CCLI’s SongSelect – Why Every Church Should Pay $179 and Get It

Here are seven reasons why every pastor should make sure their church coughs up $179 to get a 1-year subscription to SongSelect Premium from CCLI.   

CCLI are the people that give you the copyright to sing the songs and this is an extra service they offer.   

1. Because you can instantly get perfectly spelled and formatted lyrics for projecting songs on the screen or printing words in the bulletin.  No errors and consistent copyright information – can you imagine that?   

2. Because your musicians will love you for it.  This is a godsend for musicians.  They can get chord sheets, lead sheets (those things with notes – yes they have them for contemporary music), and hymn sheets for virtually every worship chorus and hymn.  Not only that but the musicians can simply choose what key to put the song in and the chord/lead/hymn sheet automatically changes.  Incredible.  Can you say "better music with less headaches?"  Can you say "organized musicians" without feeling faint?    

3. All your worship leaders, the pastoral staff, the secretary, (even all your musicians if you trust them and I suggest you do), can have access to this awesome resource online anytime.  In the old days, churches kept file cabinets of choir music and in the 90’s we all kept three-ring-binders of worship chorus chord sheets.  It was a big pain to access and it did not foster good communication among people!  So use this resource and let everyone have access to it.  The only limitation is that you can only print 200 lead sheets per year.  As long as you make it clear that only a few designated leaders can print out lead sheets, you can make a "regular musician account" for the rest of your musicians.  Do it.  Let everyone share the wealth and have access to this tool.  If you let just the "worship pastor" have access to it, you are killing the spirit and potential of other musicians.  Give as many people access to the music as possible.  Don’t you want to develop other musicians?      

4. It is a good financial investment.  In the old days, churches spent lots of money on choir music, robes, and hymnals.  Today they spend it on technology.  $179 is not bad considering the potential for better communication, better quality, increased creativity, and less stress. 

5. You can make song books.  For home groups or a retreat outdoors, you can make lyric sheets.  You are allowed to do that.  I think you are supposed to collect them at the end though but you would have to read the fine print.  You are not supposed to allow people to use your SongSelect for anything unrelated to the church where the license is from I think.

6. Lots of people on your staff will use it if you allow them to (and since you bought it and that is what it is for, let them use it!)  Let the youth pastor use it.  Let the people who plan worship use it.  The pastor will use it to look for songs that might go with the sermon.  It will be well used.  Stop using google and illegally posted song lyrics to find "that song you were thinking of."  Use SongSelect. 

7. It may help bring unity.  Having worship choruses with notes (lead sheets) and not just chord sheets will make your musicians better and will bridge connections between the young and old.  Having worship choruses arranged as hymns with four parts will also draw young and old together.  Having chord sheets for hymns will allow your guitar playing musicians to play hymns more easily. 

Conclusion:  Church musicians, worship leaders and secretaries have it hard enough and pastors have enough trouble getting along with them.  Don’t deprive them of this resource.  It will make their lives easier.

Here is the CCLI’s price list for SongSelect.  Their demo is here.  (As for me, I am impatient watching demos and just want the facts).   

See my suggestions for coordinating worship at my post entitled "How to plan and lead worship."