CCLI (Christian Copyright Licensing International) collects licence fees from churches and distributes royalties to songwriters whose worship songs are sung in those churches. The payout mechanism is more complex than most worship songwriters realise — involving church reporting, usage weighting, Top 100 rankings, and an administration fee structure.
What CCLI is and how it collects
CCLI (Christian Copyright Licensing International) provides blanket licences to churches that allow them to reproduce and project copyrighted worship songs — on screens, in printed orders of service, in song books — without individually licensing each song. Churches pay CCLI an annual licence fee based on the size of their congregation. CCLI then collects these fees and distributes royalties to the copyright owners of the songs being used. CCLI operates in over 90 countries with over 250,000 licensed churches.
How CCLI determines what you are owed
CCLI cannot monitor every church service. Instead, it uses a statistical sampling system. A sample of licensed churches — tens of thousands globally — report their song usage to CCLI during reporting windows (typically twice a year in most territories). These churches submit lists of the songs they sang during the reporting period, how many times each was sung, and the congregation size. CCLI uses this sample data to extrapolate usage across the full licensed church base and calculate royalty distributions.
The CCLI Top 100 and its effect on payouts
The CCLI Top 100 is a ranked list of the most frequently sung worship songs across the licensed church base. Songs in the Top 100 receive disproportionately higher royalties than songs outside it, because the weighting algorithm reflects the frequency with which each song appears in church reporting. A song that reaches the Top 10 can generate substantially more CCLI royalty income than a song that ranks in the 200s, even if the underlying number of church performances is not dramatically different. This makes achieving and maintaining Top 100 placement commercially significant for worship songwriters.
The payout structure
After collecting licence fees from churches, CCLI deducts its administration costs and distributes the remainder to rights holders. The distribution is made to the publisher of each song (the entity registered with CCLI as the rights holder). The publisher then distributes to the songwriter per their publishing agreement. For self-published worship songwriters, registering directly with CCLI as publisher means the payout flows directly to you. The frequency of distributions varies by territory — check with CCLI for the specific schedule in your country.
CCLI vs PRS: the interaction
CCLI and PRS both collect royalties for the use of worship songs, but from different types of use. CCLI covers congregational singing in churches — the act of the congregation singing a song from a screen or printed sheet. PRS covers broadcast and streaming of worship recordings — when a recording of a worship song airs on Premier Christian Radio or streams on Spotify, PRS collects. A successful worship song can generate both CCLI royalties (from church use) and PRS royalties (from broadcast and streaming). These are additive income streams, not alternative ones.
How to register with CCLI as a publisher
To receive CCLI royalty distributions, you or your publisher must register with CCLI as a rights holder and list the songs you own. Registration is via the CCLI licensing and copyright portal. Ensure each song is listed with accurate metadata — title, songwriter names, and publisher information — to match against church reporting data. Songs that are not registered with CCLI cannot generate CCLI royalties, even if they are being sung in churches.
Code Group Music advises worship songwriters on the interaction between CCLI, PRS, and publishing administration. A catalog assessment can identify whether your worship catalogue is correctly positioned to maximise both income streams. Start at codegroupmusic.co.uk/#catalog-assessment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a publishing administrator to collect CCLI royalties?
Not necessarily. You can register directly with CCLI as your own publisher and receive distributions directly. However, if you also want PRS performance royalties managed, international collection handled, and metadata auditing, a publishing administrator who understands both CCLI and PRS provides more complete income capture.
How much does CCLI pay per church performance?
CCLI does not pay a per-performance rate. The payout is based on statistical sampling — estimated church usage weighted against the licence fee pool. The effective per-performance amount is not calculable in advance and varies based on how many churches use a song and the total pool of licence fees in a given period.
What if my worship song is in the CCLI Top 100?
Top 100 placement generates significantly higher CCLI royalty distributions due to the weighting algorithm. Maintain your CCLI registration and ensure your song metadata is accurate to ensure you receive the full distribution for a Top 100 placement.
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