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Although most Catholic radio broadcasters include minimal music (less than 1% of the entire week), music licensing may be required. Considering the expense (especially for small Catholic radio broadcasters) and the confusing legalities and intimidating 'requirements', this Guide and Fact Sheet attempts to clarify music licensing. In addition the Catholic Radio Association (CRA) offers expert assistance with determining which music licenses would be appropriate for your station's broadcasting and streaming. CRA can also obtain discounted music licenses from ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, GMR, UPM and Sound Exchange at discounted rates. For a free consultation, contact CRA at 864-438-4801 or email [email protected]

Take your apostolate to the next level • Review branding • Review audience • Create brand promise, and more

All radio broadcasters are morally obligated and legally required to compensate copyright owners of the lyrics and notes of musical compositions (the musical works) that they broadcast. Musical compositions include incidental music (bumpers, backgrounds, intros, outros, etc) as well as feature music (music that is the principal focus of audience attention).

The following personal experience of an individual Simian user is offered as reference to those interested. It does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the staff or management at CRA. CRA does not endorse any product or company over another but provides a forum where individuals can express opinions and make informed decisions for themselves.

On July 7, 2020, Bishop Joseph Strickland begins a new weekly program on Virgin Most Powerful Radio’s podcast, Smartphone app, YouTube channel, and radio affiliates. The Bishop Strickland Hour will feature weekly commentary and reflections on the Catholic Faith from the noted Bishop, moderated by VMPR president and founder, Terry Barber.

Each of the 90-second spots begins with: ” In June 2019, a group of 5 Catholic prelates composed a declaration of truths to address ambiguous and misleading statements made by those entrusted with the teaching authority of the Catholic Church. Such statements can endanger our salvation, but the Truth will set us free. So, join RED-C Catholic Apostolate  now as we seek to  know the Truth about …”,

FirstCom Music ha introducido un nuevo descuento en la tarifa de licencia a través de su librería para estaciones de formato “talk show” de la Radio Católica. Es una funcional alternativa mas económica que una licencia general para cubrir las regulaciones, FirstCom ofrece material completo, sincronización y licencia de rendimiento para el uso de su biblioteca musical de tamaño considerable y en expansión.

¿Qué cubren la licencia CRA con descuento no comercial estándar y la licencia LPFM? Estas licencias cubren toda la música con licencia, incluidas las bibliotecas ASCAP, BMI y SESAC, durante un año calendario completo.

Outside the Walls is a weekly Catholic radio program that Explores the Foundations of Faith and the Implications of Faith on daily life. In this interview-focused show format, host TL Putnam probes current and relevant issues from a Catholic perspective.  This podcast has recently been reformatted for radio syndication with a total running time of 56 minutes.

I talk with a variety of radio station owners of noncommercial licenses and I often get the sense asking for money from their listeners is part of a foreign language.

In September 2020, we realized for the first time that SoundExchange existed and that it was the Copyright Royalty Board (CRB)-designated company which collects royalties for webcast music performances. It looked like they checked our website and realized that there was the option to “Listen Live” which they monitored and realized that we played music. They immediately contacted me with information where they explained how to register, along with other requirements and questions.

A weekly, One-Hour, Catholic Contemporary Music Program Featuring Kara Klein Oubre and Chris Price: Two 2-minute breaks; Artist Interviews with full-length bonus interviews via podcast; Weekly link delivered via email

This article is written primarily for non-technical personnel who want to understand the necessity of remote control systems without being bored to tears with all the technical mumbo jumbo.  As an engineer I cannot emphasize enough to work with your technical staff on producing a “needs” list then a quote for a remote control system, then discussing implementation.  

Catholic radio is thriving around the world, and in this edition of Catholic Conversations, you can find out how Catholic radio serves the people of Dominica in the Caribbean. Msgr. William John-Lewis, Vicar of Communications for the Diocese of Roseau, talks about their approach to radio in this developing country with a bonus a capella rendition of Ave Maria at the end!

Things are constantly changing in our tech heavy world. The computer you bought two years ago is out of date, your cell phone is most likely a thing of the past, and if you haven’t moved most of your life to the digital cloud you are behind the times. The challenge all this brings is how do we recover when something goes down.

In this conversation between Sherry Brownrigg and Joe Worthing, Joe explores the important distinctions between Development and Fundraising. This is the second video in a series of three. To access the first and third, visit Sherry’s blog.

In this third of three videos with Joe Worthing, Joe and Sherry Brownrigg discuss how effective Marketing can increase support for the Catholic radio station. To access the full Catholic Conversations archive, visit Sherry’s Blog.

Coffee & Donuts is a fusion of Faith, family & fun. John & Mary are serious Catholics who don’t take themselves too seriously. Whether it’s Faith life, family life or real life, it’s all viewed through a Catholic lens. Coffee & Donuts takes a fast-paced, fun & dynamic approach to covering a variety of topics with real-world applications. Grab a maple bar, a hot cup and join the fun!

Visual Radio (or Shareable Radio) is the term being used to define how you add video to your audio programs. This does not mean becoming a TV company, this is strictly visual radio. There are several social media avenues that fall under Visual Radio, Instagram, FaceBook Live, and YouTubeLive are a few. People use their mobile devices for everything, including watching programs, video clips, and podcasts. This is another way for radio to be where their listeners are. “Anyone who hopes to move up the ranks in radio can’t focus solely on audio anymore” (Mike Henry, Instagram Is the Rising Star of Social Media).

This presentation by John Morris of Spirit FM in Tampa was included in the 2019 Catholic Media Conference.  For questions or more information, please contact John at [email protected]