NFDA Expands Music Licensing Program to Provide Broader Music Coverage for Funeral Services and Livestreams
Brookfield, Wis. – The National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) has expanded its longstanding music performance and livestreaming license member benefit, providing funeral homes with access to expanded coverage for funerals, memorial services, celebrations of life and livestreamed services.
For several decades, NFDA has offered members access to music performance and livestreaming licenses covering music represented by BMI, SESAC and ASCAP, collectively representing approximately 90% of commercially licensed music. Now, funeral homes can also purchase optional licenses covering music represented by Global Music Rights (GMR) and AllTrack Performing Rights, providing broader access to contemporary artists and music frequently requested by families across genres. Every piece of music played or performed by a funeral home must be in the catalog of one of the copyright organizations from which firm holds a music license; additional licensing can help funeral homes maintain compliance.
“Music is deeply personal and often central to how families remember and honor someone’s life,” said Chris Farmer, NFDA general counsel. “Funeral professionals work hard to create meaningful experiences for families, but they also need to ensure they are operating within copyright law. Expanding these licensing options gives funeral homes greater flexibility while making increasingly complex music rights requirements easier to navigate.”
NFDA’s music performance license allows funeral homes to legally perform live or recorded copyrighted music in the catalogs of its partners during funerals, memorial services and related ceremonies, whether services occur in the funeral home, a church, graveside setting, private residence or other location.
Because livestreaming music requires separate permissions under U.S. copyright law, funeral homes that stream services online need separate livestreaming coverage. NFDA offers livestreaming licenses designed specifically for funeral professionals who livestream services for families.
“Many funeral professionals may not realize that livestreaming music, playing music at offsite services or using copyrighted music in certain settings can require separate permissions,” Farmer continued. “These expanded offerings help make compliance simpler while providing broader access to the music families request most often.”
Music performance licenses are issued per funeral home location. Livestreaming licenses are issued per website. The existing BMI, SESAC and ASCAP music performance license remains available for $350 annually for 2026. Livestreaming coverage for those catalogs is available for an additional $65 annually.
New optional licenses covering the GMR and AllTrack catalogs are available for:
- Music performance licensing: $199 annually
- Livestreaming licensing: $45 annually
These licensing programs are available to members of NFDA, participating Funeral and Memorial Information Council (FAMIC) organizations and NFDA federated state associations. NFDA negotiates these rates on behalf of members and participating associations to provide funeral professionals with competitively priced licensing options designed specifically for the profession.
For more information about NFDA music licensing programs, visit NFDA.org/Music or call 262-789-1880.
NFDA is the world’s leading and largest funeral service association, serving 20,000 individual members who represent nearly 11,000 funeral homes in the United States and 49 countries around the world. NFDA is the trusted leader, beacon for ethics and the strongest advocate for the profession. NFDA is the association of choice because it offers funeral professionals comprehensive educational resources, tools to manage successful businesses, guidance to become pillars in their communities and the expertise to foster future generations of funeral professionals. NFDA is headquartered in Brookfield, Wis., and has an office in Washington, D.C. For more information, visit NFDA.org.
