The MLC Announces Two Advisory Committee Appointments

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. 

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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 www.TheMLC.com