Thank You, Thank You, Thank You

Yes, we have a BIG thank you! We’re excited to announce that we’ve just received the largest single royalty payment we’ve ever had, courtesy of CCLI (Christian Copyright Licensing International).

What Are Royalties?

Thank You

For those who have never heard of CCLI, or ‘royalty payments’, here’s a brief explanation. Every time any school or church around the world displays, copies, prints or shares the lyrics or sheet music from one of our songs, then they should report that usage to CCLI. Each song report is worth a small amount to us. These amounts accumulate throughout the year, with combined royalties paid out twice a year.

We’ve now received our total royalty payment for songs used between Oct 18 and March 19, and it was a substantial amount of money. The largest single royalty payment we’ve ever received. We’re so thankful for all the teachers and children’s workers who have taken the time out of their busy schedules to report song usage to CCLI. We’re humbled by your continual love and support for our songs, and by your efforts in contacting CCLI about them. Thank you so much.

Surprisingly though, having crunched the numbers and examined the data of the songs that were reported, it seems that there is still just a relatively small percentage of customers who are reporting songs regularly. This is a shame, because we know that if every customer reported our songs accurately, then the royalty amounts we received would literally have several extra zeros on the end.

Please don’t get us wrong. We’re not complaining, and we’re not saying any of this out of boasting, or greed for more money. We just want Learn2soar Music to grow. Being completely honest, due to austerity and school cutbacks, the last few years have been tough for our business. Schools are understandably not spending as much money as they used to. Therefore, these royalty payments aren’t about buying new cars for the directors, but are simply about keeping the business afloat. And if more customers reported song usage properly, we know we’d have enough money to expand the business even more and provide a better service in the future. So how can you help?

Schools

We know how ridiculously busy all you teachers are. On your list of ‘jobs to do’, reporting song usage to CCLI is most likely rock bottom of your list. But if you’re using and enjoying someone’s music, isn’t it only fair to ensure that the writers get paid correctly?

It’s true that the first time you report songs to CCLI, it can take a little while. (Just to get your head around what it is that you’re doing). But after that, once you get used to the reporting procedure, it should only take a few minutes of your time, once every so often. It’s hardly a chore. Reporting helps your establishment to remain within the law, and it helps us to provide a better service.

Churches

Most churches are actually quite good at reporting songs to CCLI. At least for the songs sung in church on a Sunday morning. But sadly, a lot of churches forget to include children’s songs. For example, songs used by the children in Sunday School, children’s church, Scouts and Brownies. Not just worship songs, but also songs taken from musicals, nativities and performance pieces. Please remember to include these songs as well. Not just for the sake of Learn2soar Music, but for all other providers of children’s music also.

How To Report

To get started, please visit https://ccli.com. Most schools and churches are already signed up with CCLI, but if yours isn’t then you’ll be able to quickly register with them. Most establishments will have to pay an annual licence fee (currently free for state schools in England). This gives you copyright protection for any song you use from any publisher, not just Learn2soar Music. It is invaluable in ensuring that your organisation remains within the law.

Once registered, log-in and visit the CCLI reporting pages. Then one-by-one, type in the title or first line of each song you wish to report. (Not the title of the album / CD / musical). Then tick the relevant boxes to indicate if you have printed or shared or projected the lyrics / sheet music. Job done.

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You

In conclusion, we have three huge thank-yous. Firstly, thank you to CCLI for the great job that you do. Secondly, thank you to our loyal customers who love singing our songs and have been faithfully reporting their usage to CCLI. And finally, as a Christian run company, we have to give thanks to God. (Phil 4: 6-7 & 19).

For more information about copyright or about reporting songs to CCLI, you can contact us here.