It’s widely understood that artists get paid when their songs are streamed or downloaded across digital service providers (DSPs) around the world. But what about the songwriters, the people behind the songs? Where is their share of the royalties?
That’s where the Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) comes in. Navigating the complex world of digital mechanical royalties, also called streaming royalties, can feel complicated. Whether you’re an established songwriter or just starting out, having a guide is key to claiming the royalties you’ve earned.
How The MLC Came to Be
In 2018, the Music Modernization Act (MMA) modernized how copyright is handled in the digital streaming era. This historic legislation led to the creation of The MLC, which streamlines how U.S. digital service providers license music.
The goal? To ensure that songwriters, composers, lyricists, and their publishing and administrative partners receive accurate compensation for their digital mechanical royalties when their music streams on platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and others.
Signing up with The MLC is free, and 100% of earnings go directly to rightsholders. It’s no surprise that over 80,000 Members have joined since The MLC began full operations in 2021. The nonprofit also maintains a publicly accessible database and portal, where creators can register, update their information, and track their payments.
Who Should Join
Whether you’re a self-administered songwriter (meaning you don’t have a publisher or administrator collecting royalties for you), a music publisher, or an administrator (think Sony ATV, Warner Chappell, Songtrust, Tunecore), you’re entitled to receive mechanical royalties from your digital streams. Joining The MLC lets you start collecting those royalties right away.
We get it—figuring out how to claim royalties from streaming can be overwhelming. But here’s the good news: The MLC offers step-by-step guidance on how to get started, available at themlc.com/get-started. There’s also comprehensive resources you can search by audience to help with questions about payments, eligibility, and more at themlc.com/resources.
If you are a songwriter with a publisher or administrator collecting your royalties, or someone who works with songwriters, you can still connect with The MLC and join the Songwriter Hub. The Songwriter Hub provides an easy way for songwriters and their teams to view, organize, and manage their song data with The MLC.
Unlock Your Royalties
Whether you’re performing your own hits onstage or writing behind the scenes for others, it’s important for songwriters to get the compensation they deserve. By joining The MLC and using the Songwriter Hub, you’re unlocking royalties you’ve already earned and opening the door to a reliable income stream that can make a real difference in your career.
