Reprint Permissions
Music licensing and reprint permissions
For decades, OCP has partnered with the best composers to produce some of the Church’s favorite music for worship. Help us to be good stewards of our composers’ songs by obtaining the proper licenses when using OCP music.
What is a music license?
A music license grants permission to use a musical work in a specific way. Many older songs and hymns are in the public domain (which means anyone can legally use them without a license), but a lot of popular church music is copyrighted and requires licensing.
A copyrighted work is the intellectual property of its copyright holder. So, a song’s copyright holder or administrator is the only one with the legal right to use or permit others to use the song – even if that song is used for Christian worship. Churches are required to comply with copyright laws regarding the use of song lyrics and song sheets, as well as the printing and copying of music. The good news is, OCP makes it easy to license our music!
When do I need a license?
- To reprint music from an OCP product (for worship aids, handouts, etc.)
- To play OCP music in a livestream online (for streaming Masses, etc.)
- To project OCP music (for use during Mass, etc.)
OCP makes it easy for parishes and individuals to obtain reprint permissions and to report usage for our quality music through One License.
If you need a different kind of music license (advertisements, recordings, printing products to sell, radio, television or more), you can find more information through OCP Music Publishing.
Have more questions about music licensing and permissions? Visit our FAQ page for additional information.
