Do churches need a music licence? Worship, halls and CCLI explained
Music during a service is treated differently from music at a coffee morning or exercise class. Here's how the rules split, and where to check.
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Whether a church needs a music licence depends on what the music is for. Music played only as part of an Act of Worship, meaning a regular service, is generally exempt. Music played at other church activities, such as coffee mornings, exercise classes or events open to the wider community, usually needs licensing through PPL, PRS for Music or the licences that CCLI (Christian Copyright Licensing International) arranges on their behalf. This is a legally nuanced area, so treat this as a starting point and check the specifics with CCLI or PPL PRS directly.
The worship exemption#
PPL's Churches Tariff (PPLPP115) states plainly that PPL does not licence the use of recorded music where it is used solely as part of Divine Worship. CCLI's own guidance for its PRS for Music and PPL Church Licences confirms an equivalent position: an exemption exists for music played during 'Acts of Worship' (i.e. regular worship services), so if music isn't played in any other church activities or by third parties using church premises, those particular licences aren't needed. CCLI adds that a Sunday school held during your regular Sunday service counts as part of that Act of Worship and is also exempt.
Weddings, funerals and christenings are treated by PPL as domestic rather than public events and so aren't licensable under its Churches tariff, though if the event is being recorded or filmed and recorded music is played, whoever makes that recording needs a separate PPL/PRS Limited Manufacture Licence. Church home groups are also treated as domestic rather than public and aren't licensable.
What needs a licence: PPL's Churches tariff#
PPLPP115 covers the playing of recorded music at churches and their associated buildings for anything beyond worship itself: background music at coffee mornings and fetes, variety shows and pantomimes, music quizzes, aerobics and exercise classes, bingo, bazaars and exhibitions, telephone music on hold, and balls, dances or discos. The tariff applies to church halls that are part of the same building as, or within the curtilage of, the parish church. Where a hall is separate from the church, PPLPP115 only applies if the majority of activities in that hall are managed for or by the church; otherwise the hall is licensed under the joint PPL/PRS Community Buildings tariff instead.
| Average weekly congregation | Annual fee |
|---|---|
| 1 to 14 | £22.35 |
| 15 to 49 | £37.67 |
| 50 to 99 | £76.86 |
| 100 to 249 | £131.36 |
| 250 to 499 | £185.81 |
| 500 to 999 | £248.88 |
| 1,000 to 1,499 | £310.20 |
| 1,500 to 2,999 | £386.84 |
| 3,000 to 4,999 | £492.41 |
| 5,000 to 9,999 | £671.29 |
| 10,000 to 19,999 | £960.75 |
The tariff continues in higher bands up to £3,139.13 for a congregation of 200,000 or more. It excludes jukeboxes, which PPL licenses through jukebox manufacturers instead.
PRS for Music side: the CCLI Church Licence#
PRS for Music's equivalent cover for churches is arranged through CCLI rather than sold directly in the way PPL's tariff is. According to CCLI's UK guidance, the PRS for Music Church Licence, on its own, allows a church to host up to six live music performances (such as concerts and recitals) outside worship services a year, and also covers live music played on the premises at other times. If a church wants both live and recorded music covered, CCLI sells the PPL Church Licence alongside the PRS for Music Church Licence, and that combination also covers commercial recordings played from CDs, MP3s, DVDs or streaming platforms, and music played via a licensed radio or TV broadcast. Hosting more than six concerts or recitals a year means a church needs to be licensed directly by PRS for Music instead of relying on the CCLI Church Licence alone.
CCLI's guidance also says separate church halls are covered by the PRS for Music Church Licence provided the predominant use of music in the hall is for church-led activities; if third-party hirers predominantly use the hall, the hall may need to be licensed directly by PRS for Music. That lines up with how PPL's Churches tariff treats separate halls.
Other CCLI licences worth knowing about#
CCLI also sells licences that are separate from PRS for Music and PPL and cover different rights entirely: the Church Copyright Licence covers projecting or printing song lyrics and making arrangements or translations of worship songs, and the CCLI Streaming Licence covers live-streaming or uploading recordings of services. These aren't the same as the PRS for Music or PPL Church Licences discussed above, and a church using recorded or live music beyond worship, and also wanting to project lyrics or stream services, is likely to need more than one CCLI product.
How to check what your church needs#
Because the worship exemption, the Community Buildings boundary and the CCLI licensing options all turn on specific facts (what's played, where, by whom, and whether it's part of a regular service), this is one to check directly rather than assume. CCLI's website (ccli.com, UK section) and PPL PRS's own Churches tariff and contact channels are the primary sources to confirm your situation, particularly if your church runs a busy hall used by outside groups or hosts more than six concerts a year.
If your church or hall already has an invoice and you want a written check of whether it's calculated correctly, the free Invoice Check reviews one invoice and gives a verdict either way. MLC is independent and is not affiliated with PPL PRS, PPL, PRS for Music or CCLI.
Sources#
- PPL Churches Tariff PPLPP115, effective 1 January to 31 December 2026 (PDF)
- CCLI UK: PRS for Music and PPL Church Licences
- CCLI UK: Copyright Licensing overview
- PRS for Music Community Buildings Tariff CB, 2026.04 (PDF)
Common questions
- Do churches need a music licence for Sunday services?
- No. PPL's Churches tariff doesn't apply to recorded music used solely as part of Divine Worship, and CCLI confirms an exemption for music played during regular Acts of Worship, including a Sunday school held within that service.
- Does a church need a licence for a coffee morning or exercise class?
- Usually yes. PPL's Churches tariff (PPLPP115) specifically covers background music at coffee mornings and fetes, and aerobics and exercise classes, based on the church's average weekly congregation.
- What's the difference between the PRS for Music Church Licence and the PPL Church Licence?
- The PRS for Music Church Licence on its own covers live music, including up to six concerts or recitals a year outside worship. Adding the PPL Church Licence also covers playing recorded music from CDs, streaming or licensed broadcasts.
- Is a separate church hall covered by the church licence or the community buildings tariff?
- It depends on who mainly uses it. If the hall's music use is predominantly for church-led activities, it's covered under the church licensing route. If third-party hirers predominantly use it, it's more likely to fall under the joint PPL/PRS Community Buildings tariff instead.
- Are weddings and funerals at a church licensable?
- PPL treats weddings, funerals and christenings as domestic rather than public events, so they aren't licensable under its Churches tariff. If the event is filmed and recorded music is played, the person recording it needs a separate Limited Manufacture Licence.
Want it checked or set up properly?
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Related guides
This guide is general information, not legal advice, and MLC is an independent consultancy, not affiliated with PPL PRS Ltd, PRS for Music or PPL.