Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC)Ensuring Songwriters Get Paid4.2 out of 5
4.2 out of 5
Hot take
The Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC) is a nonprofit organization created under the Music Modernization Act to handle blanket mechanical licensing for digital audio streaming services in the US. MLC's main job is collecting mechanical royalties from platforms like Spotify and Apple Music, and making sure publishers, songwriters, and other rightsholders get paid efficiently and transparently. It boasts a publicly accessible musical works database and a streamlined member portal for direct registration and royalty tracking. While MLC has greatly simplified royalty collection and increased transparency for US digital mechanicals, some users have noted that managing data accuracy and matching royalties to the correct rights holders remains a significant challenge. The service is a much-needed modernization, but creators still need to be proactive about registering and updating their metadata to avoid missed payments.
How was this take was created?
Pros
Nonprofit, creator-focused structure
Centralizes US digital mechanical royalty collection and payment
Transparent, publicly accessible database
Streamlined direct signup for songwriters and publishers
Significant increase in payouts and industry modernization
No cost to creators for registration or membership
Cons
Data accuracy and royalty matching still pose issues
Only covers US digital mechanicals—not physical sales or non-US royalties
Requires creators to actively register and maintain their metadata
Some what reliant on data provided by streaming services
Key Features
Centralized digital mechanical royalty collection
Publicly accessible musical works database
Direct signup and member portal for rights management
Automated royalty payouts to songwriters and publishers
Participation in industry-wide Data Quality Initiatives
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