Last month, the Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) reached a significant milestone by distributing over $2 billion in total royalties to members, including thousands of songwriters and music publishers. The MLC reached this milestone in just over three years since the first royalty distribution in April 2021. Since then, The MLC has delivered royalty distributions each month and has grown membership to over 38,000.
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So, how do you know if you should become a member of The MLC?
The MLC is a nonprofit organization revolutionizing the way songwriters, publishers and other rightsholders are paid for their music that streams on digital platforms (like Apple Music and Spotify) in the United States. Every month, The MLC collects digital audio (streaming) mechanical royalties and data from those platforms, matches the money to the creator who has earned it, and then pays them (or their publishers and administrator partners) the royalties they are due. And membership is completely free!
If you are a songwriter and your music is streaming in the U.S., you need to make sure you are connected with The MLC to collect your streaming royalties. There are a few different ways to collect your royalties, depending on if you are independently published or if you have a publisher.
For songwriters who do not have a publisher or administrator (sometimes called a “self-administered” songwriter), you can sign up and become a member of The MLC and receive your monthly royalties directly from The MLC. If you have a publisher or administrator, they will collect your royalties for you. However, if you have a publisher or administrator but you also have some songs that are self-published, you will need to become a member of The MLC to collect the royalties for the songs you have independently published.
If you are a publisher or an administrator OR a collective management organization (CMO) operating outside the U.S., you will need to become a member in order to collect royalties for your client.
As a member of The MLC, you’ll not only receive monthly royalty distributions, but you’ll also have access to several resources and tools that help you easily manage your song data and ensure you receive all your royalties.
The Public Work Search provides access to The MLC’s registered song database, that allows anyone to search for, review, and share song data. The Claiming Tool allows members to easily search The MLC’s database for partially claimed songs and claim their shares so they can start receiving their royalties. The Works Registration Tools allow members to register songs not yet in The MLC’s database. Additionally, the Matching Tool allows members to propose matches of sound recordings to songs, ensuring accurate data for proper payment. Through these tools, The MLC supports its members in efficiently managing their royalties to maximize their earnings.
If you have any questions about becoming a member of The MLC, you can reach out to The MLC’s Support Team. Don’t miss out on your streaming royalties — connect with The MLC today!
Featured Image via The MLC
