ONE LICENSE and Sheet Music – What Australian Parishes and Schools Need to Know

Music copyright calls for honesty — and a clearer understanding of what your licence actually permits.

There’s a quiet habit that’s become widespread in Australian parishes and schools, and it’s time to talk about it honestly.

A music director purchases a digital copy of sheet music — perhaps a beautiful new setting of the Mass, or an Entrance Hymn for a school liturgy. The music arrives. It’s perfect. And then, because there are twelve singers in the choir and only one copy has been paid for, the file gets duplicated and sent to every musician in the group. It takes seconds. It costs nothing extra. But it is a clear breach of copyright.

Photocopying physical scores is less common than it once was, but it still occurs in some communities — and the same principle applies. The ability to copy something, whether digitally or on the machine in the church office, has never been the same as the right to do so.

What ONE LICENSE Actually Covers

As the exclusive Australian and New Zealand representative for ONE LICENSE, Willow Publishing works closely with parishes, schools, and dioceses to help them understand what their licence actually permits.

ONE LICENSE is a wonderful resource. It gives subscribing organisations the right to reproduce lyrics and melody lines in worship aids, booklets, and projected materials — and that is genuinely valuable for preparing congregations to participate in the liturgy.

But it does not cover the reproduction of full sheet music. Specifically, ONE LICENSE does not permit the copying of keyboard accompaniments, guitar parts, or choral scores. Those formats are protected separately by the copyright held by publishers and composers, and reproducing them — even once, even for a small choir, even from a legitimately purchased original — requires a licence that ONE LICENSE simply does not provide.

Buying one copy and making twelve does not become legal because it feels practical. Technology has made copying effortless, but ease of access does not equal permission to reproduce.

Why It Matters

It’s worth pausing to consider who is affected when music is copied without authorisation.

Behind every piece of church music is a composer — often a dedicated Australian musician who has poured years of craft, faith, and creativity into their work. Publishers invest in editing, engraving, printing, and distributing that music. The licensing system exists to ensure that the people who create the music can sustain their work. When copies are made outside of a licence, that income disappears.

Sacred music publishing is a small and specialised field, and this matters enormously. The composers whose music graces your liturgy each week — whose settings of the Kyrie or the Psalm have become beloved in your community — depend on the integrity of the system that supports them.

A Practical Path Forward

Building a fully compliant music library is simpler than it might seem — and the investment is a lasting one.

Sheet music is a one-off cost. Once purchased, those copies belong to your community and can be used indefinitely. With that in mind, we encourage parishes and schools to take a strategic approach: identify your top 50 to 60 core titles — the music that forms the backbone of your liturgical life — and purchase adequate copies for every musician and singer who needs one. These sets can be stored in a dedicated, accessible location so that the right people always have what they need, when they need it.

At the same time, we encourage communities not to let their repertoire stagnate. Budget each year to add a handful of new works — fresh compositions that keep your liturgical music alive, relevant, and engaging for both musicians and congregation. The Australian sacred music landscape is rich with new voices, and there is always something worth discovering.

What You Can Do

Purchase individual copies. Most publishers, including those whose music appears in the Willow Publishing catalogue, sell individual copies of sheet music. If your choir of twelve needs twelve copies, twelve copies can be purchased. This is the right path.

Buy digital licences or printed sets. Many titles are available in formats specifically designed for ensemble use. Ask us — we can often point you toward the right option.

Contact us before you copy. If you’re unsure whether a particular use is covered, reach out to Willow Publishing. We would much rather help you find a compliant solution than see composers go uncompensated.

Reach out to ONE LICENSE directly. ONE LICENSE has a friendly and knowledgeable Help Desk team who are genuinely happy to assist with any questions about what your licence covers. Contact them at info@onelicense.net.

Explore additional licences for streaming and presentations. ONE LICENSE offers a range of licences beyond the standard subscription. If your community streams its liturgies online, or embeds sound recordings into slide presentations, there are specific licences to cover those uses and keep you fully compliant. The website www.onelicense.net provides detailed information on the various licences.

Educate your team. Music directors, principals, liturgy coordinators, and business managers don’t always know the boundaries of ONE LICENSE. Sharing this information with the people who make copying decisions in your community is one of the most practical things you can do.

An Appeal to Integrity

The communities that use sacred music are, by and large, communities of faith. They are communities that value honesty, that call their members to lives of integrity, that speak regularly about justice — including economic justice.

Copyright law is not a technicality to be navigated around. It is a framework that protects creative labour and ensures that the people who serve the Church through music can continue to do so. Honouring it is a matter of integrity, not just compliance.

If your community has been making unauthorised copies, there is no judgement here — only an invitation to do things differently going forward. The music that enriches your worship deserves to be used with the same care and reverence that you bring to the liturgy itself.

For questions about ONE LICENSE, sheet music purchasing, or copyright compliance for your parish or school, contact Willow Publishing via email at info@willowpublishing.com.au.