If we give it away on the Sovereign Grace site or my blog, feel free to copy it for your team members. MIDI files are okay, too. Thanks for asking.

Once in a while someone will forget their sheet so I’m wondering if it’s OK to copy the lead sheets at church since they are free? And what about making a simple practice midi of a song to send to the team? Is that OK, too? (I download the piano sheet and make the midi from that)

Thank you for your work for the Kingdom.

Marvin Hadenfeldt

Songs like from Tree63, Brenton Brown, Aaron Shust, Kendrick Graham but their newer songs or not-so popular song is not reproduced by an authorized music CD company, then people will turn to file-sharing softwares or don’t get their songs anyhow. Because the songs there are available easily, which thru legal website is not avaiiable. There are albums not is worth buying all the songs, only maybe 3 to 4 songs worth purchasing online (if available for developing countries).

Like albums of Chris Tomlin or Matt Redman needed 4 to 5 months before they are released locally. I have to asked my relatives from USA, Australia to buy their CDs for me, which is more costly and takes time. Like the Worship Albums of Michael W. Smith were bought by my cousin for me because they were only a year out in the stores locally.

I hope this will open up some minds of people in the music industry.

As a worship leader, wouldn’t you rather make copies instead of running to the local Christian bookstore to buy another book/CD for the new band member? It’s about convenience. When record companies start worrying about their customers instead of worrying about protecting copyrights, maybe the music industry will stop tanking.

You wrote:

Isn’t it ironic that a post on copyright law has a “probably pirated” You Tube video right in the middle of it?

Thanks for wanting to keep me honest. The original was posted by Al Yankovic on YouTube with an embed URL. I assume that means he wants others to post it on their sites. I could be wrong…I’m checking with Al, though!

I am sure Weird Al would grant you permission anyway.

Much of this comes down to the economic function of copying the songs. Copyright laws are designed as an economic protective boundary. As a CCLI songwriter, I do not mind if a worship leader posts an mp3 of our recording on their private password protected rehearsal worship page for streaming (even downloading for me, but some of my friends disagree here). Why don’t I mind? It is economically beneficial for the me, the songwriter, to waive my copyright protection in most cases.

1. CD/MP3 sales result. I cannot tell you how many times we have done a new song at NorthWood only to have people say, “Where can I get that new song?” We are even going to start posting links to itunes, etc. for each month’s songs soon. To allow a church to post the song and do it in a service generates more economic benefit for me than if they choose not to do it.

2. CCLI royalties outweigh potential individual mp3 sales revenue. Rather than standing guard over the paltry amount of money downloads a “non-top 100 but solid worship song” generates, releasing them for rehearsal usage gets the song into corporate worship where CCLI royalties kick-in.

It is NOT all about the money; please don’t hear that. But if it weren’t for money, there wouldn’t be any copyright laws after all.

This is not a license to make assumptions on behalf of other songwriters saying, “Oh I am helping them out and they really won’t care if I post it without permission.” It would just behoove most indie releases to allow the private posting of songs on rehearsal pages. Corporately labeled guys cannot do this, of course. If you cannot get permission, grab your acoustic and make a scratch track with your teaching pastor playing the congas in the background…hahaha.

You asked how many iPods you can upload your music on to. Here is what the I-tunes terms of service agreement (http://www.apple.com/legal/itunes/us/service.html) says:

1. You shall be authorized to use the Products only for personal, noncommercial use.

2. You shall be authorized to use the Products on five Apple-authorized devices at any time.

3. You shall be entitled to export, burn (if applicable) or copy Products solely for personal, noncommercial use. You shall not be entitled to burn Video Products.

4. You shall be authorized to burn an audio playlist up to seven times.

5. You shall be able to store Products from up to five different Accounts on certain devices, such as an iPod, at a time.

So, it looks like you can upload your music to all 5 of your iPods.

My only question is, how do you use 5 iPods?