LightTheFireMusic.com >>> Reprint License FAQ's

Q: What is a Reprint License?
A: A reprint license gives a church/school permission to print or project (on overhead) lyrics or lyrics/melody to any song in the catalog of the company from which it purchased the license, for the specified license duration.

Q: Why does my church need a Reprint License?
A: If you provide songsheets/worship aids to your congregations at Masses or special events (weddings, baptisms, graduations, etc.), which include lyrics or lyrics/melody to songs, you need a reprint license from the company that provides the license for those particular songs.

Q: We never provide printed assembly editions to our congregation. Our congregation is used to just singing and learning new music by ear. Am I required to purchase a Reprint License?
A: No. But make sure that no group in your parish/school is making copies of songs for special events, nor making booklets of lyrics or lyrics/melodies, as these are all infringement of copyright. This is only allowed with the purchase of reprint licenses, and those licences would need to be renewed as long as those booklets and copies are in use.

Q: What am I allowed to reprint under this reprint license?
A: You may print the lyrics and melody, or simply the lyrics, of any song in the catalog of the company from which you purchased the license. A Light the Fire Music reprint license covers any song in our catalog (copyrighted by Light the Fire Music).

Q: Am I allowed to reprint octavos?
A: A typical reprint license allows only lyrics/melody, and the number you print is limited to the number of your congregation, according to the price chart you selected for your church/school. Light the Fire Music’s reprint license extends that permission to octavos, but the octavo reprinting is limited to the number of singers/musicians who sing/play at your church/school.

Q: Why do I need to report usage?
A: A reprint license is a blanket license for all songs represented by that company. The fees paid to that company are distributed appropriately to the publishers and writers of those songs, according to their usage. Some companies may take a sampling to determine their distribution.

Q: How do I report our usage?
A: We will send you a weekly e-mail with a list of our songs and Mass parts - you simply hit reply, mark "yes" or "no", for each song and send!

Q: How often do I need to report our usage?
A: Weekly - the repoting process is very easy and should only take a few minutes each week.

Q: Why do I need to report usage on a regular basis?
A: The fees collected for these licenses are distributed to the writers of these songs, in the proportion of usage as they are reported. The music/songs you purchase will not be used “evenly” and your reports will indicate to us how, and how often, each song is being used.

Q: Our church has put together seasonal booklets for the congregation. How do I report the songs?
A: If you put together a booklet of songs that sits in your pews, you do not report every song in there for every week. You only report the songs you sang out of that booklet. For example, if you used our Mass For the Advent Season all four weeks of Advent, you’d report that four times, but indicate which Memorial Acclamation you used and if you used all other parts of the Mass. It’s best to keep a log or songsheet of the songs you sang at each Mass. (This also helps three years later when choosing songs for that particular Sunday again.)

Q: Our church has put together a permanent hymnal. How do I report the songs?
A: Report the songs only as often as they are used (see answer directly above). Remember, your hymnal may include songs represented by different licensing companies.

Q: We have several services at our church in one weekend. Do I report the song several times or one time?
A: Your report of one usage of a song represents one week’s use for the number you indicated as the size of your congregation. If you used a song at one Mass or seven Masses in a weekend, it counts as one use. If you then use the song at one or more Masses the following week, that’s a second use, and so on.

Q: During the Church Seasons, I often use a song every week. How do I report that?
A: If you use a song 52 weeks in a year, then you report that song 52 times that year. If you use a Mass all throughout Ordinary Time, but switch to other Masses during other times of the Church Year, report the parts of that Mass for the number of weeks in Ordinary Time. Remember to indicate which Memorial Acclamations you chose.

Q: Why does the copyright text need to be included in the copies I make?
A: This is a legal responsibility to credit the publishing company. You also need to credit the writers next to the title. There are many songs with similar titles, so this distinguishes which song is being used.

Q: How does the copyright line need to appear on my copies?
A: Usually, you can copy it exactly from recent sheet music, but each licensing company will likely provide that information for you. Light the Fire Music gives you an insertable (or copyable) version of each song you purchase, which has the correct spellings, format and credits, to make it easier for you to just paste it into your booklets/worship aids.
Keep in mind that songs sometimes change their publishing, so you might not want to copy directly from old sheet music. If in doubt, check recent sheet music of that song, or check with the licensing company or publishing company.
Some license companies require that you add your license number at the end of the copyright line, to show on your printout that you have your license and to which license this song belongs. This also helps in your reporting.

Q: Do I have to put the copyright line under every piece of the Mass?
A: If you have one assembly booklet/sheet, you may put the appropriate copyright line at the end or beginning of your booklet/songsheet, labeled with “All Mass service music Copyright ©” … etc., connected by an asterisk, if possible. Any use of overhead is considered a separate sheet and will require its own copyright line.

Q: What is Public Domain?
A: Public Domain means that one need not seek out a copyright to use this creative piece (a song, movie, etc.). For now, any song more than 75 years old is in Public Domain, but the rule later changed a few times for songs written after that period of time. Songs written today go into public domain 70 years after the last death of the composers. Keep in mind that public domain melodies set to new lyrics will NOT be public domain. See more on Public Domain here.

Q: Am I able to record copyrighted songs under this license?
A: No. Recording a song requires what is called a mechanical license. You need to contact the publishing company directly to draw that up. It requires a payment of 9.1 cents per copy made of that recording. More info.

Q: If I decide not to renew my license, am I still able to use the assembly cards and copies I have made for my congregation?
A: No. The assembly cards are good only for the duration of your reprint license agreement, and you must attest to having destroyed all materials copied under the Light the Fire agreement.

Q: Do I need a Reprint License for weddings, funerals and other special events?
A: Yes. Some churches/schools don’t have booklets/songsheets/worship aids for their Sunday Masses, but if lyrics are printed for these special events, you need the license.

Q: If I didn't use any music from “Light the Fire Music” during the week, do I need to report?
A: You will be asked, "Do you have any music to report for this week?" If you did not use any of our Music, you will simply answer "No" and hit the reply button.

Q: If I decide not to renew my license, am I still able to use the copies of the octavos I have made for my choir members?
A: Yes - your octavo copies are included with your original purchase of our Mass Settings. However, you are not able to make any more copies for your choir than the number of choir members you had during this agreement. You will also not have any further access to the Login, LIsten & Learn Teaching Tools, or to make or use any copies or Assembly Cards for your congregation.

Q: How do I cancel my license?
A:You will be prompted weeks before your reprint license expiration date. You will be asked to renew at that time. If you choose not renew, you're license will automatically expire and will be renewed from the reprint license data base.

Q: How do I report songs used on days other than Saturday/Sunday?
A: Just include songs for Holy Days, etc., in your weekly reports as if you did them on Sunday. Each reported usage of a song represents a weekend’s usage in your license, so no song would have a number higher than 52 for a year. This comes in handy for schools doing music at weekday Masses.

Q: Do I have to report a song we sing but don’t print or project anything on overhead?
A: No.

Q: I’m a school and not affiliated with a single parish. How do I figure up my “congregation size” if I have school Masses that usually have only a portion of the school at a typical Mass?
A: Figure what the average attendance would be at any one of your Masses that use printing/overheads, and make that your “congregation size” – be sure to include in your calculations the occasional all-school and even “all-school and guest” Masses there might be.

Q: I have a service that provides ready-made assembly editions of songs for me to insert into my worship aids. Is that all I need to cover my legal responsibility?
A: No. That is simply what is called a " cut & paste service". These are designed to save you time and effort and make things easy and convenient, but they do not cover your permission to reprint them. Light the Fire provides a free “paste-able” version of every song you purchase, but you must have a reprint license to print or project those songs. If you purchased a Mass from us, you got one year of that license for free.

Related Links:
Confused about copyrights?
Copyright Flow Chart (PDF)
Copyright Text and Flow Chart (PDF)
Church Music Comparison Chart (other companies' reprint license info)
Harry Fox Agency FAQ's on Copyrights/Mechanical Licenses
Public Domain info
Full Terms of Reprint License (PDF)

Order Reprint License
(not available as separate purchase yet; only as free bonus with purchase of Mass)