Please be advised that OCP will be closed from Tuesday, December 24 through Wednesday, January 1 for the Christmas holiday and will not be answering phones during that time. Orders can still be placed on OCP.org, but please note that orders will not be shipped on December 25 or January 1.
alternate language
Question mark on cards

FAQ

 

Frequently asked questions

 

License and Permissions

Missals & Hymnals

Orders

Shipping & Returns

Submissions

Taxes

Other

 

License and Permissions

  • Do I need permission to sing music from my worship resource in a livestreamed Mass?

    Yes. If you want to livestream your Mass and you will be singing copyrighted songs, you need to obtain permission to broadcast those songs via the internet.

  • What is needed if I want to project/livestream song lyrics?

    If you want to project/stream the lyrics of a song during your livestreamed Mass, you need to contact the licensing agent for the copyrighted songs you wish to project or stream. OCP’s music is covered by ONE LICENSE, as are many of the songs in OCP products that are controlled by other publishers.

  • If we subscribe to your worship resources, do we have free permission to make copies or sing the music via livestream?

    A subscription to worship resources does not include permission to make copies, project, publish recordings, or livestream the copyrighted music within those worship resources. You will need to contact the licensing agent to acquire those permissions. OCP’s music is covered by ONE LICENSE, as are many of the songs in OCP products that are controlled by other publishers.

  • 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 (specifically, those in the Spirit & Song catalog), you would still need a license from ONE LICENSE to cover the majority of titles from OCP, GIA and WLP. Additionally, many other faith-based publishers who publish liturgical music are licensed by ONE LICENSE.

  • How do I obtain a license, and whom do I contact?

    To obtain a license through ONE LICENSE, contact them directly via email at info@onelicense.net.

  • 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 they will respond to your inquiry! If you need something immediately, they can also back-date your license.

  • When should I contact OCP for a license? When should I contact ONE LICENSE?

    • TV show or film using OCP Music – contact OCP Music Publishing
    • For-sale product using OCP Music – contact OCP Music Publishing
    • Audio recording of an OCP song for distribution – contact OCP Music Publishing
    • Video recording of an OCP song for distribution – contact OCP Music Publishing
    • Text/tune copies for your parish or school services – contact ONE LICENSE
    • Permanent songbook using assembly versions of OCP songs – contact OCP
    • Copies of choral or instrumental arrangements for an OCP song – contact OCP

  • Does ONE LICENSE cover all OCP music?

    Yes. ONE LICENSE covers all OCP music.

  • Are all the songs in OCP missals covered by ONE LICENSE. How can I tell?

    No. Not all the songs in an OCP missal are covered by ONE LICENSE. You can 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 prerecorded music like OCP-made videos or MP3 files?

    No. ONE LICENSE does not cover the usage of prerecorded music. You will need to contact the copyright holder for permission to use audio or video recordings.

  • Does my license cover archived videos?

    Yes. As long as you have an active license, you can keep archived videos.

  • How can I determine what music is and isn’t included in our license?

    If you have an annual license from ONE LICENSE, you can use their search tool to find out if a song is covered.

  • Why did ONE LICENSE discontinue the free streaming permission granted during Lent?

    The composers represented by ONE LICENSE use the royalties generated through reprint and streaming licenses as a primary source of income. The ONE LICENSE members and publishers wanted to be fair to those composers.

 

Missals & Hymnals

  • How are songs selected for missals?

    We select our music based on guidelines outlined in various liturgical documents from Rome and the U.S. bishops, such as The General Introduction of the Roman Missal with its appendix for the U.S., Music in Catholic Worship and Liturgical Music Today.

  • When can I expect my missals to arrive?

    Materials should arrive at least three weeks prior to their appropriate start date. If your materials haven’t arrived by the program start date, please call our customer service department at 1-800-LITURGY (548-8749) or email us at liturgy@ocp.org.

  • Do Music Issue and Breaking Bread need to be replaced every year?

    Our terms of use for the Music Issue and Breaking Bread specify that a subscription is for one year at a time. In order to stay compliant with our programs, you will need to purchase a new subscription annually.

  • How do I find or search for songs by season, scriptural reference, style or other unique identifier?

    With our unique Explore Songs you can browse songs by title, language, liturgical celebration, liturgical season, ritual, scriptural passage, musical style, topics and composer. You can browse between categories using the tabs in the middle of the page.

  • What is OCP's review process for the songs that go in their missals and hymnals?

    All the songs in OCP’s pew books go through an extensive vetting and review process, including theological review utilizing both internal and external liturgical and musical experts. All OCP missals and hymnals are reviewed and approved by the USCCB before publication.

  • What does OCP do when they become aware of concerns about problematic text in their songs?

    OCP invests heavily in this ongoing quality-control process. When problematic texts come to light, we have a long and successful track record of either removing the song from our resources or revising the text to correct the problem. Many songs have been removed from our program over the years. Many other songs have been revised to ensure theological soundness.

  • How has OCP responded to songs cited in Catholic Hymnody at the Service if the Church?

    Of the 13 songs cited as examples of theological deficiency in Catholic Hymnody at the Service of the Church, four were never in OCP’s program and the following four have been removed (for a total of eight):

    • Lord of the Dance (Carter)
    • Let Us Break Bread Together on Our Knees (traditional)
    • Sing a New Church (Dufner)
    • O Crucified Messiah (Scialla)

  • Has the USCCB as a conference or any of its committees prohibited use of OCP songs?

    No – neither the USCCB as a conference nor any of its committees has prohibited the use of any OCP songs.

  • Are OCP missals and hymnals reviewed and approved by the USCCB

    Yes – OCP’s missals and hymnals are reviewed and approved by the USCCB before publication.

  • Are OCP missals and hymnals published with ecclesiastical approval?

    Yes – after being reviewed by the USCCB, OCP’s missals and hymnals are published with ecclesiastical approval (see the concordat cum originali on the credits page).

  • What is an imprimatur?

    An imprimatur is an indication of approval for a hymnal granted by the bishop or archbishop of the diocese or archdiocese where the hymnal’s publisher is located. However, an imprimatur does not imply every song in a hymnal is above reproach, as can be seen in a recent example in which a hymnal with an imprimatur included six of the 12 songs prohibited by a bishop in one diocese.

 

Orders

  • Does OCP have online billing?

    Yes! The new e-Bill system is now available for our customers. Learn more and sign up at: ebill.ocp.org.

  • How does the preorder shipping estimate work?

    When checking out, you will not be charged for any preorder products. You will only be charged once an item is in stock. Your preorder shipping estimate may change between the time a product is preordered and the time it is shipped. The shipping estimate serves only as an approximation of how much you will be charged once the product arrives in stock and is shipped.

    What if I purchased both in-stock items AND preorder items?

    When checking out, you will be charged only for items that are in stock. You will be charged for the preorder items and their subsequent shipping costs at a later date.

  • Why do I need to purchase more than one copy of the same physical or PDF octavo?

    Every individual using an octavo or lead sheet needs to have their own, unique copy. Reprinting copies of the same physical octavo or sharing PDFs of the music is a copyright violation. To avoid copyright infringement, please purchase enough for every member of your ensemble.

  • I purchased a downloadable version of a song/sheet music on PDF – where is it?

    When you purchase a downloadable PDF, you can access it in one of three ways. You can: 1) click on the links to the PDF on the purchase confirmation page, 2) access it in "Your downloads" from "Your account," or 3) find links to the downloadable PDF via the confirmation email that you receive after your purchase.

  • How do I create an OCP profile?

    Select “Sign In,” located on the top navigation bar of our home page, then select “Don’t have an account?” to complete the process.  Be sure to use the same email address from previous purchases for access to your order history and product downloads.

  • Do you share OCP user information with other sites or businesses?

    No, your personal information is private and will never be shared or sold to parties outside of OCP. For more information, please be sure to read our privacy policy.

  • If I’m purchasing for a church account can I pay with a purchase order?

    Yes, but you'll need to set up an organizational account with OCP first. As long as you have already done so and you have available credit on the account, you can use a purchase order to shop online. You will be asked for the purchase order number during the checkout process on the Payment/Billing page.

 

Shipping & Returns

  • How do I receive Free Economy Shipping?

    To receive Free Economy Shipping, orders must be at or above $99. Free Economy Shipping is only available on domestic orders. This includes the 50 United States and the District of Columbia, while excluding all other U.S. territories. Orders containing missals and/or hymnals are not eligible to receive Free Economy Shipping.

  • How can I cancel my order?

    Orders are processed automatically within a few minutes following your order submission. As a result, we are unable to cancel or change an order once it has been placed. Please see the Returns section for information on how to return an order.

  • What do I do if my purchase is damaged in shipping?

    Please call OCP customer service at 1-800-LITURGY (548-8749) or email us at liturgy@ocp.org and we will arrange for replacement of the damaged products.

  • What is the return policy?

    Our complete return policy is available here.

  • We only received one box of missals – where is the rest of our order?

    Because UPS handles each box individually, your boxes may not all arrive at the same time. However, even if the boxes do become separated in shipment, they should all still arrive within 10 business days of the date the first carton was delivered. If you have not received your entire order within 10 business days of the date of the first delivery, OR if you have not received your missals at least two weeks prior to the start of the liturgical season, for domestic orders and three weeks prior to the start of the liturgical season for international orders. Please call us immediately at 1-800-LITURGY (548-8749) and we will happily replace all lost shipments.

    To track your shipment, you can go to the UPS tracking site here. Enter your tracking number in the box on the left and click “Track” in the lower right-hand corner, and you will see where your order is while it’s in transit.

  • How long will it take for our missal order to be delivered?

    Missals are shipped via UPS Ground (unless otherwise specified) and can take between two and three weeks for delivery within the continental U.S. and up to six weeks for international orders.

    For online missal purchases please call Customer Service at 1-800-LITURGY (548-8749).

  • How long will it take for any international order to clear customs?

    While we cannot guarantee how long it will take for your international order to arrive, we are doing everything we can to help speed the customs clearing process for you. The OCP Distribution Center provides upgraded customs documentation and we are also prepaying customs duties and taxes which should help to streamline delivery of your international order.

    The OCP Distribution Center is also a shipper of record which means we have the ability to provide customs documents for many countries electronically which speeds the delivery of your international order.

  • Will I be charged sales tax on my orders?

    Given the Supreme Court's decision regarding South Dakota vs. Wayfair, Inc., OCP will now charge sales tax on all purchases, unless you qualify for a sales tax exemption*. Please contact our Customer Success team at 1-800-LITURGY (548-8749) if you qualify for a sales tax exemption and wish to apply it to your account.

    *Tax rates and exemptions may differ depending on the location and circumstance of each customer.

 

Submissions

  • How do I access copyright information?

    Please visit our Reprint Permissions for information on copyright permissions.

  • Do you accept new music from individuals? What is the submission process?

    All our submission guidelines are available on our Submissions Page.

  • Do I have to provide a recording?

    While helpful for review, a recording is not required.

  • How do I protect my music by copyright?

    For each title, include the year it was composed at the bottom of the first page. A valid copyright is effected by writing the symbol "©," the year, and the name of the copyright owner on the first page of music. Only the author or proprietor may secure a copyright. The composer(s) must be named in the copyright line, regardless of who submits the manuscript. The word "Copyright" may be used in place of the symbol "©" but the symbol is preferable, as it is internationally recognized. For your own protection this copyright notice should be placed on the first page of all copies of your manuscript.

    Titles that use text or music from another source (e.g., a hymn text or hymn tune) must include the source (e.g., hymnal title), the full name of the text writer, composer and/or hymn tune, and complete copyright information. It is the composer's responsibility to research the copyright status and ownership of the text or music including contact info for all copyright holders before submission.

    Citations are necessary if using a text from sacred scripture (e.g., John 4:7–15). Include the translation source (e.g. New American Bible (NAB), The Jerusalem Bible, New Revised Standard Version (NRSV), Revised English Bible, etc.) and complete copyright information.

    Under copyright law the original creator of the text and melody own all derivatives of the work, including translations and arrangements (both choral and instrumental). You must secure permission from the owner, publisher or administrator of the copyright to create any derivative works.

    Visit copyright.gov for more information.

  • How long will it take to review my work?

    OCP makes every effort to review all music submissions in a timely fashion. During convention season and summer months the review process may take longer. Please allow three months from receipt of your submission acknowledgement letter/e-mail to make inquiries about the review of your work.

  • How should I present my submission?

    OCP publishes a wide variety of music, for this reason there are several different formats that are acceptable dependent upon a composition’s instrumentation. All music submissions must include:

    1. Key/time signature, melody, accompaniment (at the very least, chord names), dynamics and tempo markings
    2. Correct notation in Finale, Sibelius, a PDF or a neatly copied manuscript (if you choose to mail your submissions, do not submit original manuscripts)
    3. Full text and music citation, including hymn tune sources and copyright information

  • If my work is accepted, how long will it take to be published?

    Once a composer’s work is accepted, a publishing plan is developed based on current publishing needs; this time varies from 18 months to 3 years.

  • If published, how will royalties be determined?

    All OCP composers are paid at the same contractual rate. In general terms a royalty of ten percent of the net receipts of all copies sold is paid to the composer or their estate for the life of the copyright (the copyright lasts until 75 years after the death of the author.) In addition, we pay a 50% royalty of net receipts for licensing of a copyright-protected work to another publisher or for private reprint. Use of public domain or other copyright-protected material may affect overall royalties. Specifics in reference to these matters are determined in detail when a contract is issued.

  • What happens if my work is not accepted?

    All rights to the music remain with the composer during the review process. Should your work not fit our current needs, you will be notified in writing. Due to the large volume of manuscripts received, OCP is unable to return your submission.

  • Why will OCP only accept three compositions from new composers?

    Because of the volume of submissions received, we must limit the number of works reviewed per composer. For this reason, we request that you choose three works that best represent your compositional abilities.

 

Taxes

  • What can I do if I see sales tax when trying to place my order?

    Before submitting your order, please reach out to our customer service team if you are placing an order from a state that grants you sales tax exemptions, so we can work with you to have it be tax exempt.

  • What is the grace period for tax adjustments?

    In general, we provide a 10-day grace period after the month ends, in which orders are placed, before we file our sales and pay taxes to the states. During this grace period, if we receive valid tax exemptions, we can quickly adjust the taxes off the customer's accounts.

  • What happens after the 10-day grace period?

    After the 10-day grace period, the possibility of issuing tax credits becomes a case-by-case scenario.

  • Can I still request credits after the grace period?

    Yes, customers can send their tax exemption certificates to our finance team for review. However, it's important to remember that the grace period offers the most straightforward process for adjustments.

  • Where do I submit my tax-exempt certificate?

    You can submit your tax-exempt certificate to TaxExempt@ocp.org.

  • What can I do if OCP isn’t able to credit or refund my sales tax?

    You can submit a refund request from your state’s department of revenue to request a refund after you have fully paid your invoice. We understand and apologize for the hassle, but this is our legal requirement and responsibility to your state and for our audits.

  • How will I know when my tax status has been updated?

    After sending in your exemption to TaxExempt@ocp.org, our finance team will review your certificate and let you know once it has been approved and is ready for processing.

  • How long will it take to update my tax-exempt status before I can place this web order?

    After submitting your exemption to the finance team, they will review it and let you know that it has been submitted for processing. Processing can take up to 24 hours.

 

Other

  • Can I change the email address associated with my account?

    No. While we sympathize with important reasons for needing to change your associated email address, your account information is tied into our business systems using that piece of information. In order to prevent the loss of – or errors with – your orders, you are not currently able to change your associated email address.

    You may however create a new account with a different email address, but be advised you will not have access to your downloads, wishlists or order history.

  • Do I need special software to download and read PDFs?

    Most computers come pre-loaded with the software necessary to open and view PDF files. If you are having trouble viewing PDFs, you can download Adobe® Acrobat® Reader® for free here.

  • Does your website use cookies?

    • Some of the pages contained within our overall website do utilize the common technology known as “cookies” to collect and/or store information. A “cookie” is a small amount of data that is transferred to your browser by a server and can only be read by the server that provided it. Cookies cannot be executed as code, and they cannot deliver viruses. They do not grant access to your computer in any way at any time — they only allow your computer to tell us that you have visited our site.
      • Most browsers accept cookies by default, but you can change your browser settings to notify you when a cookie is received, which gives you the chance to accept or reject it.