Rights & Permissions

Translation and Audio Rights

Please contact our co-agents about translation rights.

Copyrights

Respecting copyright law protects you and your church or institution from legal risk. Written permission establishes a paper trail for your protection. And most importantly, it ensures composers and authors are compensated for their work.

To submit a reprint permission request, please email copyrightscpi@cpg.org.

FAQs

I have a subscription to RiteSong. Do I need permission?

For RiteSong, permission for congregational use is included for the selections included in RiteSong for the following: 

  • The Hymnal 1982 
  • The Hymnal 1982 Service Music 
  • Wonder, Love and Praise 
  • Lift Every Voice and Sing II 
  • Enriching Our Music 1 & 2 
  • Voices Found 
  • My Heart Sings Out 
  • Newly composed music 
  • Lyrics-only and music and lyric versions 
  • MP3 sound samples, melody, and harmony 
I need to print music for a weekly bulletin, a hymnal supplement, or a Christmas concert. How do I get the rights for this?

Church Publishing Incorporated (CPI) is a member of OneLicense.net, where you can purchase a license to use certain works.

If you are producing a resource for ongoing use, then the following fees/conditions apply: 

If Church Publishing Incorporated owns the material:  

Email copyrightscpi@cpg.org to obtain permission fees for use.

Please include the following details in your email: 

  • Your name, title, church or organization, address, phone, and e-mail 
  • Title of the hymnal and the number of the selection you wish to copy 
  • What you want to copy (e.g., tune and text, full harmony, descant only) 
  • Date and type of the event (e.g., Sunday worship, diocesan liturgy) 
  • Number of copies to be made 

Please allow two weeks for a response. 

If Church Publishing Incorporated doesn’t own the material:  

Contact the proper copyright holder; we may be able to provide you with the address. In most cases, the copyright owner and address can be found in the back of each hymnal. 
I would like to use an excerpt in a for-profit publication. How do I get rights for this?

For music owned by Church Publishing Incorporated:  

Email copyrightscpi@cpg.org to obtain permission fees for use.

Please include the following details in your email: 

  • Your name, title, church or organization, address, phone, and e-mail 
  • Title of the hymnal and the number of the selection you wish to copy 
  • What you want to copy (e.g., tune and text, full harmony, descant only) 
  • Date and type of the event (e.g., Sunday worship, diocesan liturgy) 
  • Number of copies to be made 

Please allow two weeks for a response.

For music not owned by Church Publishing Incorporated:  

Contact the proper copyright holder; we may be able to provide you with the address. In most cases, the copyright owner and address can be found in the back of each hymnal. 

How can we use a Church Publishing Incorporated recording as background music on our telephone system or website?

To use a Church Publishing Incorporated recording as background music on your telephone system or website, permission is required. 

If Church Publishing Incorporated owns the recording:  

Email copyrightscpi@cpg.org to obtain permission fees for use. Please allow two weeks for a response. 

If Church Publishing Incorporated doesn’t own the recording:  

Contact the proper copyright holder; we may be able to provide you with their contact information. 
How can I look up copyright information myself? 
  •  The Hymnal 1982, pew is page 930. 
  • The Hymnal 1982, accompaniment hymns is page 1021. 
  • The Hymnal 1982, accompaniment service music is page 405. 
  • The Hymnal 1940 is page 796. 

All other hymnals have the copyright citation at the end of each selection. If no copyright information is listed, the selection is in the public domain, meaning the copyright has expired and permission is not required. 
Is Church Publishing Incorporated part of a licensing agency?

Yes. Church Publishing Incorporated is a member of OneLicense which makes reporting simple and efficient.

If you subscribe to RiteSong, certain permissions are automatically included—saving you time and eliminating the need for extensive reporting. For details, please review your RiteSong license.