Licensing FAQ
What Is a Copyright?
A copyright is a type of intellectual property right that protect original works of art like musical compositions. Sheet music, instrument tablatures, and audio recordings are all examples of copyrights on OCP’s website.
Only the copyright holder and/or the administrator of a copyright have the right to use and/or allow others to use their copyrighted compositions.
Copyrighted works are protected under federal copyright law. Everyone, including churches, is required to comply with copyright laws, which means that everyone is required to seek permission from the copyright holder or copyright administrator before copying, changing, displaying, publishing, or otherwise distributing a copyrighted composition.
Why Do I Need a License?
In order to record, reproduce, distribute, publish, and/or display a copyrighted composition that OCP owns or administers, you need the correct license from OCP to ensure you are in compliance with copyright laws. Please see “How do I obtain a license and whom should I contact?” for more information on obtaining a license from OCP.
In order to publicly perform your musical rendition of the composition, you will need a license from the performing rights organizations such as ASCAP or BMI.
What Are The Types of Licenses?
- Mechanical License – for producing a new recording of an existing copyright
- Master License- Allows for use of a master recording (a recording by someone else)
- Broadcast – for a radio station (audio recording)
- Internet broadcast license – podcast, YouTube, or streamed mass
- Reprint License – for use in a physical or digital print format that is produced for sale
- Sync license – for broadcast in film, tv
How Do I Obtain a License and Whom Should I Contact?
For Sync licenses: visit our Disco library and/or submit an inquiry
For licenses for worship communities and congregations: visit ONE LICENSE
For licensing select Spirit & Song and other contemporary worship titles 🡪 visit ONE LICENSE and CCLI
For everything else: submit an inquiry
How Long Does It Take to Obtain a Licensing Permission?
Typically, this can be done rather quickly. There may be slight delays given the volume of requests and the current circumstances, but we will respond to your inquiry! If you need something immediately, we can also back-date your license.
Does ONE LICENSE cover all OCP copyrights?
Yes.
Are All the Songs in OCP Worship Resources Covered by ONE LICENSE? How Can I Tell?
Not all the songs in OCP worship resources (missals, hymnals, octavos, etc) are covered by ONE LICENSE because not all the songs in OCP worship resources are owned or administered by OCP. Use the song search tool and the member/publisher list on the ONE LICENSE website to find out if a song is covered.
Does ONE LICENSE Cover the Usage of Pre-recorded Music like OCP-made Videos or MP3 Files?
No. Pre-recorded music like an MP3 has, typically, two types of copyrights for which you will need to seek permission: 1) the copyrighted musical composition; and 2) the copyrighted audio recording.
If OCP is the owner and administrator of both the musical composition and audio recording, you will only need to seek permission from OCP. However, if another entity owns or administers the copyright to the musical composition or audio recording, you will need their permission as well.
If you have any questions regarding OCP’s copyright ownership or administration, please contact us.
How Can I Determine What Music Is and Isn’t Included in a ONE LICENSE License?
If you have an annual license from ONE LICENSE, you can use their search tool to see if a song is covered.
Does My CCLI License Cover All Permission Needs?
No. The licensing agent CCLI is independent of ONE LICENSE and does not cover all the copyrighted songs in our resources. While they cover some OCP titles (mainly those in the Spirit & Song catalog), you may still need a license from ONE LICENSE to cover the majority of OCP copyrights.
