This is one of the most common questions we hear, and the answer is yes — you absolutely need both. They collect different types of royalties from different sources.
Your PRO (ASCAP, BMI, SESAC) collects performance royalties. These are generated when your composition is publicly performed — on the radio, on TV, in restaurants, at live venues, and through streaming.
The MLC collects mechanical royalties. These are generated when your composition is reproduced — which includes every interactive stream on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon, and other platforms.
Same song, different royalties: When your song plays on Spotify, it generates BOTH a performance royalty (collected by your PRO) and a mechanical royalty (collected by the MLC). If you're only registered with your PRO, you're collecting one but not the other.
What about your distributor? Your distributor (DistroKid, TuneCore, etc.) collects recording royalties — the money owed to the owner of the sound recording. This is yet another separate revenue stream. If you wrote and recorded the song, you're owed all three.
The bottom line: Most independent artists are registered with their PRO and their distributor, but NOT the MLC. That means they're collecting two out of three revenue streams and leaving the third on the table.
Check your coverage: RoyaltyCoPilot.ai scans your catalog against the MLC, SoundExchange, and your PRO simultaneously. In minutes, you'll see exactly where you're covered and where you're not.