This is one of the most common questions we get, and the confusion is understandable: you've paid for a lyric video, so surely you can play it? The short answer is that the video file and the song inside it are licensed separately, and most churches need both covered. Here's how it fits together.
This is general guidance, not legal advice. Licensing terms vary by country and change over time — check with CCLI or your local licensing body for your situation.
Two Different Things Are Being Licensed
- The song — the lyrics and melody, owned by the songwriter and publisher. Displaying those lyrics in a service, printing them, streaming a performance of them: each of these needs permission from the rights holder.
- The video file — the animation, design and editing work that presents those lyrics. That's what you're buying from a lyric video provider.
Buying the video gives you the right to use that file. It does not, by itself, give you the right to reproduce the song's lyrics on a screen. That's what a church copyright licence is for.
The CCLI Copyright Licence
For most churches in the UK, US, Australia and many other countries, the CCLI Copyright Licence (sometimes called the Church Copyright Licence) covers projecting and printing lyrics for congregational singing. If the song is in the CCLI catalogue and your church holds the licence, displaying the lyrics in your service is covered — whether they're on a plain slide or in a lyric video.
Most churches that project lyrics at all already hold this licence. If you're not sure, ask whoever handles your church's admin; it's usually renewed annually.
Streaming Is a Separate Licence
The copyright licence covers the room. It does not cover putting the service online. If you live-stream or post recordings of your services and they include worship songs, you need a Streaming Licence (CCLI offers one, as do others depending on your country). This became a much bigger issue after 2020 and it's the one churches most often miss.
What About Backing Tracks and Recordings?
If your lyric video includes a backing track or the original recording as audio, that's a third layer: the sound recording, owned by the record label or artist. Playing a recording in a service is generally covered under performance licences in many countries (in the UK, this often falls under PPL/PRS for churches; in the US, religious services have a specific exemption for performance in worship). Streaming a recording online is not automatically covered and is where most claims arise.
What Your Lyric Video Purchase Does Cover
When you buy a lyric video from Talesoft Digital, the licence covers the use of that video file in your church's services and related ministry contexts. It doesn't replace CCLI or a streaming licence, and it doesn't allow reselling or redistributing the file. The full terms are on each product page and in your order confirmation — if anything's unclear, ask us before you use it in a way you're unsure about.
A Practical Checklist
- Hold a current CCLI Copyright Licence (or your country's equivalent) if you project lyrics
- Add a Streaming Licence if you put services online
- Report song usage to CCLI — it's how songwriters get paid
- Keep your lyric video purchase records with your other licences
- Check whether your streaming platform (YouTube, Facebook) mutes or claims audio from recordings, and plan around it
Talesoft Digital lyric videos are ready for services and clearly labelled by resolution and format. Browse the catalogue →