This piece was originally published on October 8, 2021

ONE LICENSE offers three license terms to meet the needs of churches and other organizations who want to use copyrighted music in their worship services: Single-Use, Event, or Annual. Here we will highlight how a Single-Use or Event License can help enhance your ministry. You can obtain licensing permissions for congregational reprints and podcast / streaming no matter which term of license you choose.

Which Permissions Do I Need?

For copyright purposes, “reprint” means reproducing or copying images of congregational music (words alone or words + music) that are projected to a screen, printed in a paper worship aid, shared `electronically, or embedded into a video. Our Podcast / Streaming License permissions are a collection of copyright permissions that allow churches and other religious organizations to share worship service videos containing copyrighted music from our participating Member Publishers on the internet. Our Podcast / Streaming Licenses cover both pre-recorded (podcast) services as well as live-streamed services. Popular places where services can be shared or live-streamed include: the church’s website, Facebook, YouTube, Vimeo, Zoom, or even GoogleHangouts.

You can read more about our Reprint and Podcast / Streaming License options here: How It Works.

Single-Use License Term

A Single-Use License, valid for 24 hours, can be used for reprint or bundled with podcast / streaming permissions. During the 24-hour period, you have access to all titles covered by your selected license in the ONE LICENSE catalog. A Single-Use License is an excellent fit for one-off events, like weddings and funerals. It can be a good fit for large events that increase attendance above and beyond your regular licensing permissions. For example, you could get a Single-Use License for a multi-church Confirmation service or Baccalaureate service that reaches a greater audience than your typical weekend attendance. 

A Single-Use License might meet your needs if you have one or more worship services or other events scheduled within a 24-hour period and you plan to use copyrighted music. It is important to remember that when the license expires after 24 hours, all worship aids must be destroyed, downloaded files deleted from your computer, and videos removed from the internet.

A note about selecting your License Category: Your attendance category for the Single-Use License is based on anticipated total attendance (in-person and online) for all the service(s) within the 24-hour period.

Event License Term 

An Event License is valid for up to 7 days and can be used for reprint or bundled with podcast / streaming permissions. An Event License might suit your needs if you have multiple worship services or other events scheduled within one week and plan to use copyrighted music. Many of our License Holders have found that this license is a good fit for worship services at conferences, conventions, and mission trips. An Event License can also be bundled with our Podcast / Streaming License at a discounted rate.

During the term of the Event License, you have access to all titles covered by your selected permissions in the ONE LICENSE catalog. It is important to remember that when the license expires at the end of the week, all worship aids must be destroyed, downloaded files deleted from your computer, and videos removed from the internet.

A note about selecting your License Category: Your attendance category for the Event License is based on anticipated total attendance (in-person and online) for all the service(s) within the 7-day period.

You can see all our options and prices for Single-Use and Event Licenses here.

Annual License

If you plan to purchase more than 3-4 Single-Use Licenses or 2-3 Event Licenses in a 12-month period, consider our Annual License as a more economical option.

The Annual License offers these additional benefits:

  • Under your Podcast / Streaming License permissions, an Annual License term allows you to post your worship services online as long as the license is valid (until you choose to cancel it). The Annual License is the best option for License Holders who wish to post their videos for a length of time greater than 24 hours or 7 days.
  • Under your Reprint permissions, an Annual License allows you to maintain a library of worship aids and downloaded music files as long as the license is valid.
  • The Annual License can be bundled with our Podcast / Streaming License at a discounted rate, providing our most comprehensive licensing permissions.

A note about selecting your License Category: The attendance category for the Annual License is based on annual average weekly attendance (in-person and online). If your numbers go up or down appreciably during the license year, please contact us, and we will adjust your permissions. For more information on calculating your online view numbers, take a look at this helpful resource: Understanding Video Analytics and Online Attendance. 

Reporting Copyright Usage

Remember that purchasing your copyright license is just the first step. You must also report the titles used in your worship services. License Holders agree to report all ONE LICENSE titles at My Account > Report Usage. ONE LICENSE uses the data from License Holder usage reports to calculate the royalties paid to publishers, composers, text writers, and other artists. Copyright usage reports are essential to the accurate distribution of royalties. 

For more on usage reporting, take a look at this helpful resource: Basics on Reporting.

If you need assistance choosing your license, or if you want to confirm that your current license covers your event, the ONE LICENSE team is always ready to help you. Contact us at info@onelicense.net.

Photo used with permission from Canva.com.