past events

Publisher Shar'n Clark answers songwriter's questions as it comes to publishing administration and 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 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 self-administered songwriters, composers, lyricists and music publishers.   What does that mean for self-administered writers? The MLC hosted a webinar that detailed what self-administered writers can do to make sure they receive this important income stream. It included The MLC’s activities to-date and plans for the future, as well as, eligibility for joining The MLC and how self-administered writers can Connect to Collect to receive the digital audio mechanical royalties they’re owed. Serona Elton, The MLC’s Head of Educational partnerships, guided self-administered writers through the process of organizing their musical works data ahead of the roll out of The MLC Portal.