Hi Rebecca, I am new to this website and happened upon it by searching the topic of "Does it violate copyright when changing the lyrics of a song?".
I read through the comments posted on this topic and most if not all pertained to hymnal or contemporary Christian music.
In my circumstance, one of our musicians would like to take a secular song and change words and phrases to make it appropriate for church. My thought , especially after reading this blog, is that it would be a violation without getting permission. My musician emailed me the following:
Take a look at this: http://www.ascap.com/licensing/licensingfaq.aspx#general
Go to the 2nd question under the Frequently Asked Questions section. (What is a public performance?)
I would think that we (a church) are OK as an exemption. It doesn’t really get into anything about if the music is altered. But technically we alter everything we do (we improvise a lot), so I wonder if we could be “written up” since we don’t play things exactly as written? I would think we can play anything we want any way we want – as long as we are not selling it for profit. (Now I would think if we recorded stuff we would need permission to sell it even if just raising money for a church.)
What is a public performance?
A public performance is one that occurs either in a public place or any place where people gather (other than a small circle of a family or its social acquaintances). A public performance is also one that is transmitted to the public; for example, radio or television broadcasts, music-on-hold, cable television, and by the internet. Generally, those who publicly perform music obtain permission from the owner of the music or his representative. However, there are a few limited exceptions, (called "exemptions") to this rule. Permission is not required for music played or sung as part of a worship service unless that service is transmitted beyond where it takes place (for example, a radio or television broadcast). Performances as part of face to face teaching activity at a non-profit educational institutions are also exempt. We recommend that you contact your local ASCAP representative who can discuss your needs and how ASCAP can help you.
Posted in: Question About Changing Words of Copyrighted Songs
Hi Rebecca, I am new to this website and happened upon it by searching the topic of "Does it violate copyright when changing the lyrics of a song?".
I read through the comments posted on this topic and most if not all pertained to hymnal or contemporary Christian music.
In my circumstance, one of our musicians would like to take a secular song and change words and phrases to make it appropriate for church. My thought , especially after reading this blog, is that it would be a violation without getting permission. My musician emailed me the following:
Take a look at this: http://www.ascap.com/licensing/licensingfaq.aspx#general
Go to the 2nd question under the Frequently Asked Questions section. (What is a public performance?)
I would think that we (a church) are OK as an exemption. It doesn’t really get into anything about if the music is altered. But technically we alter everything we do (we improvise a lot), so I wonder if we could be “written up” since we don’t play things exactly as written? I would think we can play anything we want any way we want – as long as we are not selling it for profit. (Now I would think if we recorded stuff we would need permission to sell it even if just raising money for a church.)
What is a public performance?
A public performance is one that occurs either in a public place or any place where people gather (other than a small circle of a family or its social acquaintances). A public performance is also one that is transmitted to the public; for example, radio or television broadcasts, music-on-hold, cable television, and by the internet. Generally, those who publicly perform music obtain permission from the owner of the music or his representative. However, there are a few limited exceptions, (called "exemptions") to this rule. Permission is not required for music played or sung as part of a worship service unless that service is transmitted beyond where it takes place (for example, a radio or television broadcast). Performances as part of face to face teaching activity at a non-profit educational institutions are also exempt. We recommend that you contact your local ASCAP representative who can discuss your needs and how ASCAP can help you.
Can you help me with this situation?