Organizations & Societies
The MLC (Mechanical Licensing Collective)
The MLC collects mechanical royalties for songwriters and publishers when songs are streamed or downloaded in the US.
The Mechanical Licensing Collective makes sure songwriters and publishers get paid the mechanical royalties owed when their compositions are streamed or downloaded in the US. It collects from services like Spotify and Apple Music and pays the people who wrote or own the songs.
The MLC also keeps a public works database, so creators can check whether their songs are matched and paid correctly. Notes registers your works with The MLC and reconciles what it pays out.
Good to know
The MLC (Mechanical Licensing Collective): common questions
- What does The MLC collect?
- US streaming and download mechanical royalties on the composition — created under the Music Modernization Act.
- How do I know if I'm missing MLC royalties?
- Unmatched or unregistered works show up as unpaid in The MLC's database. Notes reviews your catalog and fixes the registrations so the money flows.
