Copyright Recordings

Recordings

From time to time, parishes decide to make CD recordings as a way of raising funds. They often do not stop to think whether there are any legal implications.

To determine who are the people who administer the copyrights, consult your hymnbook (if the work appears in it). A copyright acknowledgement should be printed in the book. In the case of a hymnbook such as Laudate, all the copyright lists are near the back of the book (congregation edition) or under the music (accompaniment edition). In case of any doubt, telephone Decani Music, who operate the Calamus licensing scheme. They are very helpful. (0845 456 8392)

Getting the required permissions will normally mean contacting the copyright holders concerned.  (If  fundraiser recordings are  something that the parish will do on a regular basis, it might consider becoming a publisher member of the Mechanical Copyright Protection Society; but this would be very unusual.)

If any of the works to be recorded were written (either text or music) by an author or composers who is still alive or has been dead for less than 70 years, all these works are subject to ‘mechanical rights’. This means you cannot produce a recording of them for sale without first getting permission to do so.

In the case of unpublished works, you will need to contact the author or composer direct. Once again Decani Music can help you do this, or in cases where they are unable to help, the Director of Liturgy may be able to point you in the right direction. 

In the case of works who copyrights are held by overseas publishers, once again contact Decani Music, since some rights for overseas publishers are administered by them in the UK.