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I’m Kayla. I run our small church’s live stream and slides. We average about 150 folks on Sundays, plus whoever watches online. We sing modern worship, we put lyrics on screen, and yes, we got flagged on YouTube more than once before we knew better. That sinking feeling when audio gets muted mid-chorus? I’ve felt it.

So we got the CCLI Streaming License. I’ve used it for a full year now, through Easter, Christmas, youth nights, even a rainy Sunday when the Wi-Fi hiccuped. Let me explain what worked, what didn’t, and what I wish someone told me sooner.

What It Is (Plain and Simple)

CCLI’s Streaming License lets you lawfully stream worship songs your team performs during a service. For the fine print straight from the source, see CCLI’s official Streaming License overview. It covers putting song lyrics on screen and keeping the service video on your channel after. Think YouTube, Facebook, Church Online—regular spots like that.

It’s not a magic shield. It doesn’t cover every song in the world. And it doesn’t let you play the original artist’s tracks in your stream. For that, CCLI has another add-on called Streaming Plus. You can review its terms on the official CCLI Streaming Plus License page. We tried that too later, but I’ll stick to the base license first.

How I Set It Up

• I logged into our CCLI account, picked our attendance range, and paid for the Streaming License. It was about a hundred bucks for our size. Not nothing, but less than a new mic.
• I grabbed our license numbers from the dashboard.
• I added a credits slide at the end of our ProPresenter playlist. It shows the song titles, writers, publishers, our CCLI Copyright License number, and our CCLI Streaming License number.
• In our YouTube description, I pasted the same info. I keep a little text file on my desktop so I don’t forget.

Honestly, that was it. Took me one lunch break.

Real Sundays: What Happened

On a normal week, our set looks like this:

• Great Are You Lord (All Sons & Daughters)
• Build My Life (Pat Barrett)
• Way Maker (Sinach)

We stream to YouTube and Facebook at 10 a.m. Some churches use tools like the Onstream app to schedule and simulcast, but we keep it simple. I run lower-third lyrics. After service, I open my song log and jot what we sang. I also add writers and the CCLI Song Numbers. During our reporting window, CCLI asks for these. Sometimes they auto-capture through SongSelect; sometimes I still type them. It’s not hard—just one more tiny chore next to winding cables.

Did we still get YouTube claims? Yep, here and there. Example: We used a soft pad under “Way Maker”—just a simple keyboard drone—and YouTube flagged a section. Our video stayed live. Monetization went to the publisher. We kept the service online for folks who missed it. That was the main win for us: the stream didn’t get blocked, and we weren’t guessing about legal stuff.

Christmas was the stress test. We did:

• O Come All Ye Faithful (Public Domain)
• O Holy Night (Careful—depends on the arrangement)
• Noel (Chris Tomlin)

We listed credits and marked PD where it applied. The stream played fine. I breathed again.

The Good Stuff

• Peace of mind: I stopped feeling like I was sneaking songs past the gate. That matters.
• Easy setup: Numbers go on screen and in the description. Done.
• Lyrics are covered: Lower thirds, full screen, whatever. No more “Can we show this line?” guessing.
• Large catalog: Most current worship songs we sing were covered. The big ones weren’t a problem.
• Works across platforms: We used it on YouTube and Facebook. No extra hoops there.

The Not-So-Fun Bits

• Not every song is covered: A rare hymn arrangement or a niche indie song might be outside the catalog. I learned to check early in the week.
• Original recordings are a no: If you want to play the artist’s track in your stream, the base license won’t cover it. We later added Streaming Plus for special days, especially when we needed a licensed backing track. Even then, you have to check what’s permitted.
• Claims still happen: The license doesn’t stop Content ID from pinging your video. It just lets you stream lawfully and keep it up. Sometimes the publisher takes ad revenue. That’s normal.
• Reporting takes time: It’s not hard, but it adds clicks. Think: five minutes, maybe ten, each week.

For ministries that also run a 24/7 online radio feed with prerecorded music, a blanket provider like StreamLicensing can fill the gaps a worship-only license leaves.

Tips I Wish I Had Day One

• Make a credits slide: End of service, black background, white text. Titles, writers, publishers, CCLI Song Numbers, and both your license numbers. I reuse the same slide; I just update the song lines.
• Store a “credit notes” file: I keep a simple document with our license numbers and a template. Copy, paste, done.
• Check the catalog midweek: If a new song pops up on Thursday, I search for it on SongSelect. If it’s not covered, I either swap it or ask the worship leader for a backup pick.
• Use pads you own or made: Even simple drones can trigger claims if someone else’s sample is used. Our keyboard player made custom pads. Clean and safe.
• Keep an email template ready: When someone asks, “Are we allowed to stream this?” I send a short note: “We’re covered by CCLI Streaming License, here’s our number, here’s our policy.” It calms nerves.

Who It’s For

• Small and mid churches that stream live worship
• Teams that show lyrics on screen
• Folks who want the service to stay online after Sunday

Another unexpected perk: many of the married pairs in our congregation like to debrief together once the livestream wraps up. If your couples ministry is hunting for a private, distraction-free space where husbands and wives can pray, chat, or process the sermon face-to-face, check out Instant Chat for Couples—it spins up a secure two-person video room in seconds, helping partners deepen connection without the clutter of larger social platforms.
For single adults who prefer casual, no-strings-attached socializing after Sunday’s activities, a discreet local option like Casual Sex York can introduce York-area singles to like-minded people quickly, making it easy to meet up and unwind without the expectations of traditional dating apps.

Who might need more? If you plan to play artist masters or backing tracks on your stream, look at Streaming Plus or get clearance from the track provider. If you run a concert or a non-service event, you may need different coverage. We had one community night with covers, and we used a different license for that.

A Quick, Real Example From Our Youth Night

We sang:

• Graves Into Gardens
• Goodness of God
• Tremble

I listed credits. Our stream had lower-third lyrics. No master tracks—just our band. We got one claim on the tail end of “Goodness of God.” Video stayed up. Teens rewatched it later. Parents were happy. So was I.

What I’d Change

I wish the YouTube claim process felt clearer. I know the license isn’t a force field, but a small guide in the dashboard—“Here’s what to do if your video gets flagged”—would help. Also, a faster way to confirm a song’s coverage without hunting for it would save time on busy Thursdays.

My Verdict

For our church, the CCLI Streaming License is worth it. It keeps us on the right side of things, and it made our Sunday flow calmer. I stopped holding my breath every time the chorus hit. Is it perfect? No. But it does the job well, and it’s simple to run.

Would I buy it again? Yes. And for Christmas and Easter, I add Streaming Plus if we need an approved track. One step at a time, right?

If you’re streaming worship with live vocals and band, and you show lyrics, this license feels like a basic tool—like fresh strings or charged camera batteries. Not flashy. Just needed.

You know what? That little line in our video description—“Used with permission. CCLI License #_____ | Streaming License #_____”—it’s small. But it gives our team, and our people, peace. And that’s why I keep it.