong Worship songs consistently rank in CCLI top usage charts globally.
• Cory Asbury (Bethel Music): Singer and songwriter. Wrote "Reckless Love," which reached number 1 on Billboard's Christian Airplay chart and became one of the most performed worship songs in CCLI-licensed churches.
• Pat Barrett: Singer and songwriter. Wrote "Build My Life" and "Good Good Father," both in CCLI top 20 charts. First artist signed to Chris Tomlin's Bowyer & Bow record label.

Video Guides

Similar PROs

• ASCAP - United States performing rights organization
• BMI - United States performing rights organization
• SESAC - United States performing rights organization (CCLI is part of SESAC Music Group)
• PRS for Music - United Kingdom performing rights organization
• GEMA - Germany's performing rights organization
• SoundExchange - US digital performance rights organization
• Full PRO Directory - Browse all performing rights organizations

Related Resources

• Performing Rights Organizations (PRO) - How traditional PROs differ from CCLI
• Performance Royalties - How performance royalties work outside worship settings
• Copyright - The legal foundation for church music licensing
• Blanket License - The licensing model CCLI uses
• Mechanical License - Understanding mechanical licensing for music reproduction
• Music Copyright Basics - Guide to protecting your musical works
• CCLI Official Website - Visit CCLI to explore licensing options for your church
• Use our Streaming Royalty Calculator to estimate your digital streaming earnings