How It Works

Through ONE LICENSE, License Holders have access to thousands of congregational hymns, songs, and service music from today's top liturgical music publishers to use in worship aids, service bulletins, and projections to inspire congregational singing. Our list of Member Publishers is regularly growing, and as new ones join, you will immediately have access to their catalogs.

A ONE LICENSE subscription is comprehensive, convenient, and cost-effective. Our rates are equitably and fairly based upon the average weekly attendance of your congregation. For more information on pricing, please visit our Options & Prices page.

For additional information and guidance, please visit our Frequently Asked Questions page.

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Reprint License (Annual, Event, or Single-Use)

  • ONE LICENSE is the most comprehensive way to acquire reprint permissions from multiple publishers at the same time.
  • Online reporting is the quickest way to inform our Member Publishers of the titles you have reprinted.
  • Annual Licenses cover consistent usage over the course of one year; Event Licenses cover retreats, conventions, conferences, etc., that are up to seven days in duration; and Single-Use Licenses are designed for one-time events, including weddings and funerals. If your organization has an up-to-date Annual License, then congregational gatherings hosted or sponsored by your organization of all varieties are covered, such as youth group meetings, small group meetings, etc.
  • An Annual License combines the catalogs of your favorite Member Publishers in one place and is far less expensive than obtaining permission from each publisher individually. ONE LICENSE is an Internet-based service with no paper reports to fill out or mail. Reporting takes mere minutes per week or month. We recommend logging in monthly to stay on top of your reporting or to indicate that you have “nothing to report” for a given season.
  • Reprint Licenses are intended for congregational use only. ONE LICENSE does not cover music for choirs, ensembles, cantors, accompanists, or instrumentalists.

Podcast / Streaming License Bundle

  • Our Podcast / Streaming Licenses are available in two forms to help you revolutionize the way you connect with your congregation and the world. With the Podcast / Streaming License Bundle, you have access to your Annual Reprint License and podcast / streaming permissions as well.
  • Note that use of the word “Podcast” refers to any pre-recorded video or audio content being distributed for congregational use. The Podcast / Streaming License permits both pre-recorded content and content that is streamed live. Content may be posted to your organization’s website, YouTube, Facebook, Zoom, Vimeo, Instagram, and other forms of internet-based communication.
  • This license not only allows you to archive your services for the duration of the license, but also to live-stream to members of your congregation who may be homebound, traveling, or serving in active duty.
  • Priced at around 40% of your Annual License cost, for as many services as you wish to broadcast to your organization.
  • The Podcast / Streaming License Bundle uses the same convenient reporting technology as the Annual License, which has set new standards for quick, accurate, and easy online reporting.
  • If you already have an Annual Reprint License and wish to bundle the Podcast / Streaming License, the cost of adding the Podcast / Streaming License will be prorated to expire the same time as your Annual Reprint License.
  • This license may also be bundled with your Single-Use or Event License.
  • When bundled with your Annual Reprint License, you can include covered song lyrics or melody lines displayed on the screen or in a worship aid / leaflet style handout.
  • The two Podcast / Streaming License options cover content only from live worship services. The use of commercial masters or publisher-owned recordings is not permitted. If you are seeking permissions to use commercial masters in your video content, you will need expressed consent from both the publisher and copyright holder. In sacred music, these are often the same entity.
  • License Holders have the opportunity to renew their coverage annually. Should you choose not to renew, all material licensed under either the Podcast / Streaming License Bundle or Limited Podcast / Streaming License must be removed. This includes material posted to YouTube, Vimeo, your organization’s website, and other forms of social media.
  • The number of views of each video is limited to three times the size of your average weekly attendance category. For example, if your license is set for Category E (401-700 average weekly attendance), you are permitted to have up to 2,100 video views per week. We recommend posting your video to one “hosting” site (like YouTube) and then linking to that page. This way, no matter if the link is on Facebook, your organization’s newsletter, or webpage, all views will link back to YouTube so the views can be tracked. Should your videos begin to exceed your category, you will need to contact us.
  • Not all Member Publishers covered by an Annual Reprint License will allow their material to be used for podcasting / streaming. View our list of participating Member Publishers here.
  • The podcast / stream must include the following words at the end of the service, in the video description, or on the website containing a link to the podcast / live stream: "Permission to reprint, podcast, and / or stream the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE with license #A-000000. All rights reserved.” Please include your own license number.
  • You should report any music from our Member Publishers (e.g., instrumental settings) that is podcast / streamed, even if you do not need to reprint the music in your bulletin or project it on a screen. As a reminder, reprinting, projecting, or including text or congregational melody lines in your video content requires the purchase of a Reprint License.
  • Our Podcast / Streaming License options are intended to cover music. Certain liturgical content, including Scripture readings, will require permission directly from the copyright holder of this material.
  • A Podcast / Streaming License bundled with an Annual License includes the right to distribute worship aids containing copyrighted music covered by our license electronically to your remote congregants. When distributing remotely, we ask that you do not post the file for free access on the internet. Instead, share the file via an email distribution list, password protect the file, or store the file in a password-protected area of your community’s website.

Limited Podcast / Streaming License

  • Our Podcast / Streaming Licenses are available in two forms to help you revolutionize the way you connect with your congregation and the world. With the Limited Podcast / Streaming License, you have access to podcast / streaming permissions only. This is designed for organizations that do not post or display lyrics or melody lines nor provide worship aids for their congregation.
  • Note that use of the word “Podcast” refers to any pre-recorded video or audio content being distributed for congregational use. The Podcast / Streaming License permits both pre-recorded content and content that is streamed live. Content may be posted to your organization’s website, YouTube, Facebook, Zoom, Vimeo, Instagram, and other forms of internet-based communication.
  • This stand-alone option is perfect for those who do not need an Annual Reprint License for their sanctuary, but still want to share their worship services with the world.
  • This license not only allows you to archive your services for the duration of the license, but also to live-stream to members of your congregation who may be homebound, traveling, or serving in active duty.
  • This license is “Limited” because it does not include the right to share song lyrics or melody lines with your viewers, or remotely share your custom handouts that contain covered music. For these rights, you will need the Annual Reprint License and Podcast / Streaming License Bundle. In addition, please be aware that this “Limited” license does not include access to our database of text or melody-line downloads.
  • Costing the same as the Annual License, this license allows you to switch between your Annual Reprint License (without Podcast / Streaming) to the Limited Podcast / Streaming License when natural disasters, Acts of God, pandemics, or other conditions prevent you from holding services in your sanctuary.
  • The Limited Podcast / Streaming License uses the same convenient reporting technology as the Annual License, which has set new standards for quick, accurate, and easy online reporting.
  • The Podcast / Streaming License options cover content only from live worship services. The use of commercial masters or publisher-owned recordings is not permitted. If you are seeking permissions to use commercial masters in your video content, you will need expressed consent from both the publisher and copyright holder. In sacred music, these are often the same entity.
  • License Holders have the opportunity to renew their coverage annually. Should you choose not to renew, all material licensed under either the Podcast / Streaming License Bundle or Limited Podcast / Streaming License must be removed. This includes material posted to YouTube, Vimeo, your organization’s website, and other forms of social media.
  • The number of views of each video is limited to three times the size of your average weekly attendance category. For example, if your license is set for Category E (401-700 average weekly attendance), you are permitted to have up to 2,100 video views per week. We recommend posting your video to one “hosting” site (like YouTube) and then linking to that page. This way, no matter if the link is on Facebook, your organization’s newsletter, or webpage, all views will link back to YouTube so the views can be tracked. Should your videos begin to exceed your category, you will need to contact us.
  • Not all Member Publishers covered by an Annual Reprint License will allow their material to be used for podcasting / streaming. View our list of participating Member Publishers here.
  • The podcast / stream must include the following words at the end of the service, in the video description, or on the website containing a link to the podcast / live stream: "Permission to podcast / stream the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE with license #A-000000. All rights reserved.” You will include your own license number.
  • You should report any music from our Member Publishers (e.g., instrumental settings) that is podcast / streamed. As a reminder, reprinting, projecting, or including text or congregational melody lines in your video content requires the purchase of a reprint license.
  • Our Podcast / Streaming License options are intended to cover music. Certain liturgical content, including Scripture readings, will require permission directly from the copyright holder of this material.

Practice-Track Licenses

  • The Practice-Track License enables Music Ministers to create practice CDs or MP3s for their choir or ensemble members. With this license, you are able to:
    • Copy demonstration recordings provided by a Member Publisher;
    • Copy commercial CDs or mp3s purchased from a Member Publisher or member record company;
    • Record your own versions of covered songs for your ensemble (a specific vocal part, for example, or an accompaniment track);
    • Burn CDs or email MP3s;
    • Provide a link to a Dropbox or Google Drive file that can only be accessed by the intended musicians.

For a complete list of Member Publishers who participate, click here.

  • Once tracks are recorded, our convenient technology allows you to easily report your usage.
  • Users will purchase Practice-Track Licenses based on their average weekly attendance. Please visit our Options & Prices page for more information.

Note: The Practice-Track License is for practice and rehearsal purposes only and does not cover commercial master recordings for use within a live worship service. For more information on using commercial master recordings, please contact the copyright holder and publisher of that specific content.

Group Licenses

Group Licenses are designed to support administrative offices and better organize their suborganizations. All Group Licenses feature the ability to centralize billing (with a potential for discounts) and provide the account owner access to all of the royalty reports within the group, providing valuable information about the music being used and ensuring reporting accountability for copyright law. The account owner receives one bill, and all suborganizations process their own royalty reports. Some examples of the groups we serve include:

  • A diocesan, synod, conference office, or school district looking to connect their parishes or schools on one account (so when the Bishop or Superintendent asks for a reporting history, it’s readily accessible).
  • A network of summer camps (to ensure that consistent information is passed to each location, no matter how close or far they are geographically).
  • A community of retreat centers, retirement communities, religious communities, etc. (to benefit from administrative oversight and having one contact person to handle questions).

Note that the suborganizations covered by a Group License must be linked in some type of legal capacity (e.g., “The Diocese of X,” “Y School District,” or “Z Summer Camps”). Interested in finding out if a Group License is right for your organizations? Take a look at this helpful infographic and then reach out to us at [email protected]

Reporting Titles

  • Log in with email and password.
  • Choose the week you wish to report usage for. Our week runs from Monday through Sunday to eliminate multiple reports for one weekend.
  • Follow the prompts to report your reprints. Most of the songs you use will already be in the ONE LICENSE database, allowing you to click and report. If a title cannot be found, simply fill out the manual submission report form at the bottom of your unique search results page. After the Member Publisher reviews and approves the title, it will be available for other users to view and report. For more information, please visit our blog post on this topic.

For additional help with reporting, please contact us for assistance.

Tutorial Videos

How to Add Users

How to Reset Your Password

How to Search For Titles

How to Download Titles

How to Report Titles