NASHVILLE, TN – The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) is accepting suggestions of Publisher candidates for its Board of Directors and Unclaimed Royalties Oversight, Dispute Resolution and Operations Advisory committees. Under the Music Modernization Act (MMA), certain governance positions at The MLC are reserved for representatives of Publishers. The terms of several Publisher seats on the Board and the organization’s advisory committees are slated to end later this year.  

Elections to determine who will fill the open Board seats will be held this summer. Board and committee members sit for three-year terms and may be re-elected. Seats are filled pursuant to The MLC’s Bylaws.

There are openings on the Board of Directors for two (2) Publisher representatives. Under The MLC’s Bylaws, a “Publisher” means a music publisher to which songwriters have assigned exclusive rights of reproduction and distribution of musical works with respect to Covered Activities. “Covered Activities” means the making of digital phonorecord deliveries of musical works, including in the form of permanent downloads, limited downloads, or interactive streams, where such activity qualifies for a compulsory license under Section 115 of the U.S. Copyright Act.

The openings on The MLC’s advisory committees are as follows:

• Two (2) Publisher seats on the Unclaimed Royalties Oversight Committee, which recommends policies and procedures to The MLC’s Board related to the distribution of unclaimed accrued royalties; 

• Two (2) Publisher seats on the Dispute Resolution Committee, which recommends policies and procedures to the Board for the processing of royalties related to works that are subject to disputes over ownership; and 

• Two (2) Publisher seats on the Operations Advisory Committee, which makes recommendations to the Board concerning the operations of The MLC, including the efficient investment in and deployment of information technology and data resources. 

The MLC’s Board of Directors and committees meet regularly, and all meetings allow for virtual participation such that travel is not generally required. Members are expected to devote sufficient time to prepare for and participate fully in all meetings. More information on The MLC’s Board of Directors and advisory committees can be found here.

Suggestions should be made no later than May 31, 2024. To suggest a candidate for a Publisher representative seat to The MLC’s Board or committees, please complete the suggestion form available here. 

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About the Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC)       

The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) was designated by the U.S. Register of Copyrights in July 2019 pursuant to the Music Modernization Act of 2018. The MLC is responsible for administering the blanket compulsory license for the use of musical works by digital music services. Since January 2021, The MLC has achieved total royalties distributed of more than $2 billion, at no cost to songwriters or music publishers.    

The MLC is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of songwriters and representatives of music publishers. For more background on The MLC and its Board and Committee members, go to www.themlc.com.  

NASHVILLE, TN – The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) announced that its total royalties distributed have now exceeded $2 billion. The MLC reached this significant milestone in just over three years since beginning full operations. The MLC has now successfully completed 36 monthly royalty distributions to date, every one of which has been on time or early. 

The MLC also announced that it filed its initial submission to the United States Copyright Office in connection with the first periodic review of the designation of The MLC and Digital Licensee Coordinator (DLC) by the Register of Copyrights. The Music Modernization Act (MMA) of 2018 requires the Register to review the designations of The MLC and DLC once every five years. The next step in this periodic review process will be a public comment period. The deadline for members of the public to submit their initial comments is May 29, 2024. As a non-profit organization committed to serving its members, The MLC has consistently sought feedback from its members throughout the first three years of its operations. The MLC looks forward to receiving additional feedback from those individuals and organizations that choose to file comments and welcomes the participation of its stakeholders in the public comment process.     

The MLC serves as the statutory mechanical licensing collective envisioned in the MMA. The MLC is responsible for administering the blanket compulsory mechanical license available to eligible streaming and download services (DSPs) in the United States that was created according to the MMA. The Register originally designated The MLC and DLC in July of 2019. 

During the initial designation process, The MLC was the only entity that met all of the criteria established by the MMA to qualify for designation to serve as the statutory mechanical licensing collective. The MMA states that the collective must be:

1. a nonprofit entity, not owned by any other entity, that is created by copyright owners to carry out its statutory responsibilities;

2. endorsed by, and receive substantial support from, musical work copyright owners that together represent the majority of the market; and

3. able to demonstrate to the Register that the entity has the administrative and technological capabilities necessary to carry out a wide array of responsibilities associated with administering the blanket license.

As part of its initial submission in the current periodic review of designation process, The MLC stated that it has once again successfully met each of these criteria in its first three years of operation. The MLC maintains its status as a nonprofit organization, which is funded entirely by DSPs at no cost to songwriters or music publishers. Additionally, The MLC has received endorsements from owners of musical copyrights representing the overwhelming majority of the market. Finally, The MLC has demonstrated that it possesses the administrative and technological capabilities necessary to carry out all of its responsibilities under the MMA, including enabling more than 50 DSPs to secure the compulsory blanket license, establishing a public database of musical works ownership data that now contains data for more than 35 million songs, conducting extensive outreach and educational activities that have enabled The MLC to enroll more than 38,000 members based throughout the United States and around the world, and building a royalty distribution process that has enabled The MLC to complete 36 on-time monthly royalty distributions and achieve total royalties distributed of more than $2 billion. 

“We welcome this periodic review of The MLC’s designation as required by the MMA and view this as yet another valuable opportunity to surface feedback from the members we serve,” says The MLC’s CEO, Kris Ahrend. “We are proud of the many milestones we have achieved since launching The MLC’s full operations, particularly the milestone of exceeding $2 billion in total royalties distributed. Our team has worked incredibly hard to realize the revolutionary vision Congress set out in the Music Modernization Act. We are committed to continuing to improve upon the successes we have achieved to date, in order to serve our members even better over the next five years.” 

In addition to the accomplishments highlighted above, The MLC has matched over 90% of the mechanical royalties it has received to musical works in its public database, and The MLC has effectively illuminated the “black box” for digital audio mechanicals by giving members the ability to search all of its data for the remaining unmatched royalties and propose matches of those unmatched royalties to the works they have registered using The MLC’s Matching Tool. The MLC’s public database search tool allows anyone to search the ownership data The MLC has compiled for the more than 35 million works, completely free of charge. The MLC also has a world-class support team that provides live, one-on-one support to its members and prospective members 10 hours a day, five days a week, via phone, e-mail or chat. 

While the blanket license The MLC administers is only available to eligible services operating in the United States, The MLC is charged with finding and paying rightsholders wherever in the world they are located. To do that, The MLC has established membership connections with more than 100 collective management organizations (CMOs) around the world that represent songwriters and publishers located in nearly 130 countries. Rightsholders based outside the United States have registered more than 10 million works in The MLC’s database, accounting for nearly one-third of the works in the database.  

The public can file comments on The MLC’s and DLC’s submissions by May 29, 2024, and can reply to other initial public comments by June 28, 2024. The MLC and DLC will have the ability to file replies to the comments by July 29, 2024.  For more information about the periodic review process or to learn how to submit comments, please click here. 

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About the Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC)     

The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) was designated by the U.S. Register of Copyrights in July 2019 pursuant to the Music Modernization Act of 2018. The MLC is responsible for administering the blanket compulsory license for the use of musical works by digital music services. Since January 2021, The MLC has achieved total royalties distributed of more than $2 billion, at no cost to songwriters or music publishers.  

The MLC is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of songwriters and representatives of music publishers. For more background on The MLC and its Board and Committee members, go to www.TheMLC.com.   

NASHVILLE, TN – The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) announced six appointments to the organization’s advisory committees, including three appointments to the Dispute Resolution Committee, one appointment to the Operations Advisory Committee and two appointments to the Unclaimed Royalties Oversight Committee. 

Dispute Resolution Committee

Songwriter, David “DQ” Quiñones, has been appointed to the Dispute Resolution Committee, to fill a songwriter seat. Quiñones attended Shenandoah Conservatory for music education and opera studies before attending Berklee College of Music where he studied music production and engineering. He has an extensive studio resume in vocal production and arrangements and has written most notably for Beyoncé, BTS, Brandy, The Pussycat Dolls, Enrique Iglesias and Nicki Minaj. 

Consuelo Sayago (Industry Relations Advisor at Spirit Music Group) has been appointed to the Dispute Resolution Committee. Sayago is a seasoned music industry professional who has dedicated her career to championing the rights of creators. With a background in contract administration at BMI and EMI and most recently serving as Vice President, Global Administration at Spirit Music, she has played a pivotal role in working with CMOs worldwide to form equitable standards and alliances.

Matthew Skiba (Vice President, Rights and Content at Vydia) has been appointed to the Dispute Resolution Committee. Skiba brings a wealth of knowledge to the committee from his role at Vydia, where he’s held positions in digital rights management. Previously, Skiba worked in publishing administration and infringement claims at The Royalty Network, Inc., managing settlement agreements for mechanical and sync infringements.

The Dispute Resolution Committee makes recommendations to the Board on policies and procedures for the processing of royalties related to works that are subject to disputes over ownership and is comprised of five songwriters and five representatives of music publishers.

Operations Advisory Committee

Lidia Kim (Vice President, Legal and Business Affairs at Concord Music Publishing) has been appointed to the Operations Advisory Committee. Leveraging a rich background in the legal industry, Lidia oversees the digital business and legal affairs for Concord Music Publishing, advising company executives and internal departments on global digital and catalog matters, and managing the global digital licensing network, DSP relations and mass copyright litigation and other new media rights enforcement matters. Her expertise extends to managing business affairs as well as drafting and negotiating agreements with both emerging and established talents, including artists, songwriters and contemporary classical composers.

As described in the Music Modernization Act of 2018, The MLC’s Operations Advisory Committee makes recommendations to the Board on policies and procedures related to the operations of the Collective, including the efficient investment in and deployment of information technology and data resources. It is comprised of six representatives of music publishers and six representatives of digital music providers.

Unclaimed Royalties Oversight Committee

Songwriter, “Bruce” Waynne Nugent, has been appointed to the Unclaimed Royalties Oversight Committee, filling one of the five songwriter seats. With over two decades of experience in the music industry, working at the intersection of entertainment and technology, Nugent brings a vast array of knowledge in music production and A&R, co-producing for artists like Frank Ocean, Justin Bieber and Nelly. 

Dale Esworthy (Executive Vice President, Worldwide Administration at Sony Music Publishing), who previously held a position on the Operations Advisory Committee has also been appointed to the Unclaimed Royalties Oversight Committee. In his position, Esworthy manages all administration operations for the company across its network of 38 offices in 24 countries, including copyright, royalty administration, tracking and other client services.

The Unclaimed Royalties Oversight Committee recommends policies and procedures to The MLC’s Board related to the distribution of unclaimed accrued royalties and is comprised of five songwriters and five representatives of music publishers.

Committee appointments are for three-year terms. Alisa Coleman, Board Chair states: “The MLC Board and its nominating committee appreciate all the submissions by writers and publishers who want to do their part by working with The MLC on these important committees. In reviewing and interviewing the many applicants, the Board has chosen those who we believe will best contribute to the diversity and knowledge of the existing committees.” 

More information on The MLC’s Board of Directors and three advisory committees can be found here.
 

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About the Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC)    

The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) was designated by the U.S. Register of Copyrights in July 2019 pursuant to the Music Modernization Act of 2018. The MLC is responsible for administering the blanket compulsory license for the use of musical works by digital music services. Since January 2021, The MLC has processed and distributed mechanical royalties from streaming in the U.S. at no cost to songwriters or music publishers.    

    
The MLC is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of songwriters and representatives of music publishers. For more background on The MLC and its Board and Committee members, go to www.TheMLC.com.  

The Mechanical Licensing Collective Brings Legal Action for Unpaid Royalties Against Pandora Media, LLC

Complaint asserts Pandora has underpaid The MLC for multiple years of royalties due under the compulsory mechanical blanket license. 

NASHVILLE, TN – The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) announced today that it has filed a legal action against music streaming platform Pandora Media, LLC (Pandora) in the United States District Court located in Nashville. The action seeks recovery of unpaid royalties and late fees due under the compulsory mechanical blanket license obtained by Pandora to reproduce and distribute musical works in the United States via its consumer music streaming platform. 

The MLC was appointed by the Register of Copyrights to administer the blanket license and is the only entity authorized to collect and distribute the license royalties and enforce the license obligations on behalf of rightsholders. The action asserts that Pandora has underreported and underpaid mechanical royalties due in connection with the operation of its ad-supported music streaming offering marketed as “Pandora Free.” The action further explains that Pandora Free is an interactive service under the law, meaning that mechanical royalties are due for all streaming activity on the service, yet Pandora has only reported a portion of the activity on Pandora Free and refused to report and pay mechanical royalties for the rest of the activity.  

“The MLC has worked closely and tirelessly with blanket licensees to ensure their compliance with the compulsory license terms. Our team repeatedly sought to resolve this issue directly with Pandora, but Pandora has refused to correct their reporting or royalty payments,” says The MLC’s CEO, Kris Ahrend. “The MLC is the only entity that has the statutory authority under the Music Modernization Act to take legal steps to enforce the obligations of streaming services. We have brought this action to ensure that our Members receive all the mechanical royalties they are due in connection with the use of their songs by Pandora on the Pandora Free service.”

The MLC seeks corrected usage reporting and associated unpaid royalties and late fees for periods dating back to January 1, 2021, along with an order requiring compliance going forward. A copy of the complaint can be found here.

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About the Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC)    

The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) was designated by the U.S. Register of Copyrights in July 2019 pursuant to the Music Modernization Act of 2018. The MLC is responsible for administering the blanket compulsory license for the use of musical works by digital music services. Since January 2021, The MLC has processed and distributed mechanical royalties from streaming in the U.S. at no cost to songwriters or music publishers.    

    
The MLC is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of songwriters and representatives of music publishers. For more background on The MLC and its Board and Committee members, go to www.TheMLC.com.  

The Register of Copyrights Begins Periodic Review of the Designation of The MLC and DLC

In accordance with the Music Modernization Act, the Register must review the designation of The MLC and DLC every five years, beginning in 2024. 

NASHVILLE, TN – The Register of Copyrights has begun the periodic review of the designation of the Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) and the Digital Licensee Coordinator (DLC). The MLC serves as the statutory collective established under the Music Modernization Act (MMA) of 2018 to administer the blanket compulsory mechanical license available to eligible streaming and download services (DSPs) in the United States. The DLC, also established under the MMA, serves as the representative of DSPs in matters related to the administration of the blanket license. The Register originally designated The MLC and DLC in 2019.

The MMA requires the Register to initiate the periodic review of designation of The MLC and DLC by publishing a notice in the Federal Register. A notice has been published in the Federal Register and will be published every five years in January, beginning this year.

During the initial designation process in 2019, The MLC was the only entity that met all of the criteria established by the MMA to qualify for the designation. This year, in the fourth year of operations, The MLC has distributed nearly $1.7 billion in royalties since the first royalty distribution in April 2021. Since then, The MLC has continued to distribute monthly royalty distributions, all of which have been on time or early.

“We welcome the announcement of the Register of Copyrights commencing the first review of The MLC’s designation as required by the MMA,” says The MLC’s CEO, Kris Ahrend. “We are confident that this review will confirm that The MLC continues to meet all of the criteria set out in the MMA, while affording us the opportunity to highlight the many successes our team and our stakeholders have achieved since launching The MLC’s full operations.”

The Register allows The MLC and DLC to file a submission supporting the ongoing designation of each entity by April 1, 2024. The public can file comments on The MLC’s and DLC’s submissions by May 29, 2024, and can reply to other initial public comments by June 28, 2024. The MLC and DLC will have the ability to file replies to the comments by July 28, 2024.  

The Register is authorized to conduct additional proceedings as appropriate. The Register can continue the designation of The MLC or DLC or make a new designation of either entity. However, it cannot change the provisions of the MMA, the structure of governance that is set forth in the MMA, or the blanket license royalty rates or terms. After concluding the proceedings, the Register will publish a decision in the Federal Register together with the reasons for such decision.

For more information, visit www.themlc.com/designation. 

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About the Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC)    

The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) was designated by the U.S. Register of Copyrights in July 2019 pursuant to the Music Modernization Act of 2018. The MLC is responsible for administering the blanket compulsory license for the use of musical works by digital music services. Since January 2021, The MLC has processed and distributed mechanical royalties from streaming in the U.S. at no cost to songwriters or music publishers.    

    
The MLC is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of songwriters and representatives of music publishers. For more background on The MLC and its Board and Committee members, go to www.TheMLC.com.  

The MLC Issues Notices of Intent to Audit Digital Service Providers, Verifying the Accuracy of Royalty Payments to The MLC 

Exercising a key right granted by the Music Modernization Act, The MLC issues notices of intent to preserve its right to audit digital services. 

NASHVILLE, TN – The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) has issued notices of intent to conduct audits of Digital Service Providers (DSPs) that started operating under the compulsory blanket license administered by The MLC in 2021. The audit period noticed includes usage under the blanket license that occurred between January 1, 2021 and December 31, 2023, the first three years of The MLC’s full operations.

By sending audit notices to both the United States Copyright Office and DSPs, The MLC is exercising a key right granted by Congress in the landmark Music Modernization Act (MMA). This right enables The MLC to conduct audits of DSPs operating under the blanket license to ensure the DSPs have accurately reported and paid royalties. 

Conducting audits represents an additional way that The MLC can ensure the accuracy of the usage reports and royalty payments submitted by DSPs. The MLC already takes a number of steps to ensure the DSPs report accurately, including scrutinizing the monthly usage reports provided by DSPs via automated and manual reviews. The MLC also utilizes the records of use process established by the U.S. Copyright Office’s regulations to further examine specific aspects of DSP usage reporting.

Members of The MLC will not bear any of the audit costs; these will be covered by The MLC’s operational budget, which is funded by DSPs at no cost to songwriters or music publishers under the MMA. Should an audit reveal an underpayment of any amount, The MLC will distribute the full amount of any recovery to the impacted rightsholders, without deducting any audit costs or fees. 

“Ensuring DSPs have reported royalties accurately is one of The MLC’s statutory responsibilities under the MMA,” says Kris Ahrend, Chief Executive Officer of The MLC. “The MLC has tapped music industry audit veteran, Jane Bushmaker, a member of The MLC’s Analytics & Automation team, to oversee DSP audits, which will be conducted by experienced outside audit firms,” he continues. 

Alisa Coleman, Chair of the Board of Directors of The MLC says, “The MLC’s audit right is a first in the 115-year history of the U.S. compulsory mechanical license and provides enhanced protection for songwriters and music publishers. The audit notices filed by The MLC mark the beginning of its fulfillment of this important function.” 

The MLC has sent audit notices to the following DSPs: 

The MLC will update Members on the results of any DSP audits The MLC conducts and will clearly identify any monies recovered in audits on the royalty statements it provides to Members. For more information, visit www.themlc.com/dsp-audits. 

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About the Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC)   

The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) was designated by the U.S. Register of Copyrights in July 2019 pursuant to the Music Modernization Act of 2018. The MLC is responsible for administering the blanket compulsory license for the use of musical works by digital music services. Since January 2021, The MLC has processed and distributed mechanical royalties from streaming in the U.S. at no cost to songwriters or music publishers.   

   
The MLC is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of songwriters and representatives of music publishers. For more background on The MLC and its Board and Committee members, go to www.TheMLC.com. 

The MLC to collaborate with five complementary service providers to enhance existing data matching processes. 

NASHVILLE, TN – The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) announces a new Supplemental Matching Network initially consisting of five companies that will provide data matching services to complement and enhance The MLC’s existing matching processes and capabilities.

The services offered by the participating vendors will supplement The MLC's existing internal capabilities, as well as the services already being provided by The MLC's existing vendors. The MLC may adjust the scope of services in the Supplemental Matching Network as needed to meet future and evolving needs, including engaging additional vendors in the future if appropriate.  

The MLC’s Supplemental Matching Network will initially include Blokur, Jaxsta, Pex, Salt and SX Works, a SoundExchange company. To select these vendors, The MLC completed an assessment that included both qualitative evaluations through a Request for Information and subsequent quantitative testing through pilot programs. This comprehensive selection process aligned with the approach The MLC has employed when evaluating other strategic vendors. 

“We conducted an extensive due diligence process to select the initial set of vendors for our Supplemental Matching Network,” says Andrew Mitchell, Head of Analytics & Automation at The MLC. “These vendors bring complementary technologies and capabilities that can be effectively leveraged to serve our members. This network reflects our ongoing commitment to evolve in innovative ways to best achieve The MLC’s mission.” 

For more information about The MLC, visit www.themlc.com.  

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About the Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC)   

The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) was designated by the U.S. Register of Copyrights in July 2019 pursuant to the Music Modernization Act of 2018. The MLC is responsible for administering the blanket compulsory license for the use of musical works by digital music services. As of January 2021, mechanical royalties from streaming in the U.S. are processed and distributed by The MLC at no cost to songwriters or music publishers.   

   
The MLC is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of songwriters and representatives of music publishers. For more background on The MLC and its Board and Committee members, go to www.TheMLC.com. 

About Blokur

Blokur is a music data and licensing platform that works with music rights owners and online platforms to connect the world’s music to online experiences. Blokur’s platform is built on data matching and rights identification technology designed to get rightsholders paid accurately and makes it easier for digital platforms to unlock the power of music. For more information, visit www.blokur.com. 

About Jaxsta 

Jaxsta is a large database of music credits that are sourced from the official owners of that data, such as record labels, distributors, publishers and industry associations. Jaxsta’s work recording matching service for PROs, MROs, CMOs and publishers provides matching of musical recordings to the underlying works and is designed to assist in the collection, payment and reconciliation of mechanical, performance and sync royalties. For more information, visit www.jaxsta.com. 

About Pex

Pex specializes in content identification and UGC data powering copyright compliance. Pex’s music recognition technology (MRT) is designed to identify works at scale, including modified audio, live versions and cover versions, so rightsholders can capitalize on all of the content they own. For more information, visit www.pex.com.

About Salt 

Salt is a digital-era royalties platform for music societies, streamlining disjointed music rights and royalty systems into one global network. Salt processes usage, matches ownership and calculates distributions, providing societies with matching and royalty–processing infrastructure. For more information, visit www.saltmusic.io. 

About SX Works Global Publisher Services

SX Works Global Publisher Services, a SoundExchange company, provides administration solutions to music publishers, self-published songwriters and organizations who own, represent and/or engage with music to manage their repertoire across the music ecosystem. SX Works’ team and technology provides partners with access to metadata designed to ensure that musical works can be accurately licensed, identified and paid for their usage. For more information, visit www.sx-works.com. 

NASHVILLE, TN – The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) has released a comprehensive toolkit, prepared by The MLC’s Educational Partnerships team, tailored to assist legal advisors and members of the music publishing community, including music publishers, songwriters, composers and lyricists, in finding answers to their frequently asked questions pertaining to The MLC. The MLC’s Lawyer Toolkit, and the website page where it is accessed from, brings together helpful information and organizes it in a way to provide legal advisors with the knowledge and tools they need to navigate the world of mechanical licensing and royalties efficiently. 

Key features of The MLC’s Lawyer Toolkit include:  

• Becoming a Member of The MLC: A guide for legal advisors and their clients on who should become a Member of The MLC and how to become a Member of The MLC. 

• Royalty Distribution Timeline: A timeline that details The MLC's royalty distribution process, ensuring legal advisors can advise their clients on when to expect their royalties. 

• Catalog Transfers: Information about how to access the procedures for catalog transfers, streamlining the process for legal advisors and their clients. 

• Member Tools: An overview of the comprehensive tools available to members of The MLC, enabling legal advisors to help their clients maximize their benefits. 

The purpose of these materials is to provide general information about The MLC and is not intended to provide legal advice. Nothing contained within the materials should be construed as legal advice. 

For more information and to access The MLC’s Lawyer Toolkit, click here.  

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About the Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC)    

The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) was designated by the U.S. Register of Copyrights in July 2019 pursuant to the Music Modernization Act of 2018. The MLC is responsible for administering the blanket compulsory license for the use of musical works by digital music services. As of January 2021, mechanical royalties from streaming in the U.S. are processed and distributed by The MLC at no cost to songwriters or music publishers.    

    
The MLC is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of songwriters and representatives of music publishers. For more background on The MLC and its Board and Committee members, go to www.TheMLC.com. 

NASHVILLE, TN – The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) held its third Annual Membership Meeting last week, sharing key metrics from the last year and announcing the result of the Class B Board of Directors election and the selection of two songwriter Board Members. Two current members of The MLC Board of Directors will serve a second three-year term on the Board. Their initial terms were slated to end this month. Additionally, one new member was selected for a three-year term, filling a vacant songwriter seat.  

In the past two and a half years since launching full operations, The MLC has met every milestone set by Congress in the Music Modernization Act and successfully distributed over $1.5 billion in royalties. The MLC has also effectively illuminated the “black box” for digital audio mechanicals by giving members the ability to search all the unmatched data and propose matches for their works using The MLC’s Matching Tool. To date, The MLC has received and approved more than 1 million proposed matches submitted by members through the Matching Tool. The suite of member tools developed by The MLC are as effective for the smallest creator as they are for large publishers and administrators. Highlights shared during the meeting by members of The MLC’s leadership team included the following key metrics:  

• The MLC has distributed more than $1.5 billion in royalties. As of the September distribution, The MLC has directly distributed over $1.3 billion in blanket royalties and over $160 million in royalties (when valued at the statutory rates used by The MLC) processed by The MLC but paid by DSPs pursuant to voluntary licenses.  

• The MLC’s current match rate for all royalties processed through October’s royalty distribution is 90 percent.  

• The MLC now has more than 32,000 Members, having added more than 9,000 to date in 2023.  

• The MLC has more than 33 million works in its public database, with data for over 3 million new works added in 2023 alone.  

• The MLC has completed 31 monthly royalty distributions to date, every one of which has been completed on time or early.  

“We are proud of these accomplishments, particularly in reaching the milestone of distributing over $1.5 billion in royalties,” says The MLC’s CEO, Kris Ahrend. “We have effectively illuminated the black box by empowering our members with several tools that enable them to take actions intended to eliminate the black box. We look forward to continuing our work to fulfill our mission of ensuring songwriters, composers, lyricists and music publishers receive their mechanical royalties from streaming & download services in the United States accurately and on time.” 

During the meeting, the result of The MLC’s recent Class B Board Seat election was announced. Alisa Coleman was re-elected by The MLC’s Class B Members to serve on The MLC’s Board of Directors for a second three-year term. The MLC’s Class A Members selected Troy Verges to fill the open seat as a Songwriter Director of the Board, which was previously held by Craig Wiseman, whose initial term expired this year. Additionally, the Class A Members selected Kevin Kadish to serve a second three-year term as a Songwriter Director of the Board. 

Finally, The MLC announced that the make-up of the Class C Members will not change in 2024. More information on The MLC’s Board of Directors and Advisory Committees can be found here.  

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About the Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC)    

The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) was designated by the U.S. Register of Copyrights in July 2019 pursuant to the Music Modernization Act of 2018. The MLC is responsible for administering the blanket compulsory license for the use of musical works by digital music services. As of January 2021, mechanical royalties from streaming in the U.S. are processed and paid out by The MLC at no cost to songwriters or music publishers.    

    
The MLC is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of songwriters and representatives of music publishers. For more background on The MLC and its Board and Committee members, go to www.TheMLC.com.  

NASHVILLE, TN – The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) is accepting suggestions of songwriter candidates for its Board of Directors and Unclaimed Royalties Oversight and Dispute Resolution committees.  

Under the Music Modernization Act of 2018 (MMA), certain governance positions at The MLC are reserved for representatives of songwriters. The terms of several songwriter seats on the Board and the organization’s advisory committees are slated to end later this year.   

These include the following seats:  

• Two (2) songwriter seats on the Board of Directors; 

• Two (2) songwriter seats on the Dispute Resolution Committee, which recommends policies and procedures to the Board for the processing of royalties related to works that are subject to disputes over ownership; and 

• Two (2) songwriter seats on the Unclaimed Royalties Oversight Committee, which recommends policies and procedures to The MLC’s Board related to the distribution of unclaimed accrued royalties. 

The MLC will submit all recommendations it receives to the Board’s Songwriter Nominating Committee for consideration. Board and committee members sit for three-year terms and may be re-elected. Seats are filled pursuant to The MLC’s Bylaws.  

The MLC’s Board of Directors and committees meet regularly and all meetings allow for virtual participation such that travel is not generally required. Members are expected to devote sufficient time to prepare for and participate fully in all meetings. Candidates for the Board of Directors must be professional songwriters who retain and license mechanical rights for songs they have written. More information on The MLC’s Board of Directors and advisory committees can be found here.  

Suggestions should be made no later than July 31, 2023. To suggest a candidate for a songwriter representative seat to The MLC’s Board or committees, please complete the suggestion form available here.  

# # #   

About The Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC)   

The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) was designated by the U.S. Register of Copyrights in July 2019 pursuant to the Music Modernization Act of 2018. The MLC is responsible for administering the new blanket compulsory license for the use of musical works by digital music services. As of January 2021, mechanical royalties from streaming in the U.S. will be processed and paid out by The MLC at no cost to songwriters or music publishers.   

   
The MLC is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of songwriters and representatives of music publishers. For more background on The MLC and its Board and Committee members, go to www.TheMLC.com.   

NASHVILLE, TN – In celebration of Black Music Month, the Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) showcases talented emerging and established Black songwriters in the upcoming panel, The MLC Presents: The Writer Behind the Song (Black Music Month Edition) and dynamic workshop, From Beat to Bank: Dissecting the Flow of Digital Music Royalties. Both events serve as platforms for education and empowerment by magnifying Black voices and providing invaluable resources to creators. The MLC aims to foster a thriving environment where Black artists and creators can flourish, achieve recognition and receive rightful compensation for their contributions to the music industry.  

The MLC Presents: The Writer Behind the Song (Black Music Month Edition) is a synergetic panel discussion that dives into the creative process of Black music creators, engaging in dialogue about their musical craft, career paths and personal journeys. Moderated by Janishia Jones, CEO of Fresh ‘N Sassy Productions, the panel boasts an array of diverse speakers which include music artist and Head of Community at ZORA, Latashá, artist, songwriter and creator, Stephanie Jacques, and multiplatinum Grammy-nominated songwriter and CEO of The Mezzo Agency, Tami LaTrell. The panel will take place on June 7 at 3 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. CT / 12 p.m. PT. Tune in by registering here. 

From Beat to Bank: Dissecting the Flow of Digital Music Royalties is an interactive workshop specifically designed for aspiring Hip-Hop and R&B music creators. Presented by The MLC and Not Just Country Music and led by Dae Bogan, Head of Third-Party Partnerships at The MLC, the workshop will take creators through a crash course demystifying the intricate world of music rights, income entitlements, publishing administration and the distribution of U.S. digital music royalties. Through a series of individual and group simulations, participants will delve into various facets of the industry including contribution and credit tracking, negotiation of splits, the impact of samples on copyrights and royalties, work registrations and the process of claiming royalty shares. Participants will gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of how song and recording contributions translate into royalty payments from The MLC and other organizations. The workshop will take place at The MLC’s office in Nashville on June 22 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. CT. Tune in by registering here. 

# # #    

About The Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC)   

The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) was designated by the U.S. Register of Copyrights in July 2019 pursuant to the Music Modernization Act of 2018. The MLC is responsible for administering the new blanket compulsory license for the use of musical works by digital music services. As of January 2021, mechanical royalties from streaming in the U.S. will be processed and paid out by The MLC at no cost to songwriters or music publishers.   

   
The MLC is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of songwriters and representatives of music publishers. For more background on The MLC and its Board and Committee members, go to www.TheMLC.com.   

NASHVILLE, TN – The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) unites Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) music creators and industry professionals in an interactive roundtable, in celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, which is recognized during the month of May. 

The virtual roundtable, moderated by Amy Lui, Music Tech & Industry Studies Instructor at Francis Polytechnic High School and contributor at Asian American Collective, will offer insightful panel discussions regarding the diverse experiences of music creators and industry professionals, examining how their cultural backgrounds have influenced their work in the industry. Panelists include singer-songwriters, Alana Rich, Casper Sun, Chloe Duvall, Dondi Iannucci and Faith Rivera, alongside industry professionals, Grace Lee, Creative Consultant and Co-Founder of Asian American Collective, Michèle Vice-Maslin, Emmy Award-winning music producer, songwriter, and publisher, and Soy Kim, Creator Product Marketing at Spotify and a renowned Korean cultural expert. Each panelist brings a unique perspective and experience to the table, making for diverse and insightful discussions surrounding the ways in which their upbringing, identity, and community has contributed to their journeys and work in the U.S. music industry. The roundtable will take place on Wednesday, May 24 at 3 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. CT / 12 p.m. PT. Tune in by registering here.
 

# # #  

About The Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC) 

The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) was designated by the U.S. Register of Copyrights in July 2019 pursuant to the Music Modernization Act of 2018. The MLC is responsible for administering the new blanket compulsory license for the use of musical works by digital music services. As of January 2021, mechanical royalties from streaming in the U.S. will be processed and paid out by The MLC at no cost to songwriters or music publishers. 

 
The MLC is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of songwriters and representatives of music publishers. For more background on The MLC and its Board and Committee members, go to www.TheMLC.com. 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – April 24, 2023  

CONTACT: Liz Mayo 

The MLC Seeking Suggestions for Board of Directors and 

Advisory Committee Candidates

NASHVILLE, TN – The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) is accepting suggestions of Publisher candidates for its Board of Directors and Unclaimed Royalties Oversight, Dispute Resolution and Operations Advisory committees.

Under the Music Modernization Act of 2018 (MMA), certain governance positions at The MLC are reserved for representatives of Publishers. The terms of several Publisher seats on the Board and the organization’s advisory committees are slated to end later this year. 

The MLC will submit all recommendations it receives to the Board’s Publisher Nominating Committee for consideration. Elections to determine who will fill the open Board seats will be held this summer. Board and committee members sit for three-year terms and may be re-elected. Seats are filled pursuant to The MLC’s Bylaws.

There is an opening on the Board of Directors for one (1) Publisher representative. Under The MLC’s Bylaws, a 

“Publisher” means a music publisher to which songwriters have assigned exclusive rights of reproduction and distribution of musical works with respect to Covered Activities. 

“Covered Activities” means the making of digital phonorecord deliveries of musical works,     including in the form of permanent downloads, limited downloads, or interactive streams,     where such activity qualifies for a compulsory license under Section 115 of the U.S. Copyright     Act.

The openings on The MLC’s advisory committees are as follows:

One (1) Publisher seat on the Unclaimed Royalties Oversight Committee, which recommends policies and procedures to The MLC’s Board related to the distribution of unclaimed accrued royalties;

Two (2) Publisher seats on the Dispute Resolution Committee, which recommends policies and procedures to the Board for the processing of royalties related to works that are subject to disputes over ownership; and

Two (2) Publisher seats on the Operations Advisory Committee, which makes recommendations to the Board concerning the operations of The MLC, including the efficient investment in and deployment of information technology and data resources.

The MLC’s Board of Directors and committees meet regularly, and all meetings allow for virtual participation such that travel is not generally required. Members are expected to devote sufficient time to prepare for and participate fully in all meetings. More information on The MLC’s Board of Directors and advisory committees can be found here.

Suggestions should be made no later than May 24, 2023. To suggest a candidate for a Publisher representative seat to The MLC’s Board or committees, please complete the suggestion form available here.

# # #  

About The Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC) 

The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) was designated by the U.S. Register of Copyrights in July 2019 pursuant to the Music Modernization Act of 2018. The MLC is responsible for administering the new blanket compulsory license for the use of musical works by digital music services. As of January 2021, mechanical royalties from streaming in the U.S. will be processed and paid out by The MLC at no cost to songwriters or music publishers. 

 
The MLC is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of songwriters and representatives of music publishers. For more background on The MLC and its Board and Committee members, go to www.TheMLC.com. 

NASHVILLE, TN – The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) and rights management organization, Rights Made Easy (RME), prepare to host a new webinar called Beats & Money: A Music Rights and Royalties Crash Course for Beatmakers. With more beatmakers creating and distributing beats into the global music ecosystem than ever before, this free webinar will serve as a discussion on the rights and royalties of a beatmaker, detailing how to properly administer music to collect digital music royalties.  

Hosted by Dae Bogan, Head of Third-Party Partnerships at The MLC, and Chris McMurtry, VP of Product at Pex and Head of RME, Beats & Money: A Music Rights and Royalties Crash Course for Beatmakers will explore today’s musical landscape and dive into the rights that beatmakers are entitled to.  

The webinar will take place on Wednesday, April 12 at 3pm ET / 2pm CT / 12pm PT. Tune in by registering here.  
 

# # #  

About The Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC) 

The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) was designated by the U.S. Register of Copyrights in July 2019 pursuant to the Music Modernization Act of 2018. The MLC is responsible for administering the new blanket compulsory license for the use of musical works by digital music services. As of January 2021, mechanical royalties from streaming in the U.S. will be processed and paid out by The MLC at no cost to songwriters or music publishers. 

 
The MLC is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of songwriters and representatives of music publishers. For more background on The MLC and its Board and Committee members, go to www.TheMLC.com. 

NASHVILLE, TN – The MLC has created a suite of tools that allows its Members to easily manage their song data. Learning how to use these tools effectively is one of the best ways Members can play their part and ensure they receive all their digital audio mechanical royalties for streaming. To help rightsholders learn more about these tools and how to use them, The MLC is hosting a new series of webinars in February and March that will demonstrate how to use these tools to register new songs, claim shares of songs already registered and propose matches of sound recording uses to the songs they have registered. Each webinar will be led by The MLC’s Head of Customer Experience, Lindsey Major.

“The creation of The MLC’s Member Tools is a key part of fulfilling our mission to serve rightsholders,” explains Major. “We have built a set of tools that makes it easy to manage song data so creators can ensure they are collecting all their streaming royalties. This new webinar series offers a look inside the tools needed to make that happen.”

The MLC regularly presents online educational events as part of its mission, offering more than 300 webinars to date. This series of webinars are held at 9 a.m. PT/11 a.m. CT/noon ET and can be accessed for free by signing up at themlc.com/upcoming-webinars-schedule. Members and those curious about The MLC can find out more about the organization’s tools here.

Upcoming Member Webinars

February 9: You’re an MLC Member, Now What?

Becoming a Member of The MLC is the first step toward collecting your streaming royalties. But what’s next? As a Member, you’ll want to learn how to register your songs and use our Claiming and Matching Tools. Tune in to this webinar for an overview about how these next steps will help you get paid all the royalties you deserve!

February 23: Claim Your Songs, Claim Your Cash

Join us for this webinar to learn how to use The MLC’s Claiming Tool to claim your share of songs that are already registered in our online database and make sure you are getting paid all the money you are due. 

March 9: Have a New Song? Learn How to Register it!

As a Member, it’s important to make sure each one of your songs is registered with The MLC. Remember, if you haven’t registered a song, we can’t pay you for all its streams!  Join us for this webinar where we’ll walk you through the steps to register your old and new songs in our online Portal.

March 23: How to Match Your Music to Make Money

Members, have you tried out The MLC’s Matching Tool? This tool can help you locate sound recordings that are not yet matched to your songs that are registered in our online Portal. In this webinar, we'll walk you through the simple process to propose matches, checking the final box to collect all your streaming royalties from The MLC.
 

# # # 

About The Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC)

The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) was designated by the U.S. Register of Copyrights in July 2019 pursuant to the Music Modernization Act of 2018. The MLC is responsible for administering the new blanket compulsory license for the use of musical works by digital music services. As of January 2021, mechanical royalties from streaming in the U.S. will be processed and paid out by The MLC at no cost to songwriters or music publishers.

The MLC is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of songwriters and representatives of music publishers. For more background on The MLC and its Board and Committee members, go to www.TheMLC.com.

The MLC Holds Second Annual Membership Meeting: Announces Nearly $700M in Royalties Distributed to Date to Members

The MLC also announced that Kara DioGuardi, Tim Cohan and Scott Cutler were reelected to the Board of Directors.

NASHVILLE, TN – The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) held its second Annual Membership Meeting this week, sharing key metrics from the last year and announcing that three current members of The MLC Board of Directors were each selected to serve a second three-year term on the Board. Their initial terms were slated to end this month. 

In the year and a half since launching full operations, The MLC has met every milestone set by Congress in the Music Modernization Act of 2018 and successfully distributed nearly $700 million in blanket royalties to its Members. Highlights shared during the meeting by members of The MLC’s leadership team included the following key metrics:

• The MLC has collected almost $1 billion in mechanical royalties.
• As a result of The MLC’s efforts, rightsholders have received more than $800 million in royalties — nearly $700 million in blanket royalties distributed directly by The MLC and nearly $120 million in royalties (when valued at the statutory rates used by The MLC) processed by The MLC but paid by DSPs pursuant to voluntary licenses.
• The MLC’s current match rate for all royalties processed through September’s royalty distribution is 89 percent, while The MLC’s initial match rates for newly reported usage has exceeded 85 percent for six straight months.
• The MLC now has more than 22,000 Members, having added more than 6,000 to date in 2022.
• The MLC has received more than 17 million works registrations to date and has processed more than 98 percent of those registrations.
• The MLC has completed 19 monthly royalty distributions to date, every one of which has been completed on time or early.

“We are incredibly proud of these accomplishments,” says The MLC CEO Kris Ahrend. “Our team has worked hard to build robust data processing systems that allow us to distribute royalties accurately and on time. We have also released a suite of tools for our Members that enable them to manage their catalog data effectively and correct any missing or inaccurate data they find. While there is still more work to do, we are pleased with our progress and are deeply appreciative of all the support we have received from our Members and from the broader industry at large.”

During the meeting, a representative from the accounting and audit firm, Withum, shared the results of The MLC’s recent Class B Board Seat election. Tim Cohan and Scott Cutler were each elected by The MLC’s Class B Members to serve as Board Directors for a second 3-year term. This announcement came at the end of a months-long election process that was administered by an outside firm, eBallot, and certified by Withum. The MLC’s Class A Members selected Kara DioGuardi to serve a second 3-year term as a Songwriter Director on the Board.

Finally, The MLC announced that the make-up of the Class C Members will not change in 2023, though Sony Music Publishing has selected Michael Abitbol to fill their Director seat, which was recently vacated by Peter Brodsky. Abitbol’s appointment by the Librarian of Congress is pending. More information on The MLC’s Board of Directors and Advisory Committees can be found here.

# # #

About The Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC)

The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) was designated by the U.S. Register of Copyrights in July 2019 pursuant to the Music Modernization Act of 2018. The MLC is responsible for administering the new blanket compulsory license for the use of musical works by digital music services. As of January 2021, mechanical royalties from streaming in the U.S. will be processed and paid out by The MLC at no cost to songwriters or music publishers.

The MLC is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of songwriters and representatives of music publishers.  For more background on The MLC and its Board and Committee members, go to www.TheMLC.com.

The MLC Commemorates Hispanic Heritage Month, 

Hosts “The Writer Behind the Song” Virtual Panel 

The MLC’s virtual panel “The Writer Behind the Song” aims to explore and celebrate the works and careers of emerging Spanish-language songwriter Members of The MLC 

NASHVILLE, TN – The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) is commemorating Hispanic Heritage Month with a virtual panel that will highlight MLC Members of Hispanic heritage. “The Writer Behind the Song” will showcase three MLC Spanish-language songwriter members: Jósean Log (Mexican), DJ Fermin Daddy (Puerto Rican) and Xcelencia (Cuban / Puerto Rican). 

Curated by The MLC’s Head of Third-Party Partnerships, Dae Bogan, and moderated by Guillermo Page, Assistant Professor and Assistant Director of the Music Industry Program at the University of Miami Frost School of Music, “The Writer Behind the Song” will explore the music, culture and career journeys of three Spanish-language songwriters while unpacking key issues and challenges within the Latin Music industry. 

“I take great pride in our principle of diversity, which is reflected in the work that we do at The MLC and in the music creators that we serve every day,” says Bogan. “‘The Writer Behind the Song’ builds upon the cultural programming that we’ve rolled out over the past two years and shines a spotlight on our membership community.”

The virtual panel will take place on Friday, October 21st at 1pm CST / 2pm EST. Tune in by registering here.

The MLC kicked off the availability of comprehensive Spanish-language informational resources about The MLC during last year’s Hispanic Heritage Month. Over the past year, The MLC has expanded the resources that are available, including adding to The MLC’s collection of Spanish-language videos that can be viewed here. To learn more about all our available Spanish-language resources, click here.  

# # # 

About The Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC)

The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) was designated by the U.S. Register of Copyrights in July 2019 pursuant to the Music Modernization Act of 2018. The MLC is responsible for administering the new blanket compulsory license for the use of musical works by digital music services. As of January 2021, mechanical royalties from streaming in the U.S. will be processed and paid out by The MLC at no cost to songwriters or music publishers.

The MLC is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of songwriters and representatives of music publishers.  For more background on The MLC and its Board and Committee members, go to www.TheMLC.com

The MLC Launches New Portal for Independent Music Distributors to View Releases with Unclaimed Royalties for Their Artists

With input from the largest independent music distributors in the world, The MLC has developed a tool for distributors to interact with data on over 2M recordings and millions of dollars in associated unclaimed royalties.

NASHVILLE, TN – The MLC has worked closely with seven key independent music distributors to create a new portal that distributors will be able to use to see the publicly available data for the unmatched recordings they’ve released. This will allow them to work with their customers to register their songs with The MLC and claim any unmatched royalties for their songs that The MLC has accrued. This new Distributor Unmatched Recordings Portal (DURP) joins The MLC’s growing suite of tools that leverage The MLC’s publicly available data to improve data quality and fulfill The MLC’s mission to pay rightsholders their mechanical royalties accurately and on time. 

Once a distributor sets up a DURP account, they will get access to a custom dashboard that shows them the publicly available data for sound recordings they have distributed for which The MLC has accrued unmatched mechanical royalties. The information about these recordings is derived from usage reports delivered to The MLC from digital service providers (DSPs), which generally include the name of the sound recording distributor along with the other metadata those distributors have provided to the DSPs. 

By making it easier for distributors to see the unmatched data for the sound recordings they have distributed, The MLC hopes that more distributors will share this information with their customers and encourage those customers to make sure their works are properly registered with The MLC. A “Play Your Part” page within DURP includes information about The MLC that distributors can use in outreach to their customers. 

Distributors who tested an early version of this new portal include TuneCore, CD Baby, Believe, Repost by SoundCloud, Symphonic Distribution, Empire and Vydia. The MLC will now make the portal available to the other distributors who have distributed recordings The MLC has not yet been able to match.

“Our data has identified millions of dollars in unmatched digital audio mechanical royalties due to creators for songs they’ve recorded and released through more than 1,800 independent music distributors, aggregators and labels around the world,” explains project lead Dae Bogan, The MLC’s Head of Third-Party Partnerships. “By giving these companies visibility into the data, we can help them serve their customers better and help The MLC reduce unclaimed royalties.”

DURP has already begun to have a positive impact on creators. Alexander Ryan, an Australian songwriter and Pop artist who goes by the name RØNIN, is one such artist. RØNIN recently learned about over $20,000 in previously unpaid royalties after his unmatched recordings were identified using DURP. He has since become a member of The MLC. 

“After connecting with Dae, I discovered unclaimed royalties in the thousands that I didn’t know existed,” says RØNIN. “This will help me a lot! I’m looking forward to continuing my relationship with The MLC and collecting my monthly checks!”

The MLC will be offering an informational webinar for distributors led by Bogan on October 14, 2022, to give prospective users an inside look into how they can use DURP to better serve the creators who use their distribution services. Distributors can sign up for this free webinar here. 

For more information about DURP and to request access, visit www.durp.themlc.com.

Hear From the Distributors Who Are Using DURP To Find Their Artist’s Unclaimed Royalties

"This portal will help us fulfill our mission to make sure independent artists at CD Baby get paid. Now we can do more to help ensure our customers receive all the royalties they deserve. CD Baby has supported The MLC's efforts since its inception, and we're excited to see the results of their hard work." -Alex Trevino, Strategic Partner Manager, CD Baby

“We are happy to partner with The MLC on the launch of their Distributor Unmatched Recordings Portal (DURP). As EMPIRE is a company with both Distribution and Publishing arms, DURP is an invaluable tool that will give us a clear view into our catalog to identify unmatched works. This type of transparency will allow us to effectively bridge the gap between our publishing and distribution clients and to identify unclaimed royalties for present songwriters as well as unpublished artists.” -Vinny Kumar, SVP Legal & Business Affairs, EMPIRE Publishing

“DURP has provided us with some well-organized data to help our clients find revenue they didn't know was there for them. Helping close the gap on unmatched revenue will benefit the whole ecosystem, and we're excited to be a part of the process.” -Matthew Skiba, VP of Rights & Content, Vydia

# # # 

About The Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC)

The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) was designated by the U.S. Register of Copyrights in July 2019 pursuant to the Music Modernization Act of 2018. The MLC is responsible for administering the new blanket compulsory license for the use of musical works by digital music services. As of January 2021, mechanical royalties from streaming in the U.S. will be processed and paid out by The MLC at no cost to songwriters or music publishers.

The MLC is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of songwriters and representatives of music publishers. For more background on The MLC and its Board and Committee members, go to www.TheMLC.com.

NASHVILLE, TN – The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) has launched a new Student
Ambassador program to complement its existing Educator Ambassador program. These programs allow
qualified participants to earn an official designation, “MLC Ambassador,” by committing to share
information about The MLC with their students or peers.
Building on The MLC’s ongoing outreach and education initiatives, such as its toolkit for educators, the
Ambassador programs provide educators and college students with a framework to certify their
expertise and educate others about The MLC, the benefits of MLC membership, and digital mechanicals.
Approved Ambassadors gain access to digital resources, virtual and in-person events and training, and
private online communities designed to support further learning and professional development. This is a
voluntary program, and there are no geographic requirements or limitations or cost to participate.
The MLC Educator Ambassador program launched in the fall of 2021 and provides academic educators
the opportunity to earn the designation “MLC Educator Ambassador” through an assessment of their
knowledge about The MLC and commitment to continued dissemination of information about The MLC
within their academic institution. The program is open to educators who teach courses in high schools,
colleges, universities, and law schools. “Our MLC Educator Ambassador program provides a great
opportunity for us to engage with instructors who teach about the music business, copyright, or
licensing, and for instructors to demonstrate to their academic institutions that they have recognized
expertise on the topic of digital mechanical licensing,” explains The MLC’s Head of Educational
Partnerships Serona Elton, a long-time university professor.
The new MLC Student Ambassador program is open to all students currently enrolled in college or
university classes. Student Ambassadors are required to demonstrate knowledge of what The MLC is
and commit to spreading the word about The MLC to songwriters, composers, and lyricists in their local
communities and on social media. As Ambassadors, they will support their musical peers, help them sign
up for MLC membership, and get their songs registered while gaining valuable hands-on music business
experience.
“MLC Student Ambassadors are going to help us reach songwriters and composers in local communities
all over the United States, especially those who are studying music in school,” Elton notes. “Student
Ambassadors themselves will gain professional music business experience by having repeated

discussions regarding mechanical licensing and royalties and publishing administration. There is no
better way to demonstrate knowledge of a topic than showing that you can teach it to someone else.”
This community-based network supports The MLC’s mission to educate songwriters at every level.
“Education plays a huge role in improving the accuracy of the data our industry relies on,” says The
MLC’s CEO Kris Ahrend. “Creating a network of advocates and experts across the country who are
knowledgeable about how The MLC works will help us educate many more creators about their rights
and hopefully encourage more of them to connect with The MLC so they can receive the mechanical
royalties they are owed.”
For more information on all of The MLC educational partnership programs, visit
https://www.themlc.com/educational-partnerships.

# # #
About The Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC)
The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) was designated by the U.S. Register of Copyrights in July
2019 pursuant to the Music Modernization Act of 2018. The MLC is responsible for administering the
new blanket compulsory license for the use of musical works by digital music services. As of January
2021, mechanical royalties from streaming in the U.S. will be processed and paid out by The MLC at no
cost to songwriters or music publishers.
The MLC is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of songwriters and representatives of music
publishers. For more background on The MLC and its Board and Committee members, go to
www.TheMLC.com.

The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) and Easy Song Licensing are partnering up to present a free webinar titled “Cover Song Licensing in the MMA Era” on Tuesday, July 12 at 2 p.m. CT.

Dae Bogan – The MLC’s Head of Third-Party Partnerships – will be joined by Easy Song’s Aaron Green and his team for an in-depth discussion and Q&A session that explores the landscape of cover song licensing since passage of the Music Modernization Act of 2018 (MMA). 

During the 60-minute webinar, participants who want to record and perform cover songs to raise their artistic profile and build a fanbase will learn important details – such as what constitutes a cover song, the potential streams of income that are available and how to register a cover song correctly – to ensure that they properly recognize rightsholders and creators for their original works.

Click here for more details and to register to attend.

# # # 

About The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC)

The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) was designated by the U.S. Register of Copyrights in July 2019 pursuant to the Music Modernization Act of 2018. The MLC is responsible for administering the new blanket compulsory license for the use of musical works by digital music services. As of January 2021, mechanical royalties from streaming in the U.S. will be processed and paid out by The MLC at no cost to songwriters or music publishers.

The MLC is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of songwriters and representatives of music publishers. For more background on The MLC and its Board and Committee members, go to www.TheMLC.com.

MEDIA ADVISORY

The MLC Partnering with Nashville Music Equality to Host

One-Day Summit for Black Music Month 

“For The Culture: Empowering Black Music Creators to Achieve Beyond Reach”

  Tuesday, June 21    10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

333 11th Ave. South, Suite 200

Nashville, TN 

Learn More & Register Here

The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) is commemorating Black Music Month by teaming up with Nashville Music Equality (NME) to present For The Culture: Empowering Black Music Creators to Achieve Beyond Reach on Tuesday, June 21 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at The MLC’s offices in Nashville. 

Spearheaded by Dae Bogan – The MLC’s Head of Third-Party Partnerships – in collaboration with NME’s Gina Miller, Kortney Toney and Shannon Sanders, this one-day summit will celebrate the evolution of Black Music and its unique and ever-growing impact on the music industry with collaborative discussions and insightful presentations from some of the leading African American voices in the industry. 

The event will feature panels designed specifically for Black music creators that both explore creative business strategies and examine the overall royalty landscape, networking opportunities for attendees and a host of live music performances.

Speakers include: 

• Dae Bogan: Head of Third-Party Partnerships, The MLC, and 2019 Billboard Digital Power Player 

• Brennen Boose: Sr. Manager of Marketing and Communications, National Museum of African American Music

• Alandis Brassel: Entertainment Attorney, Manager and Assistant Professor of Music Business - University of Memphis

• Mimi McCarley: Founder of Collab Music Network & Co-Founder of Nashville is Not Just Country Music and We Own Now

• *Gina Miller: Senior Vice President & General Manager, MNRK Music

• Derek Minor: GRAMMY® Award-Winning Artist and Producer & Co-Founder of We Own Now and hip-hop record label Reflection Music Group (RMG)

• George Monger: CEO, Connect Music

• Cheryl Potts: CEO, Cleerkut Royalty

• *Shannon Sanders: Executive Director of Creative, BMI Nashville, and 3-time GRAMMY® Award-Winning Producer

• *Kortney Toney: Marketing, Inclusion & Outreach Manager, Naxos of America

*Nashville Music Equality board of directors.

Click here for more information, including a full agenda, and to register to attend.

This event is the latest in a series of cultural partnership programs that highlight The MLC's commitment to diversity. The MLC welcomes discussions with organizations that aim to educate and empower music creators from historically marginalized or underrepresented communities as it continues to develop and expand on its cultural partnerships. To learn more, contact partnerships@themlc.com.

This event is also open to the press and members of the media can RSVP by emailing Press@TheMLC.com by Friday, June 17.

# # # 

About The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC)

The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) was designated by the U.S. Register of Copyrights in July 2019 pursuant to the Music Modernization Act of 2018. The MLC is responsible for administering the new blanket compulsory license for the use of musical works by digital music services. As of January 2021, mechanical royalties from streaming in the U.S. will be processed and paid out by The MLC at no cost to songwriters or music publishers.

The MLC is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of songwriters and representatives of music publishers. For more background on The MLC and its Board and Committee members, go to www.TheMLC.com.

NASHVILLE, TN – The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) is commemorating Pride Month this June with two events for LGBT music industry creators and professionals, part of the organization’s ongoing work to develop cultural partnership programming that underscores The MLC’s commitment to diversity. 

Created by Dae Bogan – The MLC’s Head of Third-Party Partnerships – this year’s Pride Month events are comprised of a first-ever, in-person workshop for LGBT creators at The MLC’s offices in Nashville on June 22, and the second edition of its “Tuning Into Pride” roundtable discussion webinar on June 1.  

LGBT-identifying music creators and music industry professionals have made significant strides over the years in increasing visibility and reach in all aspects of the music industry. From artist collaborations and on-stage performances to effecting change behind-the-scenes and moving up the corporate ladder, the LGBTQ community has proudly and boldly achieved new milestones towards equality.

“It is an honor to have the encouragement and support of The MLC to develop experiences that champion and recognize the careers and works of LGBT music creators and music industry professionals,” said Bogan. “I have navigated a nearly 20-year career in the music industry as both a creator and professional and know firsthand how challenging and empowering it can be to own one's identity. I am excited to invite a diverse group of LGBT music creators and professionals to participate in this year’s Pride events and hope that creators and professionals of all walks of life also find value in hearing their stories.”

“Last year's Pride Month webinar was a tremendous success, and Dae has done an outstanding job building on that success by expanding our Pride Month programming with a new workshop for LGBT creators,” added Kris Ahrend, CEO of The MLC. “These kinds of initiatives are a key part of The MLC fulfilling its mission, and they exemplify how we put our commitment to diversity into practice for the benefit of all of our Members.”

The MLC welcomes discussions with individuals and organizations that aim to educate and empower music creators from historically marginalized or underrepresented communities as it continues to expand on its cultural partnerships. To learn more, contact partnerships@themlc.com.

Event Details

Tuning Into Pride (2022): An LGBT Music Industry Roundtable

Wednesday, June 1

3 p.m. ET | 2 p.m. CT | 12 noon PT

Bogan will moderate this special webinar that will feature a compelling discussion on the issues and careers of LGBT creators and professionals in the music industry, as well as an engaging Q&A session during which panelists will unpack and discuss how their identities have impacted their work and personal journeys. Register here. 

Panelists:

• Durand Bernarr (He/Him):  Singer/Songwriter

• Brandie Blaze (She/Her): Rapper

• Emily & Jamie Dryburgh (She/Her): Co-Founders, Young Music City & RNBW 

• R. Wayne Martin (He/Him): Founder & Principal, mthree

• Dani Oliva (He/Him): Artist Manager

• YawnyBlew (He/Him): Singer/Songwriter

Pride Music: A Music Business Workshop for LGBT Music Creators

Wednesday, June 22

4 – 6 p.m. CT 

Hosted by Bogan, this two-hour workshop will consist of music business insights, education and strategies to empower LGBT songwriters, composers and lyricists with the knowledge and tools to become better self-advocates of their own careers. The workshop will also act as a structured platform to explore some of the issues that LGBT music creators disproportionately face in establishing a career in the music industry. Reserve your seat for this FREE event with the promo code “MLCpride” here.

# # #

About The Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC)

The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) was designated by the U.S. Register of Copyrights in July 2019 pursuant to the Music Modernization Act of 2018. The MLC is responsible for administering the new blanket compulsory license for the use of musical works by digital music services. As of January 2021, mechanical royalties from streaming in the U.S. will be processed and paid out by The MLC at no cost to songwriters or music publishers.

The MLC is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of songwriters and representatives of music publishers.  For more background on The MLC and its Board and Committee members, go to www.TheMLC.com

NASHVILLE, TN – The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) is accepting suggestions of Publisher candidates for its Board of Directors and Unclaimed Royalties Oversight, Dispute Resolution and Operations Advisory committees.

Under the Music Modernization Act of 2018 (MMA), certain governance positions at The MLC are reserved for representatives of Publishers. The terms of several Publisher seats on the Board and the organization’s advisory committees are slated to end later this year. The MLC will submit all recommendations it receives to the Board’s Publisher Nominating Committee for consideration. Elections to determine who will fill the open Board seats will be held this summer. 

Board and committee members sit for three-year terms and may be re-elected. Seats are filled pursuant to The MLC’s Bylaws. 

There are openings on the Board of Directors for two (2) Publisher representatives. Under The MLC’s Bylaws, a “Publisher” means a music publisher to which songwriters have assigned exclusive rights of reproduction and distribution of musical works with respect to Covered Activities. “Covered Activities” means the making of digital phonorecord deliveries of musical works, including in the form of permanent downloads, limited downloads, or interactive streams, where such activity qualifies for a compulsory license under Section 115 of the U.S. Copyright Act.

The openings on The MLC’s advisory committees are as follows:

• Two (2) Publisher seats on the Unclaimed Royalties Oversight Committee, which recommends policies and procedures to The MLC’s Board related to the distribution of unclaimed accrued royalties;

• One (1) Publisher seat on the Dispute Resolution Committee, which recommends to the Board policies and procedures for the processing of royalties related to works that are subject to disputes over ownership; and

• Two (2) Publisher openings on the Operations Advisory Committee, which makes recommendations to the Board concerning the operations of the Collective, including the efficient investment in and deployment of information technology and data resources.

The MLC Board of Directors and committees meet regularly, and all meetings allow for virtual participation such that travel is not generally required. Members are expected to devote sufficient time to prepare for and participate fully in all meetings. More information on The MLC’s Board of Directors and advisory committees can be found here. 

Suggestions should be made no later than May 26, 2022. To suggest a candidate for a Publisher representative seat to The MLC’s Board or committees, please complete the suggestion form available here.      

About The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC)

The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) was designated by the U.S. Register of Copyrights in July 2019 pursuant to the Music Modernization Act of 2018. The MLC is responsible for administering the new blanket compulsory license for the use of musical works by digital music services. As of January 2021, mechanical royalties from streaming in the U.S. will be processed and paid out by The MLC at no cost to songwriters or music publishers. 

The MLC is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of songwriters and representatives of music publishers. The MLC has the support of organizations from every corner of the music industry. This broad support is reflected by the diverse backgrounds and affiliations of the members of The MLC’s Board and Advisory Committees governance. For more background on The MLC and its Board and Committee members, go to www.themlc.com.

Melanie Santa Rosa of Spirit Music Group Appointed to Operations Advisory Committee; Drummer and Composer Nate Smith Appointed to Unclaimed Royalties Oversight Committee

NASHVILLE, TN – The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) announced that music industry veteran Melanie Santa Rosa and renowned drummer and composer Nate Smith have been appointed to two of the organization’s advisory committees. 

Santa Rosa – Senior Vice President, Global Administration at Spirit Music Group – has been appointed to The MLC’s Operations Advisory Committee. Santa Rosa has more than twenty years of experience in performing rights, copyright, business affairs, cue sheets, licensing, royalty collections, catalog onboarding and global societies, and has helped build Spirit into a leading independent music publisher. A strong advocate for creators, she is also a board member of the NY chapter of the Association of Independent Music Publishers. 

Smith has been appointed to The MLC’s Unclaimed Royalties Oversight Committee. Smith has compiled a diverse résumé over the course of nearly two decades, emerging as one of the most influential and popular drummers of his generation. His debut album, KINFOLK: Postcards from Everywhere, garnered two GRAMMY® nominations and he also earned a pair of GRAMMY® nominations for his composition “Home Free (for Peter Joe).” In recent years, his series of viral videos have received millions of views and inspired countless musicians and fans.

As described in the Music Modernization Act of 2018, The MLC’s Operations Advisory Committee “makes recommendations to the Board concerning the operations of the Collective, including the efficient investment in and deployment of information technology and data resources.” It is comprised of six representatives of music publishers and six representatives of digital music providers. 

The Unclaimed Royalties Oversight Committee recommends policies and procedures to The MLC’s Board related to the distribution of unclaimed accrued royalties, and is comprised of five songwriters and five representatives of music publishers. 

More information on The MLC’s Board of Directors and three advisory committees can be found here. 

# # # 

About The Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC)

The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) was designated by the U.S. Register of Copyrights in July 2019 pursuant to the Music Modernization Act of 2018. The MLC is responsible for administering the new blanket compulsory license for the use of musical works by digital music services. As of January 2021, mechanical royalties from streaming in the U.S. will be processed and paid out by The MLC at no cost to songwriters or music publishers.

The MLC is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of songwriters and representatives of music publishers.  For more background on The MLC and its Board and Committee members, go to www.TheMLC.com

Three-Part Series February 23 and 24 to Feature Trio of African American 

Music Industry Entrepreneurs Discussing their Groundbreaking Work

The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) is celebrating Black History Month with a special Instagram Live series showcasing a trio of African American music industry entrepreneurs who are currently innovating and effecting change that empowers music creators and rightsholders in the United States:  Gebre Waddell (Founder and CEO of Sound Credits), Jarrett Hines (Founder and CEO of Music Tech Works) and Tiffany Red (Founder of The 100 Percenters).

The MLC's Black History-in-the-Making Instagram Live Series – hosted by Dae Bogan, The MLC’s Head of Third-Party Partnerships – will take place on February 23 and 24 and feature 

Waddell, Hines and Red sharing their stories and discussing their “history-in-the-making” projects:

The MLC's Black History-in-the-Making with Gebre Waddell 

Wednesday, February 23

12 p.m. ET | 11 a.m. CT | 9 a.m. PT

The MLC's Black History-in-the-Making with Jarrett Hines 

Wednesday, February 23

3 p.m. ET | 2 p.m. CT | 12 p.m. PT 

The MLC's Black History-in-the-Making with Tiffany Red 

Thursday, February 24

3 p.m. ET | 2 p.m. CT | 12 p.m. PT 

The sessions will take place on The MLC's official Instagram account (@mlc_us) and no registration is required. Members of the media are invited to join.

# # # 

About The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC)

The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) was designated by the U.S. Register of Copyrights in July 2019 pursuant to the Music Modernization Act of 2018. The MLC is responsible for administering the new blanket compulsory license for the use of musical works by digital music services. As of January 2021, mechanical royalties from streaming in the U.S. will be processed and paid out by The MLC at no cost to songwriters or music publishers.

The MLC is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of songwriters and representatives of music publishers.  For more background on The MLC and its Board and Committee members, go to www.TheMLC.com

The MLC Presents: A Roundtable Discussion on Asians and Pacific Islanders in the Music Industry

Thursday, November 18 

3 p.m. ET | 2 p.m. CT | 12 noon PT

Register Here

The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) will host The MLC Presents: A Roundtable Discussion on Asians and Pacific Islanders in the Music Industry, a free webinar taking place on Thursday, November 18 at 3 p.m. ET/ 2 p.m. CT/ 12 noon PT. 

Moderated by Allyson Toy, Artist Relations Manager and Asian Guild (ERG) Lead at Twitch, this 60-minute virtual roundtable will explore the careers of several music industry professionals of Asian and Pacific Islander descent while unpacking the challenges and opportunities facing Asian and Pacific Islander music creators in today's U.S. music market. 

Featured Speakers:

• Bohan Phoenix: Singer-Songwriter

• Brian Samson: Director of Rhythm Radio & Lifestyle Promotion at EMPIRE

• Clint Choi: Label Manager & Co-Founder at Acrylic Label

• Lani Richmond: Manager of Aloe Blacc

• Peter Chiang: Artist Manager at Park Avenue Artists

• Roslynn Alba Cobarrubias: MYX Global Head of Talent & ROS. Marketing Founder

• Thuy: Singer-Songwriter

Additional details on this roundtable and the registration link are available here  

This webinar culminates a series of cultural partnership programs this year developed by The MLC's Head of Third-Party Partnerships, Dae Bogan, that highlights The MLC's commitment to diversity. Earlier this year, The MLC participated in The Recording Academy Los Angeles chapter's Black music creator initiatives during Black History Month, and presented its own webinars highlighting the careers and works of LGBTQ music creators during Pride Month and Latin music creators around Cinco de Mayo and again during Hispanic Heritage Month.

The MLC welcomes discussions with organizations that aim to educate and empower music creators from historically marginalized or underrepresented communities as it continues to develop and expand on its cultural partnerships. To learn more, contact partnerships@themlc.com.

# # #

About The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC)

The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) was designated by the U.S. Register of Copyrights in July 2019 pursuant to the Music Modernization Act of 2018. The MLC is responsible for administering the new blanket compulsory license for the use of musical works by digital music services. As of January 2021, mechanical royalties from streaming in the U.S. will be processed and paid out by The MLC at no cost to songwriters or music publishers.

The MLC is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of songwriters and representatives of music publishers.  For more background on The MLC and its Board and Committee members, go to www.TheMLC.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – October 21, 2021 

CONTACT

Dave Felipe

The MLC Welcomes Simply Royalties and Verifi Media as 

New Data Quality Initiative (DQI) Partners

NASHVILLE, TN – The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) announced that Simply Royalties and Verifi Media have joined its Data Quality Initiative (DQI) Partner Program, partnerships that will make it easier for each company’s customers to participate in the DQI and check the accuracy of their musical works data with that listed in The MLC’s database. With the new additions, The MLC now has seven music data companies onboarded as official DQI partners. 

The MLC continues to emphasize the importance of data accuracy with its Members now that the organization is distributing digital audio mechanical royalties on a monthly basis, and the DQI is a highly effective and user-friendly resource that helps rightsholders make sure they have registered the most accurate, complete and updated musical works data with The MLC.   

The DQI provides a streamlined way for music publishers, administrators and collective management organizations (CMOs), as well as self-administered songwriters, lyricists and composers, to directly compare their own musical works data with The MLC’s to ensure consistency between both sets of data. DQI users receive reports highlighting the discrepancies between the data they submit for comparison and The MLC’s data. Using these reports, participants can easily identify those discrepancies and then the necessary steps to resolve the issues. 

More than 500 companies and individuals have reached out to The MLC to participate in the DQI since it was launched in the summer of 2020, and The MLC has performed comparisons covering more than 21 million musical works through the DQI to-date. 

"I am thrilled to welcome Simply Royalties and Verifi Media as Data Quality Initiative partners,” said Dae Bogan, The MLC’s Head of Third-Party Partnerships. “Their addition exemplifies The MLC’s commitment to diversity as a guiding principle, as each company operates a different business model offering rightsholders options for choosing a partner to facilitate their participation in the DQI regardless of catalog size or budget, and we look forward to working with them both.”

"Our team at Verifi is thrilled to partner with The MLC on this initiative, which aligns closely with our mission to enable cleaner and more consistent rights data,” noted Christian Babikian of Verifi Media. “We applaud The MLC for providing songwriters, publishers and administrators the opportunity to ensure their data is at the highest standard."

“Working with The MLC has been a great experience and being a DQI partner allows me to offer my clients a valuable resource that helps them easily compare their musical works data with that of The MLC,” added Mark Alspaugh owner of Simply Royalties. 

The MLC’s DQI partners take different approaches to helping their clients and customers participate 

in the DQI. While some integrate new functionality into the existing data-related products, services and software platforms they offer, others work with their clients directly to help them prepare and submit their comparison files to The MLC and review the results.  

Companies interested in partnering with The MLC can get started here. More information on the Data Quality Initiative can be found here. 

# # # 

About The Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC)

The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) was designated by the U.S. Register of Copyrights in July 2019 pursuant to the Music Modernization Act of 2018. The MLC is responsible for administering the new blanket compulsory license for the use of musical works by digital music services. As of January 2021, mechanical royalties from streaming in the U.S. will be processed and paid out by The MLC at no cost to songwriters or music publishers.

The MLC is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of songwriters and representatives of music publishers.  For more background on The MLC and its Board and Committee members, go to www.TheMLC.com.

NASHVILLE, TN – The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) is collaborating with the Save The Music Foundation on “Junior Music Rights Week” October 11-15, an initiative aimed at helping young music creators between 13 and 18 years old – and their parents or guardians – learn more about the business side of the music industry and specifically, the mechanical licensing process. 

Developed by Dae Bogan, The MLC’s Head of Third-Party Partnerships, in collaboration with the Save The Music Foundation, “Junior Music Rights Week” is designed to address a surge in recent years of young aspiring artists taking advantage of economical tools to produce new music on their own and utilizing user generated content (UGC) platforms to release that music out into the world. 

The initiative is centered around two webinars hosted by The MLC and a fun, virtual pop-quiz for participants with questions covering the music business and mechanical licensing, as well as the release of both a series of FAQs for teens and their parents or guardians and an animated explainer video on The MLC. At the conclusion of the week, participants will have gained a basic understanding of music copyright, their entitlements as young copyright owners and the numerous ways teenage music creators just like them utilize social media apps and websites to create revenue streams. 

“Thousands of songs are being uploaded every month to traditional digital music services and other online platforms created by promising teenage artists, and virtually all of the music these songwriters are releasing has the potential to earn royalties when it becomes available on digital music services,” said Bogan, who teaches music business courses at several prominent universities in addition to his role on The MLC’s leadership team. “As a result, it is important to provide these teen music creators with a basic understanding of music copyright law early in their careers so they are prepared to move forward as knowledgeable and empowered professional music creators in the future.”

“Collaborations such as this play a key role in helping The MLC fulfill its mission. We are thrilled to be working with the Save The Music Foundation to educate and empower a new generation of creators,” added Kris Ahrend, The MLC’s CEO.

“Our teachers have been expressing an interest in learning more about copyright law as more and more students are creating their own songs and music,” said Chiho Okuizumi Feindler, Chief Program Officer of Save The Music Foundation. “Junior Music Rights Week will offer our students the tools they need to be successful as they take their first steps as songwriters and we’d like to thank Dae Bogan and his team at The MLC for creating this great opportunity for our community of students, teachers and beyond.”

The initiative kicks off with a Music, Rights and Money for Teen Artists webinar on Monday, October 11 at 5 p.m. CT, during which Bogan will cover the basics of music copyrights, digital music royalties and the use of music for the internet, social media, film and TV and answer questions from participants. (More information and a registration link can be found here.) The following day, participants will take a virtual “So You Think You Know Music Rights” pop quiz comprised of multiple-choice questions pulled from topics addressed during the webinar. 

A second webinar, titled Teens in Music Roundtable, will take place on Thursday, October 14 at 5 p.m. CT. Serona Elton – The MLC’s Head of Educational Partnerships and a long-time university professor – will host a candid, live conversation with a handful of up-and-coming teenage music creators, each of whom will talk about their musical journey to-date, share their experiences with creating and releasing new music, discuss some of the challenges young creators face and much more. Click here for more information and the registration link. 

 “Junior Music Rights Week” builds on The MLC’s extensive outreach efforts to all rightsholders who may be eligible to receive digital audio mechanical royalties for the use of their songs by digital service providers (DSPs).  The MLC seeks to educate rightsholders about the changes to the mechanical licensing process that took effect following passage of the Music Modernization Act of 2018, the role of The MLC in administering the new blanket license available to DSPs that operate digital audio services in the United States starting on January 1, 2021, and the benefits to rightsholders of becoming a Member of The MLC.

# # # 

About The Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC)

The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) was designated by the U.S. Register of Copyrights in July 2019 pursuant to the Music Modernization Act of 2018. The MLC is responsible for administering the new blanket compulsory license for the use of musical works by digital music services. As of January 2021, mechanical royalties from streaming in the U.S. will be processed and paid out by The MLC at no cost to songwriters or music publishers.

The MLC is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of songwriters and representatives of music publishers.  For more background on The MLC and its Board and Committee members, go to www.TheMLC.com.

About Save The Music Foundation

The Save The Music Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that helps students, schools, and communities reach their full potential through the power of making music. Founded in 1997, Save The Music partners with school districts and raises funds to restore music programs in public schools. Since inception, the organization has donated over $63 million worth of new musical instruments, equipment, and technology to 2,290 schools in 286 school districts around the country–impacting the lives of hundreds of thousands of students. Learn more about Save The Music and its efforts at www.savethemusic.org.

NASHVILLE, TN – The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) is commemorating Hispanic Heritage Month in September with a new initiative – “El MLC en Español” – that is designed to engage both current and prospective Spanish-speaking Members of The MLC and officially kick off the availability of Spanish-language resources to those individuals and groups.

Developed by Dae Bogan, The MLC’s Head of Third-Party Partnerships, “El MLC en Español” is the result of a collaboration with several organizations, including Take Creative Control [Latin], Protege Tu Música TV, LLC (Protect Your Music TV, LLC), Songwriters of North America (SONA) and others. It will take place the week of September 27 and feature the launch of comprehensive informational materials and assets about The MLC in Spanish, as well as a pair of webinars hosted by The MLC and the initiative’s partner organizations. 

“The Latin music genre has experienced tremendous growth on digital platforms in recent years and as a result, we recognize that there is a real need to raise awareness among Spanish-speaking music creators about The MLC and how our organization can help them,” said Bogan. “I have had the privilege of partnering with leaders from the Latin music community who are working to promote and advance the interests of Spanish-speaking creators on similar initiatives in the past. Their feedback and expertise have been invaluable in shaping this initiative, which exemplifies The MLC’s strong commitment to listening to, and working with, every segment of the community of rightsholders that we serve.”

“Dae has done a wonderful job putting this important initiative together for The MLC, and I’m so grateful for the participation of our partners,” added Kris Ahrend, CEO of The MLC. “This initiative is a great example of how The MLC is putting its commitment to diversity into practice, in a way that will provide meaningful benefits to our Members.”

Headlining the new assets to be unveiled during “El MLC en Español” is a Spanish-language landing page on The MLC website and a Spanish-language “explainer” video that broadly introduces viewers to the concept of digital audio mechanical royalties and the existence of The MLC and includes a call-to-action to become a Member of The MLC. Additionally, The MLC will make available a new Spanish-language toolkit developed for organizations that represent Latin music creators, which will include social media graphics, the Spanish-language “explainer video,” a flowchart-style diagram that breaks down the U.S. digital music royalties landscape in Spanish and marketing materials from the initiative’s two webinars.

The first webinar, presented by The MLC and SONA, will take place on Tuesday, September 28 at 12 noon CT. The session will be hosted by Stephanie Santiago-Rolón, Director of Take Creative Control [Latin], who will lead a conversation with two multi-faceted Latina music creators – Colombian-American singer-songwriter-producer-engineer Dahlia Lagos and Costa Rica-born singer-songwriter Dani Blau – and take questions from participants. More information on The MLC and SONA present a Fireside Chat with Songwriters Dahlia Lagos and Dani Blau and a registration link can be found here. 

"The ever-growing Latin market is a playground for growth and new opportunities, where the protection of rights of creators of color and/or mixed descent are at the forefront of its success,” noted Santiago-Rolón. “By allowing easy access to education and resources for historically marginalized communities, the change is seen for us, by us."

The second webinar – Understanding and Collecting U.S. Digital Mechanical Royalties – will take place on Thursday, September 30 at 12 noon CT. Host Yira Santiago, CEO & Entertainment Attorney of Protege Tu Música TV, LLC will lead a discussion on the U.S. digital music royalties ecosystem for Spanish-language songs and how  creators can collect those royalties, with panelists Katerine Albert (Human Resource Generalist at The MLC), Henry Alonzo (Board Member at The Gospel Music Association), Alexandria Davila (CEO at Adarga Entertainment Group) and Mauricio Maestre (Entertainment Lawyer at M&M Lawyers, Colombia). Click here for more information and the registration link.

“The growth of the Latin music industry can only be sustainable if we provide creators with the tools to understand and administer their rights,” said Santiago. “To that end, we must commit ourselves to share our knowledge with our community. It is our responsibility.”

“El MLC en Español” is the latest component of The MLC’s ongoing efforts to connect with all rightsholders who may be eligible to receive digital audio mechanical royalties from the organization for the use of their music by digital service providers (DSPs), and educate those individuals and groups about the new landscape of mechanical licensing following passage of the Music Modernization Act of 2018, the scope of The MLC’s work and the benefits of becoming a Member. 

# # # 

About The Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC)

The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) was designated by the U.S. Register of Copyrights in July 2019 pursuant to the Music Modernization Act of 2018. The MLC is responsible for administering the new blanket compulsory license for the use of musical works by digital music services. As of January 2021, mechanical royalties from streaming in the U.S. will be processed and paid out by The MLC at no cost to songwriters or music publishers.

The MLC is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of songwriters and representatives of music publishers.  For more background on The MLC and its Board and Committee members, go to www.TheMLC.com.

New Version Features Several Enhancements to Free Resource Created for College Educators and Future Music Professionals

NASHVILLE, TN – The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) has released the second version of its Educator Toolkit, a free resource designed to help college educators teach their students – particularly those studying music and music business – about the landscape of digital audio mechanical rights in the U.S. and The MLC’s role in it following passage of the Music Modernization Act of 2018.

Created by Serona Elton, The MLC’s Head of Educational Partnerships and a long-time university professor, the Toolkit provides instructors with a range of materials they can seamlessly incorporate into their existing syllabi or employ in the creation of new course modules. The original version – released in November 2020 – was requested for use by more than 110 educators from 80 different academic institutions across the country, some of whom participated in a survey from The MLC soliciting their feedback on the Toolkit.

“As an educator myself, I understand the importance of having up-to-date teaching materials, particularly with a subject matter that is as inherently complex and rapidly evolving as mechanical licensing,” noted Elton. “The updates we’ve made to the Toolkit – based in part on feedback we received from the educators who are already using it – reflect The MLC’s commitment to continuing to provide instructors with the comprehensive and current resources they need to navigate this complex subject matter and best prepare tomorrow’s music industry professionals.”

Like the original version, this new version of the Toolkit contains an easy-to-understand introductory video, a white-label customizable PowerPoint presentation, suggested classroom activities and exam questions and a list of informational videos and articles on copyright law and the history of mechanical licensing that educators can reference. In addition, the updated version contains several new enhancements, including:

- Activities that provide students with hands-on practice using The MLC’s Public Search feature  and other assets on The MLC’s website;

- Revamped video content that incorporates answers to the common questions pertaining to mechanical licensing that have arisen during The MLC’s “Q&A” webinars over the past several months; and

- A section of “learning outcomes” that are tied directly to the Toolkit’s video and presentation materials.

“The MLC’s Educator Toolkit provides an excellent starting point for teaching about the new world of music licensing brought about by the enactment of the Music Modernization Act and creation of The MLC, and its accessible learning exercises help make sense of those new developments in a straightforward way,” said Sean M. O’Connor of George Mason University’s Antonin Scalia Law School. “I was able to easily customize and augment the Toolkit, which saved me time, and the results were appreciated by a class of law students with music backgrounds.”

The Educator Toolkit reflects The MLC's commitment to fulfilling a broader mandate to educate rightsholders about changes that came about with the passage of the Music Modernization Act and The MLC's role in those changes. Through this resource, The MLC will be able to continue building connections with future music business professionals and aspiring songwriters at the outset of their respective careers.

Academic instructors and educational institutions can request access to The MLC’s Educator Toolkit here.

Members of the media can download graphics from The MLC’s Educator Toolkit on Dropbox.

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About The Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC)

The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) was designated by the U.S. Register of Copyrights in July 2019 pursuant to the Music Modernization Act of 2018. The MLC is responsible for administering the new blanket compulsory license for the use of musical works by digital music services. As of January 2021, mechanical royalties from streaming in the U.S. will be processed and paid out by The MLC at no cost to songwriters or music publishers.

The MLC is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of songwriters and representatives of music publishers.  For more background on The MLC and its Board and Committee members, go to TheMLC.com.



[press release originally from The MLC]

[contributed article via Performer Mag]

As an independent artist, you are probably all too familiar with the issues that have long clouded and complicated the process of getting the digital audio mechanical royalties that you are owed for the use of your songs.

It’s also likely that you’ve heard about The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC), the new non-profit organization responsible for administering blanket licenses covering musical works available on U.S.-based digital audio services and distributing the royalties due under those licenses to songwriters, composers, lyricists and other creators. Still, you may have questions about The MLC, exactly how our organization works, and perhaps most importantly, how The MLC can work for you.

First, some background: The MLC was established by the Music Modernization Act of 2018 (MMA), a historic piece of legislation that sought to create a more efficient and effective way for digital service providers (or DSPs) to license the music they make available on their platforms and ensure the proper rightsholders receive the mechanical royalties they are entitled to for the use of their works on those platforms.

Before the MMA, digital mechanical licensing was done largely on a song-by-song basis. But with countless songs on dozens of platforms, it was virtually impossible to obtain licenses for every use of every song, making it almost equally as impossible to deliver royalties to rightsholders accurately and efficiently (or in some cases, pay them out at all).

The MMA established a new digital mechanical blanket license that grants DSPs permission to use every song on their platforms and designated The MLC to exclusively administer those licenses and collect the royalties due under them. As of January 1 of this year, services operating under the blanket license will send recording usage information and mechanical royalty payments to The MLC, which will then match the recordings to the songs they are based on, and pay the rightsholders of the songs their royalties on a monthly basis.

These changes have important ramifications for independent artists, but in order to take advantage of them and position yourself to begin receiving digital audio mechanical royalties moving forward, there are steps you will need to take.

First and foremost, if you are a self-administered songwriter (one who is not signed to or affiliated with a music publisher or publishing administrator), composer or lyricist with songs or compositions that are available in the U.S. on digital on-demand streaming or download services, you must become a member of The MLC (which is completely free of charge) to be eligible to receive digital audio mechanical royalties.

To sign up, visit The MLC’s website (TheMLC.com) and click on the blue Connect to Collect button on the homepage. From there, you will be asked to create a username and password for access to The MLC Portal, which is where MLC Members register, maintain and update their musical works data. After you have signed up and The MLC has verified your identity, you will need to create a Member profile with all of your pertinent contact and financial information, and then you can begin the process of getting your musical works data added to The Portal.

The top priority in this process is to ensure that the data you register is as accurate and complete as possible, as not doing so could ultimately cause delays in getting you paid. To help you get started, The MLC offers an organizational resource designed to help self-administered songwriters, composers, and lyricists organize all of their musical works data before they add it to The MLC Portal. This makes it easy to compile important information such as the ISWCs (International Standard Musical Work Codes) specific to your musical works and the IPI (Interested Party Information) number assigned to you by your performing rights organization, as well information about the writers of each song and the share of royalties each writer (or their publishing entity) is entitled to collect. (Please note that this resource is strictly an organizational tool; it cannot be uploaded or added into the Portal itself.)

From there, you have two options for getting your musical works data added to The MLC Portal. You can manually enter information for each of your musical works using the screens and prompts in the Portal. Or, if your catalog is especially large, you can use The MLC’s Bulk Data Upload feature, which allows you to upload data about lots of songs or compositions directly to The Portal from a spreadsheet. The MLC Portal is designed to work seamlessly on both desktop and mobile devices, so whichever approach you choose, you can do so on your phone, tablet, or desktop computer.

Remember, you won’t need to submit any audio files as part of this process, just your relevant musical works data. However, if you know information about any recordings that have been made of your songs, like the name of the artist (maybe that’s you!) and the ISRC (International Standard Recording Code), you should enter that data as well. Helping us make the connection between your songs and the recordings that have been made of your songs is one of the most important things you can do to get paid quickly and accurately.

Finally, once The MLC has reviewed and approved all of your data, we always recommend that you check on your data in The Portal or The MLC’s publicly accessible database and make any updates or adjustments that might be needed.

It’s important to note that if you are affiliated with a music publisher or administrator who registers your musical works and collects your mechanical royalties in the U.S., you will not need to become a Member of The MLC. Your publisher or administrator has likely already joined The MLC and will handle registering your musical works data on your behalf. To be sure, check with your music publisher or administrator to confirm that they have joined The MLC.

It is easy to feel overwhelmed by the complexity of digital mechanical licensing and everything outlined above. But by joining The MLC, you are gaining an important ally in this new process, one that is committed to serving you and empowering you with all of the resources, tools, and information you need.

The MLC regularly hosts webinars that go deep into the details about how to join The MLC and how to register your songs in The MLC Portal and include ample time for questions, while the Resources section of our website offers a comprehensive suite of tools designed to provide individuals with everything they need to get the most out of their MLC Membership. And once you’ve joined The MLC, our trained and knowledgeable Support Team is available to assist you with any questions or concerns you have about your Membership or your musical works data, and they can be reached quickly by filling out a simple form, calling our support phone number, or initiating a chat within The Portal.

The MMA ushered in a new era of digital mechanical licensing. In order to be a part of it – and get the compensation you have earned and deserve – we encourage you to visit our website and join The MLC as soon as possible.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ellen Truley is the Chief Marketing Officer of The MLC, the nonprofit designated by the U.S. Register of Copyrights in July 2019 pursuant to the Music Modernization Act of 2018 and responsible for administering the new blanket compulsory license for the use of musical works by digital music services. The MLC is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of songwriters and representatives of music publishers. For more background on The MLC and its Board and Committee members, go to TheMLC.com.

[contributed article via American Songwriter]

By Kara DioGuardi

As a songwriter myself, I recognize how difficult copyrights, licensing and royalties can be to understand, and I know all too well about the struggles many songwriters have encountered over the years trying to collect all of the royalties owed to them, particularly mechanical royalties.

Fortunately, New Year’s Day 2021 marked the beginning of a new era in mechanical licensing. That day, The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) officially began operations, which will significantly impact self-administered (also known as self-published or independent) songwriters and how they receive mechanical royalties moving forward.

Long-standing Issues with Mechanical Royalties

Mechanical royalties (which are separate from performance royalties songwriters may collect through performance rights organizations) have long been a source of frustration for songwriters and other copyright holders because there was no efficient way for them to be collected and distributed. For decades, mechanical royalties were largely a matter for publishers to deal with, while for smaller music publishers and independent songwriters, they often went uncollected entirely.

The emergence of digital service providers (DSPs) like Apple Music and Spotify offering music online, and their enormous popularity, complicated things even further. Securing the proper mechanical licenses required that DSPs research every single song they wanted to use and identify the copyright holders associated with each one. And in the case of songs with multiple writers, it often meant multiple copyright holders as well.

With millions of tracks available on multiple platforms and new music being added to them every day, securing that many licenses became essentially impossible. The DSPs struggled to keep up and as a result, songwriters, composers, lyricists and publishers missed out on the money they had rightfully earned.

The Solution: A New Era Begins

A solution was badly needed, and one finally came in 2018 when Congress passed the historic Music Modernization Act (MMA). The legislation implemented a more efficient and effective way for DSPs to license the musical works they make available on their platforms and ensure that rightsholders were paid the mechanical royalties they’re owed for that usage.

The MMA created The MLC, designating it to be the sole administrator of a new blanket mechanical license (also established by the law) and the exclusive distributor of mechanical royalties to rightsholders based on the usage under those licenses.

As part of its operations, The MLC built both a publicly accessible database of musical works and The MLC Portal, the online tool MLC Members use to register their musical works data and then maintain and update that data.

Here’s how it works

A fan listens to a song on their favorite music service. The service reports that usage to The MLC, which then matches that song to its database of publishers, composers, lyricists and songwriters. The musical works in the database have been checked for accuracy by songwriters and publishers themselves, making it easier for The MLC to match the usage correctly and compensate the proper rightsholder or rightsholders, which it does through monthly royalty payments.

As one of several songwriters who sits on The MLC’s Board of Directors, I believe the new blanket license will make the process of collecting mechanical royalties much easier and help The MLC accomplish what I see as one of its most important goals: getting that money into the hands of songwriters. But for that to happen, you must first join The MLC.

Joining The MLC = Money in Your Pocket

Joining The MLC is free of charge and if you are a self-administered songwriter managing your songs yourself and collecting royalties either directly or through a representative (business manager, accountant, lawyer etc.) you must become an MLC Member to be eligible to receive royalties:

- Start the Membership process at any time by clicking the Connect to Collect button on The MLC’s homepage, which will take you to a sign-up page for The MLC Portal. Songwriters Connect by joining The MLC and registering their songs data with The MLC so they are positioned to Collect any mechanical royalties they are owed.

- Once The MLC verifies and activates your account, you can add your musical works data (songs) to The MLC Portal. This can be done on a song-by-song basis, or in bulk if you have a particularly large catalog and as time goes on, you should add data for any new songs or musical works you accumulate. The Portal is accessible on both desktop and mobile devices so you can register your data anytime or anywhere!

- “Play Your Part” by making sure all of your data is as complete and accurate as possible. This is the most important thing you can do to ensure you receive all of your royalties because any data errors could result in delays in payments, and The MLC offers several resources to help you with it.  
And remember: The MLC only handles digital audio mechanical royalties, so joining does not replace any affiliations you may have with performance rights organizations (like ASCAP and BMI), distributors, aggregators or other such groups.

Need Help?

Don’t worry if this all sounds a bit daunting, because The MLC has plenty of information and tools to assist with the Membership process on its website.

Visit the dedicated Membership page to review assets tailored specifically for self-administered songwriters, and check out the Resources section for detailed FAQs and fact sheets, archived MLC webinars on an array of topics, a selection of educational and “how to” videos and much more. And if you ever need help with anything along the way, The MLC has a trained and knowledgeable Support Team that you can reach six days a week over the phone or online.

The MLC has started paying out monthly royalties to its Members, so now is the time to put the positive changes to mechanical licensing established by the MMA to work for you. I encourage you to visit TheMLC.com to start the Membership process today and get the mechanical royalties you’ve earned and deserve!

Distribution Covered Streaming and Download Uses From January 2021

NASHVILLE, TN – The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) has announced the completion of its first-ever monthly distribution of mechanical royalties. The organization’s distribution – its first connected with the new blanket license established by the Music Modernization Act of 2018 (MMA) – included royalties from the use of musical works by U.S. digital service providers (DSPs) during January 2021. It did not include any historical unmatched royalties.

The distribution process started in February when DSPs began reporting their streaming and download usage data for January 2021 to The MLC. The royalty pool for all usage data reported to The MLC totaled more than $53 million when calculated at the applicable statutory rates.

The MLC was then able to match approximately 80 percent of the royalties reported to musical works registered in its public database, a figure that is in line with industry benchmarks for initial matching results. Once the matching work was completed, The MLC established which uses were covered by voluntary licenses between the DSPs and copyright owners – a substantial portion in this case – and thus needed to be carved out of each DSP’s blanket license.

After carving out the matched uses covered by voluntary licenses, The MLC determined that the remaining amount of mechanical royalties owed by DSPs to the MLC totaled more than $40 million, which The MLC successfully collected.  Those royalties were then included in the monthly distribution process, the results of which are as follows:

• $24 million in matched royalties was paid by The MLC to its Members;
   
• $16.4 million is currently pending distribution as follows:
  • $4.9 million in matched royalties related to shares of registered works for which claims have yet to be submitted by a rightsholder/ MLC Member;
  • $500 thousand in matched royalties on legal hold; and
  • $11 million related to usage that The MLC has not yet been able to match to the musical works in its public database.

All of the royalties currently pending distribution will accrue interest until they are distributed, as required by the MMA.

The MLC will continue its attempts to reduce the amount of royalties that are currently pending distribution, including by matching uses to registered musical works and identifying rightsholders who have not yet claimed their shares of matched royalties.  The MLC encourages its Members to check and update their data in The MLC Portal, and rightsholders who are not Members to join The MLC and register their songs.

“The completion of The MLC’s first monthly processing of royalties and the payment of more than $24 million in royalties directly to rightsholders represents another step toward realizing the promise of the Music Modernization Act,” remarked Alisa Coleman, Chair of The MLC’s Board of Directors.

Kris Ahrend, The MLC’s CEO, added: “Thanks to the hard work and diligence of our team, and the cooperation and support of our many partners, we have now begun fulfilling our important mission of ensuring that rightsholders receive their proper share of the blanket mechanical royalties paid by DSPs.”

More information on timing and scheduling of future royalty distributions, as well as information about how and when royalties can be subject to adjustment, can be found at: TheMLC.com/blanket-payments.  The MLC has also created an FAQ page on its website that details the particulars of its royalty distribution process, including information on royalty rates and terms, which is available here. Updates on The MLC’s progress in processing the historical unmatched royalties that it received in February can be found here.

About The Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC)

The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) was designated by the U.S. Register of Copyrights in July 2019 pursuant to the Music Modernization Act of 2018. The MLC is responsible for administering the new blanket compulsory license for the use of musical works by digital music services. As of January 2021, mechanical royalties from streaming in the U.S. will be processed and paid out by The MLC at no cost to songwriters or music publishers.

The MLC is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of songwriters and representatives of music publishers.  For more information on The MLC and its Board and Committee members, go to TheMLC.com.

Kristen Johns Named Chief Legal Officer; Nathan Osher Tapped as Assistant General Counsel – Publisher Relations; Andrew Mitchell Selected to Oversee Analytics and Automation

NASHVILLE, TN – The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) has announced the addition of three new members to its leadership team, with Kristen Johns (Chief Legal Officer), Nathan Osher (Assistant General Counsel – Publisher Relations) and Andrew Mitchell (Head of Analytics and Automation) joining the organization earlier this month. All three will be based in Nashville.

“I am thrilled to welcome Kristen, Nathan and Andrew to The MLC’s growing team,” said Kris Ahrend, The MLC’s CEO. “Each of them possesses many years of experience in their respective areas of expertise, which will enable them to begin contributing immediately to the important work we are doing. All three are fully committed to serving our Members and fulfilling our important mission to ensure that our Members are paid properly.”

Kristen Johns, Chief Legal Officer
Kristen will be responsible for leading the organization’s strategic legal affairs, as well as managing the statutory blanket licensing process for digital service providers and overseeing compliance with statutory obligations.

An experienced intellectual property and technology lawyer, Kristen comes to The MLC from Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis, LLP in Nashville, where she was a partner at the firm. During her tenure at Waller, she advised clients on a variety of IP-related issues, including data security, privacy laws, and emerging technologies. She also helped to found and lead Tokenize Tennessee, a Nashville-based organization dedicated to encouraging the development of blockchain-based businesses in Tennessee. Prior to joining Waller, Kristen served as the General Counsel for a technology start-up and in-house Counsel for a healthcare IT company. In 2019, she received a ‘Women of Influence Award’ from the Nashville Business Journal, recognizing her leadership in the Nashville business and legal communities. Kristen holds a J.D. from the Saint Louis University School of Law and a B.S. in Engineering Science from Vanderbilt University.

Nathan Osher, Assistant General Counsel – Publisher Relations
Nathan will serve as The MLC’s primary in-house expert on music publishing and copyright issues, and he will also oversee the management and resolution of claims and litigation-related matters.

An entertainment attorney and executive for more than 20 years, Nathan has extensive experience in music publishing, and he has counseled clients on a variety of matters related to intellectual property rights, contracts, licensing and litigation. He most recently served as Senior Vice President of Legal & Business Affairs for Warner Chappell Music, Inc., the Los Angeles-based music publishing division of Warner Music Group, and was previously the General Counsel and Vice President of Business Affairs at Wixen Music Publishing, Inc. Nathan holds a J.D. from the University of West Los Angeles (CA) and earned a B.A. in Political Science from Loyola Marymount University.

Andrew Mitchell, Head of Analytics and Automation
Andrew will lead The MLC’s analytics and automation activities. In this capacity, he will oversee the design and implementation of business intelligence reporting for The MLC’s internal teams and develop strategies and tools for analyzing the usage reporting data The MLC receives from digital service providers. Andrew will also manage The MLC’s manual sound recording and musical works matching processes.

An established leader in Nashville’s business community, Andrew has more than 15 years of experience in operational excellence, analytics, business intelligence (BI), automation, process improvement, lean six sigma and global business transformation. He comes to The MLC from Warner Music Group, where he was the Vice President of Analytics & Process Automation, and previously spent a decade working in financial planning and analysis for Ingram Content Group. Andrew graduated from Miami University (Ohio) with a B.S. in Business and holds an M.B.A. from Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management, where he graduated at the top of his class.

About The Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC)

The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) was designated by the U.S. Register of Copyrights in July 2019 pursuant to the Music Modernization Act of 2018. The MLC is responsible for administering the new blanket compulsory license for the use of musical works by digital music services. As of January 2021, mechanical royalties from streaming in the U.S. will be processed and paid out by The MLC at no cost to songwriters or music publishers.

The MLC is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of songwriters and representatives of music publishers.  For more background on The MLC and its Board and Committee members, go to TheMLC.com.

Efforts Now Underway to Review and Analyze Historical Unmatched Data, Paving the Way for The MLC to Begin Distributing Royalties to Rightsholders

NASHVILLE, TN – The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) announced today that it has received a total of $424,384,787 in accrued historical unmatched royalties from digital service providers (DSPs), together with corresponding data reports that identify the usage related to these royalties.

A total of 20 DSPs separately transferred accrued historical unmatched royalties to The MLC as required in order for them to seek the MMA’s limitation on liability for past infringement. In addition to the accrued unmatched royalties transferred to The MLC, the DSPs concerned also delivered more than 1,800 data files, which contain in excess of 1.3 terabytes and nine billion lines of data.

The transfer of these monies represents the culmination of a months-long effort on the part of The MLC and these DSPs to develop and implement the specifications for these usage reports. With these historical unmatched royalties and usage reports now in hand, The MLC can begin the process of reviewing and analyzing the data in order to find and pay the proper copyright owners.

Going forward, The MLC will provide additional information about historical unmatched royalties on a newly-created page on its website entitled “Historical Unmatched Royalties.” An initial summary of the historical unmatched royalties separately transferred to The MLC by each DSP can be found here.

About The Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC)

The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) was designated by the U.S. Register of Copyrights in July 2019 pursuant to the Music Modernization Act of 2018. The MLC is responsible for administering the new blanket compulsory license for the use of musical works by digital music services. As of January 2021, mechanical royalties from streaming in the U.S. will be processed and paid out by The MLC at no cost to songwriters or music publishers.

The MLC is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of songwriters and representatives of music publishers.  For more background on The MLC and its Board and Committee members, go to TheMLC.com.

January 1st License Availability Date Officially Ushers in a New Era in Mechanical Licensing for Digital Audio Services in the U.S. that will Benefit Services and Rightsholders Alike

NASHVILLE, TN - The highly anticipated License Availability Date set by the landmark Music Modernization Act of 2018 (MMA) – when digital audio services can begin operating under a new blanket mechanical license covering every musical work available on their U.S. services – has officially arrived, ushering in a new era in mechanical licensing led by The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC).

As of January 1st, 2021, The MLC has officially begun administering this new blanket license established by the MMA. Services operating under the blanket license will be required to send monthly usage reports and mechanical royalty payments to The MLC. The MLC will then match the usage activity to the appropriate musical works owners using the data in The MLC’s new musical works database, and distribute the royalties it has received to music publishers, musical works administrators and self-administered songwriters, composers and lyricists. The MLC anticipates sending out its first royalty payments and statements in April of 2021.

“The MLC has spent more than a year preparing for the License Availability Date, developing numerous resources for creators and music publishers to help them navigate the changes to mechanical licensing, conducting crucial outreach with well over 50 digital service providers (DSPs) and undertaking a widespread outreach campaign to educate music publishers, administrators, self-administrated songwriters and others in the broader music industry about The MLC’s mission and purpose,” said Kris Ahrend, CEO of The MLC. “We have also been fortunate to receive valuable input and guidance from our Board and Committee members – songwriters, publishers and digital service executives themselves – which has helped shape The MLC's mission and scope of work since passage of The MMA. The arrival today of the License Availability Date marks yet another milestone in the process of making the promises of the MMA a reality, and The MLC team could not be more excited.”

DSPs that elect to operate under the new blanket license will enjoy a host of benefits, starting with the fact that they will be properly licensed to reproduce and distribute all eligible musical works in their covered activities, which will enable them to avoid risks and liabilities arising from using works without proper mechanical licenses.

Since last Summer, The MLC has engaged with more than 50 DSPs expected to be eligible to secure the new blanket license to ensure those services are aware of their new legal responsibilities and solicit feedback. Working closely with the Digital Licensee Coordinator (DLC), the organization created by The MMA to represent digital audio services, The MLC conducted a series of webinars specifically designed for DSP representatives. Last Fall, The MLC launched a dedicated DSP Resources page on its website (TheMLC.com/dsp-resources) that includes an online form for DSPs to use to submit their Notices of License, usage reporting specifications they will need for submitting their monthly usage reports to The MLC and a calendar of key dates for them to track.

The MLC will also offer a number of key benefits for rightsholders, starting with The MLC Portal – a brand-new online resource where Members of The MLC will be able to review and update their existing musical works data, submit new registrations for new musical works and, starting later this Spring, access their royalty statements. Since beginning the roll-out of The MLC Portal in September of last year, more than 8,000 Members have been invited to set up their user accounts and Member profiles in The MLC Portal, which will continue to be enhanced for even greater functionality. Prospective members who have not yet begun that process can now do so by clicking on the “Connect to Collect” button on The MLC’s website. The MLC has established a page on its website where visitors can find detailed information about Membership at TheMLC.com/membership.

The MLC has also launched its new public musical works database. Interested parties can now access the database via the “Public Search” button located at the top of the home page of The MLC’s website. Starting next week, The MLC will launch its Bulk Data Access subscription program, allowing subscribers to download a set of files containing all of the musical works ownership data in The MLC’s database. The MLC will provide weekly updates to these files to ensure that subscribers have access to the most current version of The MLC’s data. This public access to The MLC’s data will provide greater transparency around the new blanket mechanical licensing process.

Recognizing both the importance for rightsholders to check the accuracy of their data and the inherent challenges in doing so, The MLC launched its innovative Data Quality Initiative (DQI) last year, allowing rightsholders to compare large schedules of their own musical works data with The MLC’s data in order to identify any discrepancies between the two. Providing rightsholders with reports showing these discrepancies makes it far easier for them to determine where they need to make corrections to their existing musical works data in The MLC’s database, which will ensure the mechanical royalty payments they receive from The MLC are more accurate. To date, nearly 400 DQI participants have submitted comparison files to The MLC covering more than 17.5 million works, and The MLC has also announced five Data Quality Partners who will offer enhanced services and functionality on their platforms to help their customers and users participate in the DQI more easily.

Starting last Spring, The MLC launched a comprehensive outreach campaign intended to educate prospective Members and others involved in the music industry about The MLC’s mission and purpose, and the various ways that the MMA will change the mechanical licensing process for U.S. digital audio services. Over the past year, The MLC has produced or participated in 100 webinars, through which the organization has connected with nearly 13,000 people. One of the highlights of this campaign was the inaugural MLC Week held last October, when The MLC hosted a series of webinars covering topics like The MLC’s creation and purpose, The MLC Portal, The MLC’s commitment to service and its vision for the future. The MLC’s participation in educational webinars will continue this year with the popular “Self-Administered Songwriters” series and the addition of regular informational webinars for MLC Members.

Finally, The MLC’s Music Data Organization Worksheet – designed to help self-administered songwriters through the process of collecting the data they will need to register their works with The MLC – has been downloaded more than 1,000 times, and the organization also recently unveiled a free Educator Toolkit designed to help college educators teach music and music business students about the changes to digital audio mechanical rights under The MMA and The MLC’s role in those changes.

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About The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC)
The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) was designated by the U.S. Register of Copyrights in July 2019 pursuant to the Music Modernization Act of 2018. The MLC is responsible for administering the new blanket compulsory license for the use of musical works by digital music services. Starting in January 2021, mechanical royalties from streaming in the U.S. will be processed and paid out by The MLC at no cost to songwriters or music publishers. The MLC is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of songwriters and representatives of music publishers. For more background on The MLC and its Board and Committee members, go to TheMLC.com.

Digital audio services are already preparing to secure new license administered by The MLC

NASHVILLE, TN – The Music Modernization Act of 2018 (MMA) established a new blanket mechanical license covering the use of musical works in the U.S. by eligible digital audio services. This license will become available starting on January 1, 2021. The arrival of this new blanket licensing system will mark the beginning of a new era of greater efficiency and transparency in mechanical licensing for musical works in the United States.

For most digital service providers (DSPs) operating digital audio services in the U.S. that offer interactive streaming or digital downloads to consumers, the MMA imposes several new obligations that they will be required by law to fulfill. Some of these require immediate action, while others must be completed no later than February 15, 2021. The MMA created two new organizations to help DSPs fulfill their new responsibilities: The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC), which is responsible for administering this new blanket license, and the Digital Licensee Coordinator (DLC), which is responsible for representing the digital audio services that will be operating under the new blanket license. Both The MLC and the DLC began reaching out to DSPs months ago, to help DSPs prepare to fulfill their new legal responsibilities under the MMA.

“The MLC has engaged with more than 50 DSPs so far, both to make sure they aware of their new legal responsibilities and to preview the resources we’ve created for them, including reporting specifications and the templates for notices to The MLC,” said Kris Ahrend, CEO of The MLC. “These resources are all on The MLC’s website, and our DSP Relations Team is available to answer any questions about them that DSPs might have. All of this should ensure that currently-operating DSPs are in a position to begin operating under the new blanket license starting on January 1, 2021.”

The MLC’s DSP outreach efforts have been led by Richard Thompson (Chief Information Officer), Abel Sayago (DSP Onboarding Consultant), Joya Carmichael (Head of Operations) and consultant Vickie Nauman. In addition to its outreach efforts aimed at individual DSPs, The MLC, in conjunction with the DLC, has also held a series of webinars for DSPs aimed at providing them with more information about the new obligations imposed on them by the MMA and offering them an opportunity to ask any questions they might have.

In addition to The MLC’s efforts, the DLC has also conducted its own outreach activities.  “As we approach this watershed moment in digital music licensing, DLC has spent countless hours working with DSPs to ensure they understand and are able to successfully navigate this new licensing regime. Through individual outreach sessions, educational programming and collaborative outreach coordinated with The MLC and Copyright Office, we have laid the groundwork for The MLC to efficiently and effectively fulfill its mandate,” said Garrett Levin, representative for DLC. “With the launch date for the new blanket license just weeks away, our team is standing by to answer questions, share helpful resources, and ensure that DSPs are prepared as we enter this new era in licensing.”

The new blanket license offers a host of benefits to DSPs that opt to secure it, including helping to make the administration and payment of mechanical royalties much easier and more effective and providing services with a way to ensure that they are properly licensed to use all of the musical works that they make available on their services. DSPs that secure the blanket will also avoid the costly liability that would arise from using works that were not properly licensed. Finally, even if a service elected not to secure the blanket despite its many benefits, the MMA still imposes a number of reporting obligations on all but the smallest of those services, even though they would not enjoy any benefits.  For this reason, The MLC and DLC hope that any service eligible to operate under the new blanket license will choose to do so.

A detailed guide outlining the requirements, timelines, and legal foundation for the new blanket license can be found here. DSPs with questions should contact The MLC at dsp.relations@themlc.com.

The MMA’s New Blanket License at a Glance

• The new blanket license will become available on January 1, 2021, a date referred to in the text of the MMA as the “License Availability Date”.
• DSPs that wish to operate under the blanket license must submit their Notice of License to The MLC using the form provided by The MLC as soon as possible, but no later than February 15, 2021.
• DSPs that begin operating under the new blanket license in January must begin submitting monthly usage reports to The MLC (for both voluntary and blanket licensed works) on February 15, 2021 (i.e., 15 days after the end of January) if they want The MLC to invoice them for the mechanical royalties that they owe; or on March 17, 2021 (i.e., 45 days after the end of January) if they do not need The MLC to provide them with an invoice.
• By U.S. law, DSPs that provide more than 5,000 unique works to U.S. consumers via interactive streaming or downloads on any given day in a given month or earn more than $50,000 a month (or $500,000 over 12 months) from such activities must report their usage data to The MLC, whether or not they choose to obtain the new blanket license.
• DSPs can find report formats and other resources here on The MLC’s website. DSPs can also find additional information on the DLC’s website: digitallicenseecoordinator.org.

About The Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC)

The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) was designated by the U.S. Register of Copyrights in July 2019 pursuant to the Music Modernization Act of 2018. The MLC is responsible for administering the new blanket compulsory license for the use of musical works by digital music services. Starting in January 2021, mechanical royalties from streaming in the U.S. will be processed and paid out by The MLC at no cost to songwriters or music publishers. The MLC is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of songwriters and representatives of music publishers.  For more background on The MLC and its Board and Committee members, go to TheMLC.com.

About Digital Licensee Coordinator (DLC)

Digital Licensee Coordinator (DLC) is the representative of digital music services in the new music licensing system in the United States created by the Music Modernization Act. Working with The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC), DLC will share the knowledge and experience of digital music services, support educational efforts for licensees and copyright owners, and collaborate to ensure The MLC efficiently and effectively fulfills its mandate as we move closer to the launch of the new blanket license for the mechanical reproduction and distribution of musical works by digital music services that will occur on January 1, 2021. Find out more at DigitalLicenseeCoordinator.org.

NASHVILLE, TN – The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) is proud to announce the release of its brand-new Educator Toolkit, created to help college educators teach students – particularly those studying music and music business – about the changes to the administration of digital audio mechanical rights in the United States that will begin taking effect in January 2021 as a result of the landmark Music Modernization Act. With this free resource, The MLC hopes to connect with future music business professionals and aspiring songwriters at the outset of their respective careers.

The Toolkit offers instructors a range of materials they can easily incorporate into their existing syllabi or use to create new course modules. These include a comprehensive and easy-to-understand introductory video, a white-label customizable PowerPoint presentation, suggested classroom activities and exam  questions, and a list of informational videos, articles, and other resources on copyright and the history of mechanical licensing.

Led by Professor Serona Elton, The MLC’s Head of Educational Partnerships, the Toolkit is part of The MLC’s broader educational mandate, which is intended to provide foundational knowledge of what The MLC does and why. “We would love everyone in the music business to know exactly who we are and what we do,” explains Elton, who has a decade in royalties and mechanicals at major labels under her belt, as well as more than a decade as a professor and university leader.

“One way we hope to accomplish this is by engaging the academic community with information and resources that make it easier for them to incorporate material describing the important work of The  MLC into their classes. Today’s music business students are tomorrow’s professionals. They will intern or work for publishers, record companies, digital platforms, and collective rights management  organizations. They will manage artists, many of whom are also songwriters and composers. They are  tomorrow’s entrepreneurs who may develop new platforms and businesses to support creators and rightsholders. Some of them will become professional songwriters and composers. Providing them with  critical knowledge about The MLC’s mission while they are still learning about the industry ensures they will be better informed when they begin their careers.”

In the last decade, The MLC’s mission, and audio mechanical licensing more generally, have become increasingly significant for music professionals in a wide range of roles, making education about this  aspect of the business essential. And with an explosion of new music being released on digital platforms – particularly by independent artists and/or self-administered songwriters – even more individuals need a firm understanding of the mechanical licensing process. “It is more confusing than a lot of other licensing and administrative activities in the industry,” Elton notes. “and it became a lot more difficult for instructors to feel comfortable explaining it” due to the shift to digital music formats and rapid change in the industry.

Elton used her years of classroom, boardroom, and conference panel experience to create materials that spoke to learners’ most pressing questions about licensing. Instead of focusing solely on The MLC, Elton  gave students a fundamental grounding in the systems and legal framework underlying the new blanket  digital mechanical license. “The goal is to give students a deeper understanding of how these licenses work and why The MLC exists in the first place,” she says. "Having that foundation of knowledge will help students grasp day-to-day operational aspects of mechanical licensing and royalties and apply their understanding of rights management to different areas of the music business.”

“Educating up-and-coming future industry executives and songwriters is one of the best ways we can ensure that we will be able to fulfill our mission for them in the future,” notes Kris Ahrend, The MLC’s CEO.

Instructors and educational institutions can find out more about The MLC’s Educator Toolkit here.

About The Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC)
The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) was designated by the U.S. Register of Copyrights in July  2019 pursuant to the Music Modernization Act of 2018. The MLC is responsible for administering the new blanket compulsory license for the use of musical works by digital music services. Starting in January 2021, mechanical royalties from streaming in the U.S. will be processed and paid out by The MLC at no cost to songwriters or music publishers.

The MLC is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of songwriters and representatives of music  publishers. For more background on The MLC and its Board and Committee members, go to TheMLC.com.

New deals with Blokur, Exactuals, Music Data Services, and TuneRegistry will allow clients large and small to check their data on familiar B2B platforms

NASHVILLE, TN – The MLC is announcing that four music data companies are joining its Data Quality Initiative (DQI): Blokur, Exactuals, Music Data Services, and TuneRegistry. Through their work with The MLC, these companies will make it much easier for their users and customers to participate in the DQI and check the accuracy of their musical works data in The MLC's current database.

The DQI provides a streamlined way for music publishers, administrators, self-administered songwriters, composers and lyricists, and ex-US collective management organizations (CMOs) to compare their musical works data with The MLC’s data to ensure The MLC’s data is consistent with theirs. DQI Participants receive reports highlighting the discrepancies between the data they submit for comparison and The MLC’s data. Using these reports, participants can easily identify those discrepancies and then submit any corrections that are needed. Checking their data and making any needed corrections is one of the best things The MLC’s members can do to ensure they receive all of the mechanical royalties they are entitled to receive from The MLC.

Each company will take a different approach to helping their clients and customers participate in the DQI. Some are integrating new functionality into the data-related products, services and software platforms they already offer; others intend to work with their clients “one-on-one” to help them prepare and submit their comparison files and then review the results. Regardless of the approach, all of them will make it easier for their clients and customers to participate in the DQI.

“We’re excited to work with a wide variety of companies that deal with music data, be they emerging  tech startups or legacy players in the music space, because we want to help as many of our members as  possible participate in our Data Quality Initiative,” notes Dae Bogan, Head of Third Party Partnerships at  The MLC. “They offer different tiers of service, from high-cost enterprise platforms to economical new  software targeting self-administered songwriters and smaller publishers.”

“Our team is committed to making the process of checking data as efficient and effective as possible for  all of our members,” says Kris Ahrend, CEO of The MLC. “Enabling innovative companies like these to make it easier for their users and customers to participate in our Data Quality Initiative helps The MLC achieve that important goal. We appreciate their willingness to help support the DQI.”

Companies interested in partnering with The MLC can get started here. More information on the Data Quality Initiative can be found here.

Phil Barry, founder and CEO of Blokur, notes: “Blokur exists to help music publishers and songwriters  get paid what they should, when they should. We’re delighted to partner with The MLC to further this purpose by helping our client base of major and independent publishers to verify that their copyrights are accurately represented in The MLC database and to help ensure a successful launch for The MLC next year. Blokur’s global copyright database, which covers the majority of commercial music, combined with our unique matching technology, makes us ideally placed to help publishers get the best possible results out of the DQI and – crucially – to resolve any issues that are identified in the process painlessly. I applaud The MLC’s efforts to partner with third-party technology companies, which ensures that music publishers have access to the best technology to get the best possible experience from The MLC. We look forward to a fruitful and productive partnership that we  hope will bring great value to the music publishing community.”

“We’re happy to collaborate with The MLC to help songwriters, publishers, and other rights-holders of every size submit the highest-quality metadata for their tracks to this important new organization,” said Chris McMurtry, Head of Music Product at Exactuals. “Our RAI API uses machine learning to quickly and accurately bring catalogs up to date and prepare them for distribution on every DSP. By joining forces with The MLC and their DQI initiative, we are taking a big step forward toward solving the metadata problem.”

Music Data Services’ Abby North says: “As a music rights manager working with self-published songwriters and small publishers, DQI is a tremendous asset. The ability to clearly see disparities in the CMO’s data compared to my clients’ ‘truth’ takes us one step closer to accurate registrations and  accounting, and therefore, increased collections. The MLC is the first CMO I know of that has made tools for rightsholders that provide clear, transparent reporting of internal data conflicts. I look forward to working with The MLC in its data quality efforts.”

“TuneRegistry has always strived to make the difficult process of registering and distributing song metadata as simple as possible, and this partnership with The MLC is an important step forward in our  mission," said William Gary, Manager of Operations at TuneRegistry. “With this partnership, small- and medium-sized rights-holders will be able to register their works and metadata via the same streamlined  process they are used to, while seamlessly checking the accuracy of their work registrations at The MLC. This partnership ensures TuneRegistry users are prepared for the launch of The MLC.”

About The Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC)

The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) was designated by the U.S. Register of Copyrights in July 2019 pursuant to the Music Modernization Act of 2018. The MLC is responsible for administering the new blanket compulsory license for the use of musical works by digital music services. Starting in January 2021, mechanical royalties from streaming in the U.S. will be processed and paid out by The MLC at no cost to songwriters or music publishers.

The MLC is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of songwriters and representatives of music publishers. For more background on The MLC and its Board and Committee members, go to theMLC.com.

NASHVILLE, TN - The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) today announced a full week of panels and programming intended to provide important updates about The MLC’s  progress as the organization prepares to launch its full operations in January 2021.

“We’re looking forward to sharing information and engaging with future Members during this  exciting week of programming,” said Kris Ahrend, CEO of The MLC. “It’s an important time  for future Members of The MLC to catch up on our progress and make sure they are fully prepared for 2021.”

Each day during the Week, The MLC will offer a webinar that features updates about the  progress on different aspects of The MLC’s operations. In addition, participants will hear from  leading stakeholders who were instrumental to the passage of the Music Modernization Act and the establishment of The MLC, including representatives from the U.S. Copyright Office, National Music Publishers' Association, Nashville Songwriters Association International, Digital Licensing Committee, The MLC Board, and senior leaders of The MLC.

A schedule of events follows:

Monday, October 26 at 11:00am CT/ 12:00pm ET: “Join us in Supporting The  MLC” 
Established by the historic Music Modernization Act of 2018, The MLC will address longstanding challenges in how music creators collect the mechanical royalties they’re  owed. During this session, we’ll review the origin and purpose of The MLC and hear directly from industry stakeholders about how this revolutionary organization will empower copyright owners around the globe.

Moderated by Billboard's Robert Levine, this kickoff event features a panel with ABKCO Music & Records, Inc. Chief Operating Officer and The MLC Board Chair  Alisa Coleman; Nashville Songwriters Association International Executive Director Bart  Herbison; National Music Publishers' Association EVP and General Counsel Danielle Aguirre; Digital Media Association President and CEO (and representative for the Digital Licensee Coordinator) Garrett Levin; The MLC CEO Kris Ahrend; and United States Copyright Office General Counsel and Associate Register of Copyrights Regan Smith.

Tuesday, October 27 at 11:00am CT/ 12:00pm ET: “The MLC Portal” 
This session will provide a look into The MLC Portal. The MLC’s Chief Information  Officer Richard Thompson will preview The Portal, discuss the Data Quality Initiative and share updates on next steps.

Wednesday, October 28 at 11:00am CT/ 12:00pm ET: “Members First: Making Customer Service our Priority”  
Service is at the heart of everything we do at The MLC, and we aim to build and maintain strong relationships with each and every person we serve. In this session, join our Head of Customer Experience Lindsey Major and Head of Rights Management Maurice Russell for a live Q&A about our customer service operation and hear how we will strive to exceed expectations and deliver excellence for all. Serona Elton, The MLC’s Head of Educational Partnerships, will moderate this  session.

Thursday, October 29 at 11:00am CT/ 12:00pm ET: “Engaging International,  Educational and Third-Party Partners”
Like any good partnership, success depends upon the engagement and contributions  of each partner. Hear from three of The MLC’s leadership team on how they are building partnerships in three key areas. Panelists include our Head of Third-Party  Partnerships Dae Bogan, Head of International Relations Indi Chawla, and Head of Educational Partnerships Serona Elton.and The MLC’s Head of Rights Management, Maurice Russell, will moderate.

Friday, October 30 at 11:00am CT/ 12:00pm ET: “What’s Next: A Vision for the  Future”
In our final address, we have invited Music Business Association President Portia Sabin for a conversation with CEO Kris Ahrend to discuss The MLC's vision for the  future, including a preview of the milestones that lie ahead over the next six months (and beyond) as The MLC continues to ramp up operations. If you're owed digital mechanical royalties, you won't want to miss this session to preview what's next for The MLC.

For more information about The MLC, visit themlc.com and visit themlc.com/mlc-week for more details about MLC Week.

About The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC)

The Mechanical Licensing  Collective (The MLC) is a nonprofit organization designated by the U.S. Copyright Office  pursuant to the historic Music Modernization Act of 2018. Starting in January 2021, The MLC  will issue and administer blanket mechanical licenses to eligible streaming and download  services (digital service providers or DSPs) in the United States. The MLC will then collect the  royalties due under those licenses from the DSPs and pay songwriters, composers, lyricists  and music publishers - at no cost to writers, publishers or their administrators.

The MLC is governed by a Board of Directors composed of songwriters and representatives of  music publishers. For more background on The MLC and its Board and Committee members, go to TheMLC.com.