What Is the MLC?
The Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC) is a U.S. nonprofit organization created by the Music Modernization Act in 2021. Its job is simple: collect and distribute mechanical royalties from interactive streaming services like Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Tidal, and YouTube Music.
Every time your song is streamed on one of these platforms, a mechanical royalty is generated. This is separate from the performance royalty your PRO collects and the recording royalty your distributor pays. It's a completely separate revenue stream — and most independent artists aren't collecting it.
Why Should You Care?
Because the MLC is holding hundreds of millions of dollars in unclaimed mechanical royalties right now. This is real money, generated by real streams of real songs, sitting in a pool because the MLC can't find the songwriters to pay.
If your songs aren't registered with the MLC, streaming platforms literally cannot pay you your mechanical royalties. The money goes into an unmatched pool. After a holding period, it gets redistributed to major publishers based on market share — which means your money goes to Sony, Universal, and Warner instead of you.
How Much Money Are We Talking About?
The statutory rate for interactive streaming mechanicals is set by the Copyright Royalty Board. While the per-stream rate is fractions of a cent, it adds up fast:
- An artist with 100,000 monthly streams could be missing $200–400/year in mechanical royalties
- An artist with 1 million monthly streams could be missing $2,000–4,000/year
- An artist with 10 million lifetime streams could be missing $5,000–15,000 in cumulative unclaimed mechanicals
These numbers vary based on the streaming platform, territory, and specific rates, but the point is clear: this isn't pocket change.
Who Needs to Register?
If you meet ALL of these criteria, you need to register with the MLC:
- You wrote or co-wrote songs (you're a songwriter or composer)
- Your songs are available on interactive streaming platforms (Spotify, Apple Music, etc.)
- You don't have a publishing administrator handling your registrations (like Songtrust, CD Baby Pro, or a traditional publisher)
If you use a publishing administrator, check with them to confirm they've registered your songs with the MLC. Many artists assume their pub admin handles everything — but gaps happen more often than you'd think.
How to Register with the MLC
- Go to portal.themlc.com and create a free account
- Register as a self-administered songwriter (if you don't have a publisher)
- Submit your songs with their ISRCs so the MLC can match your compositions to the recordings on streaming platforms
- The MLC will begin distributing your mechanical royalties on the next payment cycle
Registration is free. There's no reason not to do it.
How to Check If You're Already Registered
This is where it gets tricky. You can search the MLC's database manually, but it's tedious — especially if you have a large catalog.
RoyaltyCoPilot.ai automates this process. Import your catalog from Spotify, and we'll check every single song against the MLC database in minutes. You'll see exactly which songs are:
- ✅ Fully registered
- ⚠️ Partially registered (missing data)
- ❌ Not in the MLC at all
Most artists who run their first scan are surprised by what they find. The average independent artist discovers 3–7 registration issues in their first audit.
Common MLC Mistakes
Mistake 1: Assuming your distributor handles it. Your distributor (DistroKid, TuneCore, CD Baby) collects your recording royalties. They do NOT register your songs with the MLC for mechanical royalties. These are two separate things.
Mistake 2: Registering once and forgetting. Every new song you release needs to be registered with the MLC. If you release a new single and don't register it, you won't collect mechanicals on that song.
Mistake 3: Not checking for errors. Even if you registered, metadata errors (wrong ISRC, misspelled name, incorrect splits) can prevent the MLC from matching your songs. A regular audit catches these issues.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is MLC registration free? Yes. Registering with the MLC is completely free. There are no annual fees or commissions deducted from your royalties.
How often does the MLC pay? The MLC distributes royalties quarterly. Payments are typically made within 45–60 days after the close of each quarter.
Can I register if I have a publishing deal? If you have a traditional publishing deal, your publisher handles MLC registration. If you're self-administered or use a pub admin (Songtrust, etc.), you or they register directly.
What if my songs were already streaming before I registered? The MLC holds royalties retroactively. When you register, you can claim back royalties that have been held for your songs, subject to their holding period policies.
The Bottom Line
The MLC exists to pay you money you've already earned. If you're not registered, that money goes to someone else. Registration is free, takes 15 minutes, and the audit to check your status is free at RoyaltyCoPilot.ai.
Don't leave money on the table. Start your free audit →