Using Worship Backing Band for online services? Do you have CCLI’s Streaming Plus License?

You now need the CCLI Streaming Plus Licence to use our backing tracks for online services

With the explosion of online services in the last year, CCLI has introduced a new licence, the Streaming Plus licence to cover MultiTracks and Split Tracks. It’s an enhancement of the previous Streaming licence.

If you are using Worship Backing Band MultiTracks or Split Tracks for online services (or have done so over the last year) please do ask your church CCLI administrator to check that your church has the Streaming Plus licence.

This is a different licence to the Streaming licence that was in place the last time we reported on this in 2020.

This is a helpful guide to reporting, see also the video below. You’ll find all our MultiTracks and Split Tracks listed in the CCLI catalogue under the name Worship Backing Band.

We also ask you to provide a clickable link on your website (it doesn’t need to be anywhere prominent) to www.worshipbackingband.com in order to credit us for the tracks.

Using Worship Backing Band for Livestreaming Songs [Update]

You now need the CCLI Streaming Plus Licence to use our backing tracks for online services

With the explosion of online services in the last year, CCLI has introduced a new licence, the Streaming Plus licence to cover MultiTracks and Split Tracks. It’s an enhancement of the previous Streaming licence.

Please do ask your church CCLI administrator to check that your church has the Streaming Plus licence. This is a different licence to the Streaming licence that was in place the last time we reported on this in 2020.

This is a helpful guide to reporting, see also the video below. You’ll find all our MultiTracks and Split Tracks listed in the CCLI catalogue under the name Worship Backing Band. If you would like our unique ISRC codes for our song list please let us know.

As before we also ask you to provide a clickable link on your website (it doesn’t need to be anywhere prominent) to www.worshipbackingband.com in order to credit us for the tracks.

Using Split Tracks

Our Split Tracks whether individual download or our compilation DVDs are perfect for use in your livestreams.

Split Tracks are low cost MP4 backing tracks that come with onscreen words as well as music and vocals (most backing track providers do not include vocals which is a bit of a struggle when you are trying to lead online worship with them!)

You will therefore not need to use Easy Worship or some other method of sharing the song words when you are using Split Tracks.

All you do is load the computer that is hosting the service with the songs you want to do (you can use iTunes, VLC or any other free media player), share the screen in your streaming software (eg Zoom) and then hit play. Your song will start and your online congregation can sing along (it’s best if they are muted as none of the online platforms really cope very well with everyone singing or speaking at the same time).

You can even embed Split Tracks into Powerpoint (just Google how to embed an MP4).

Do ensure that the settings on your broadcasting platform (Zoom or similar) are set to share the computer’s audio.

Use of our tracks in real life

For use live in church you simply need a standard Church Copyright License from CCLI and you report the song use just as you would with a live band.

 

Multi-user licenses explained for Worship Backing Band

Here is how the licensing works both for the MultiTrack Player and tracks when you have more than one user.

Licensing more than one user/computer

When we sell you the MultiTrack Player and songs we are selling them to you as an individual or church generally for use on a single computer (but see “Exceptions” below). If you want to put the player and songs on an additional computer we ask that you buy an additional license for the Player and one additional license per song downloaded. You can click through to the links below to buy the licenses retrospectively:

MultiTrack PLAYER multi-user license – This is for when more than one person is downloading the Player to additional Mac/PC devices

MultiTrack TRACKS multi-user license – This is for when more than one person is accessing our MultiTracks

Split Tracks multi-user license – This is for when more than one person is accessing our Split Tracks

The principle is that you pay 50% of the normal cost of the Player and 50% of the normal cost of each song for each additional user.

You can buy the multi-user licenses at any point. So if you buy the track in January and add it to a second computer in March, just buy the license in March.

Please note that the Transition iPad player is not available at a 50% discount. This is because it is sold via the App store where we don’t have control over offering a second user discount.

Exceptions to the rule

We are happy to make an exception whereby THE SAME person uses the computer in the church as they do their personal computer for practise at home. In this instance just one license is required.

iPad users

Because of the way App store purchases (an iCloud IDs) work different users will need to purchase a new Worship Backing Band app if they are using a different iPad to yours.

If the same user has purchased both a Mac/PC Player and the iPad Player then they can use MultiTracks on both Players without further charge. A Multi-user Tracks license would be needed for a second user though. So in principle licenses are generally assigned to individuals.

Why are we charging for multiple users?

We feel that it is fair that the biggest users of the software and tracks pay the largest share. When you buy from Microsoft, you pay a fee to them based on how many computers the software is used on. When you buy songs from iTunes, you are meant to buy one song per user.

Developing our Player, recording the tracks, hosting the files, running the website etc etc have all cost many tens of thousands of pounds/dollars of investment. We’re a small independent business not funded by a ministry or some deep pocketed backer. We really do need to recoup that investment in sales of both the Player and the tracks. And without making some money we simply won’t be able to continue to offer support, develop the player and record new tracks.

The other reason that we charge for multiple use is that we pay a considerable fee to the Publishers of each song that is sold, each time it is downloaded. This is a way of ensuring that the original song writers are honoured for their work.

How do I download the Player/Songs onto multiple computers?

Each purchase comes with a number of download attempts. Use the first for the first computer then login to your account with the second computer and download there. If you run into problems please just contact us. Likewise with the song downloads. You’ll also find that with the songs once you have them downloaded into your first computer (in the Songs folder) you can save them to a memory/USB stick and transfer them to the same folder on your second computer. You can’t do this with the player though – with the player you must download directly from the website.

iPad users use download codes to get songs into their library. Click the link for more information.

What happens when I upgrade my computer?

You are welcome to transfer your license to another computer when you upgrade (please ensure that the Player and tracks are deleted from the original one though). You can follow the procedure described above for downloading. If you need to contact us for a new download link (i.e. you have used all your download attempts up on your previous computer) we will charge you a small admin fee.

 

Licensing: Do we still have to report song use to CCLI with your backing tracks?

How does licensing work for Worship Backing Band DVDs, Split Tracks and MultiTracks?

We at Worship Backing Band pay a (fairly substantial) fee to the publisher/ song writer for each song sold whether in DVD, Split Track, MultiTrack or chord chart format.

That fee covers our obligations in terms of supplying you a song that is not in public domain. For Split Tracks (and DVDs) this also includes an additional charge to cover the use of lyric display.

Does the church still need to report song use to CCLI?

Despite the fee we have paid for the use of the song, your church will also need to report song use to CCLI with Worship Backing Band tracks in just the same way as you would with a live band. So simply add the title of each song sung each week to your usual CCLI return.

Most churches already have a Church Copyright License (even if all they have done is sing with organist accompaniment in the past) but if you’ve not got one, simply contact CCLI who will be happy to help.

What about online streaming?

You need the CCLI Streaming Plus Licence to use our backing tracks for online services

Can I photocopy Worship Backing Band chord charts?

So long as your church has a photocopy license from CCLI and you report your copying of Worship Backing Band chord charts you may copy and distribute them to others in our worship team.