This post was originally published on The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Copyright Resources page on April 11, 2025.
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NFHS is proud to feature this interview. Dr. James Weaver, Director of Performing Arts and Sports, recently sat down with the Executive General Manager of School Music License, Brenna C. Horn-Cronin, to discuss the challenges music educators experience with licensing and copyright. Read on below to learn more about our partners and to learn about what discounts are available to your school.
Dr. James Weaver (JW): Brenna, thank you so much for joining me today. This is a really important topic, and I’m glad we can provide this conversation to our NFHS community. To start, can you tell us about what School Music License does?
Brenna C. Horn-Cronin (BCHC): Thank you for having me, James! We are thrilled to be partnering with NFHS. At School Music License, we work to simplify the process of music licensing for K-12 schools. Our mission is three-pronged: to empower educators to let their students shine online, support school-community engagement and licensed performances, and champion ethical music royalty practices.
Through this mission, we know that everyone wins:
- K-12 music educators can confidently stream student performances.
- The school community and beyond can engage with the incredible music students are making.
- Composers are fairly compensated for the music they contribute to students’ education.
JW: That’s wonderful! What inspired the development of School Music License?
BCHC: School Music License is a sister company to ONE LICENSE, a resource for online music licensing and permissions for congregational song. School Music License and ONE LICENSE are both owned by GIA Publications, Inc., a leading music publisher of both sacred music and music education materials.
Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, there was an increasing number of congregations seeking community and opportunity for worship through streaming their services. Alec Harris, who serves as President of GIA, ONE LICENSE, and now School Music License, knew that schools needed a similar service to showcase all of the great arts and athletic programming happening in their schools. Until School Music License existed, there was not an easy way for teachers to secure copyright licensing permissions that’s also affordable.
JW: What impact does working with School Music License have on a school district?
BCHC: Just as music touches every aspect of our lives, School Music License can be integrated into every part of a school where music is heard: the pep band at the basketball game, the band / orchestra / choir concerts held in the auditorium, the cheer squad and marching band underneath the Friday night lights, the Homecoming pep rally in the gymnasium, and more. Because our service amplifies the music of students beyond the walls of the school, we see a great opportunity for schools to celebrate and uplift their students, engage with their broader community, and fortify the arts and athletics programs that bring so much value to the human experience. By amplifying the impact of these programs, schools can create a lasting legacy of enrichment and growth for students and the community at large.
JW: What does it look like to bring School Music License to your school or district?
BCHC: School Music License is flexible and responsive to the needs of the individual school or school district it serves. The School Music License team can set up an account structure unique to each teaching situation, whether you are a Fine Arts Coordinator with several music educators at several buildings or a single music educator serving multiple buildings in a district. Purchasing a license is easy, and licenses can be held by individual schools or by the entire district.
Schools can then identify the events they would like to stream and which pieces of music will be included in that stream. License Holders report the music that they have used in streams within our system. We pride ourselves on having a service that is easy to use, and our License Holder Support Agents are always happy to help you research copyright attributions and permissions.
JW: I have heard about a new license you are planning to release soon. Can you tell us more about that?
BCHC: Absolutely! Streaming music made by live student musicians is covered under the Annual Basic License, which is available for purchase anytime a school or district would like to begin their coverage with us.
We are very excited to be approaching the launch of our Master Recording Bundle License, which is that new license you mentioned. A “Master Recording” is defined as any musical audio-only recording you obtain from a musical source, like iTunes, YouTube, Spotify, Amazon, or Apple Music. This is different from a live recording made at your school by students.
Often, Master Recordings are played at dance recitals, gymnastics performances, athletic events, as prelude music for ceremonies, among other events. The Master Recording Bundle License enables legal streaming of these events that contain Master Recordings.
The Master Recording Bundle expands the opportunity for the License Holder to stream school events extending beyond those centered around live music performance, such as a band, choir, or orchestra concert. As music connects us all in ceremony and celebration, our Master Recording Bundle enables schools to connect with their broader community.
JW: How much does it cost to hold a license?
BCHC: We provide an equitable pricing model that aligns with total school enrollment and grade level, and the vast majority of our License Holders pay less than $1 per student, per year. In many cases, it is much less than that. This means that your school is permitted to stream over 10 million titles from 9,000+ Member Publishers, all for one annual fee. I cannot tell you how much feedback we have received from teachers who previously had to purchase licenses from 5 or 6 different publishing houses at 5 or 6 different prices. Knowing that everything is included for one fee is a true game changer for the industry, and the publishers we work with appreciate us having a streamlined way to process permission licensing.
The Annual Basic License is priced based on your specific school’s enrollment and whether you are an Elementary School, K-8 / Middle / Junior High School, High School, or K-12 School.
The Master Recording Bundle is an add-on that requires the purchase of the Annual Basic License, and it is also scaled based on the enrollment and grade levels of the students served by your school. You can find pricing information for individual schools on our website, or contact us at info@schoolmusiclicense.com for a District-wide / Group License quote.
To celebrate our partnership with NFHS, we are currently offering a 10% discount to users who open an account with us using the code “NFHS10.”
JW: That’s great news! Thanks for sharing that discount code. I can see how this service would be a huge relief to many of the schools we partner with. Is there anything else you would like to share?
BCHC: We at School Music License are excited to be changing the music industry through the legal licensing of streamed and archived student performances, enabling students to shine online! We are witnessing the positive impact of bringing student performances and school events to a wider audience with License Holders from coast to coast. Learn more about our service and how you can join our mission at schoolmusiclicense.com.
Thank you for your time today, James! It was a pleasure connecting with you.
JW: Thanks to you and the team for your great work meeting the needs of music educators, athletic staff, and the composers and artists whose music they use. What an incredible bridge to bring everyone together under the same mission.
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Photo used with permission from Canva.com
