Songwriters: Are You Getting Paid All The Mechanical Royalties You Should Be? 

The MLC announced that it has distributed $2 billion in its first three years, but navigating the digital music royalty maze can be challenging. This guide reviews what all songwriters need to know so that they are correctly compensated.

Songwriters: Are You Getting Paid All The Mechanical Royalties You Should Be?  

In the complex landscape of digital music royalties, navigating royalty collection can be a complicated journey. The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) plays a pivotal role in ensuring that songwriters receive the digital mechanical royalties (aka streaming royalties) they rightfully deserve. Below, we break down what The MLC is and why it matters to you.   

What is The MLC?   

The MLC is a nonprofit organization revolutionizing the way songwriters, publishers and other rightsholders are paid for their music that streams on digital platforms (like Apple Music and Spotify). Every month, The MLC collects the streaming data and royalties from those platforms, matches the money to the creator who has earned it, and then pays them (or their publishers and administrator partners) the mechanical royalties they are due. 

The MLC works to ensure songwriters, composers, lyricists and music publishers receive their mechanical royalties from streaming and download services in the U.S. accurately and on time. To date, The MLC has distributed over $2 billion in total royalties and has over 38,000 Members.   

Who Needs to Become A Member of The MLC?   

Anyone who is entitled to receive digital audio mechanical royalties in the United States, including self-administered songwriters, composers, lyricists, music publishers and administrators needs to become a Member of The MLC. But what does it actually mean to be self-administered?

A self-administered songwriter is someone who acts as music publisher of the works they have created.   

Let’s break it down… 

A writer may be fully or partially self-administered:  

• Fully self-administered songwriters have the sole right to register, license and collect royalties for their works.   
• Partially self-administered songwriters have the sole right to register, license and collect royalties for some of their works, while other works are administered by a publisher or administrator they have entered into a legal agreement with.  

If you’re still unsure if you are a self-administered songwriter, click here and ask yourself these four questions.

At The MLC, we help creators (and their publishers and administrator partners) collect digital audio mechanical royalties. Joining The MLC ensures that you receive all the mechanical royalties owed to you – and membership is FREE! In an era of streaming and digital music consumption, these royalties are an essential source of income for songwriters.   

Want more information?  

We know it can be difficult to navigate all the steps to collect different types of royalties, especially if you don’t have a publisher or administrator. The MLC is here to help with a to-do list for songwriters, composers and lyricists to ensure you are receiving all your song-related (aka publishing) royalties. Click here for our to-do list!   

For more information and to learn how to become a Member of The MLC, click here. You can gain additional answers and insights about The MLC by visiting the FAQ page.