{"id":752032,"date":"2026-11-07T18:55:30","date_gmt":"2026-11-07T15:55:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-indie-songwriters-should-know-about-the-mechanical-licensing-collective\/"},"modified":"2026-11-07T18:55:30","modified_gmt":"2026-11-07T15:55:30","slug":"why-indie-songwriters-should-know-about-the-mechanical-licensing-collective","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-indie-songwriters-should-know-about-the-mechanical-licensing-collective\/","title":{"rendered":"Why indie songwriters should know about The Mechanical Licensing Collective"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_89 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6af61324b5ab7\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6af61324b5ab7\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-indie-songwriters-should-know-about-the-mechanical-licensing-collective\/#Heres_everything_you_need_to_know_about_digital_mechanical_royalties_%E2%80%94_and_how_The_MLC_can_help_you_collect_them\" >Here\u2019s everything you need to know about digital mechanical royalties \u2014 and how The MLC can help you collect them.<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-5' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-5'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-5' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-5'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-5' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-5'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-indie-songwriters-should-know-about-the-mechanical-licensing-collective\/#What_are_royalties\" >What are royalties?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-5'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-indie-songwriters-should-know-about-the-mechanical-licensing-collective\/#What_is_the_Mechanical_Licensing_Collective\" >What is the Mechanical Licensing Collective?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-5'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-indie-songwriters-should-know-about-the-mechanical-licensing-collective\/#How_does_receiving_royalties_from_MLC_work\" >How does receiving royalties from MLC work?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-5'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-indie-songwriters-should-know-about-the-mechanical-licensing-collective\/#Why_claiming_all_of_your_royalties_is_important\" >Why claiming all of your royalties is important<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"deck\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Heres_everything_you_need_to_know_about_digital_mechanical_royalties_%E2%80%94_and_how_The_MLC_can_help_you_collect_them\"><\/span>Here\u2019s everything you need to know about digital mechanical royalties \u2014 and how The MLC can help you collect them.<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<div class=\"content_blocks\">\n<style>\n<\/style>\n<div id=\"content_block-285686\" class=\"content_block paragraph image triple_gutter_right triple_gutter_left center_align\">\n<div class=\"content_inner_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"media_wrapper\">\n<p>  <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_760,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/young-singer-or-musician-of-african-ethnicity-and-2023-11-27-05-11-18-utc_1_pjilq6\/mechanical-licensing-collective-royalties-independent-artists.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_220,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/young-singer-or-musician-of-african-ethnicity-and-2023-11-27-05-11-18-utc_1_pjilq6\/mechanical-licensing-collective-royalties-independent-artists.jpg 220w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_300,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/young-singer-or-musician-of-african-ethnicity-and-2023-11-27-05-11-18-utc_1_pjilq6\/mechanical-licensing-collective-royalties-independent-artists.jpg 300w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_400,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/young-singer-or-musician-of-african-ethnicity-and-2023-11-27-05-11-18-utc_1_pjilq6\/mechanical-licensing-collective-royalties-independent-artists.jpg 400w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_600,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/young-singer-or-musician-of-african-ethnicity-and-2023-11-27-05-11-18-utc_1_pjilq6\/mechanical-licensing-collective-royalties-independent-artists.jpg 600w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_750,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/young-singer-or-musician-of-african-ethnicity-and-2023-11-27-05-11-18-utc_1_pjilq6\/mechanical-licensing-collective-royalties-independent-artists.jpg 750w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_840,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/young-singer-or-musician-of-african-ethnicity-and-2023-11-27-05-11-18-utc_1_pjilq6\/mechanical-licensing-collective-royalties-independent-artists.jpg 840w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_960,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/young-singer-or-musician-of-african-ethnicity-and-2023-11-27-05-11-18-utc_1_pjilq6\/mechanical-licensing-collective-royalties-independent-artists.jpg 960w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_1260,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/young-singer-or-musician-of-african-ethnicity-and-2023-11-27-05-11-18-utc_1_pjilq6\/mechanical-licensing-collective-royalties-independent-artists.jpg 1260w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_1800,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/young-singer-or-musician-of-african-ethnicity-and-2023-11-27-05-11-18-utc_1_pjilq6\/mechanical-licensing-collective-royalties-independent-artists.jpg 1800w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_2400,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/young-singer-or-musician-of-african-ethnicity-and-2023-11-27-05-11-18-utc_1_pjilq6\/mechanical-licensing-collective-royalties-independent-artists.jpg 2400w,\" sizes=\"60vw\" alt=\"Why indie songwriters should know about The Mechanical Licensing Collective\"><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"img_caption\"><\/p>\n<p>  <span class=\"credit\"><\/p>\n<p>      via MLC<\/p>\n<p>  <\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<style>\n<\/style>\n<div id=\"content_block-285685\" class=\"content_block paragraph text triple_gutter_right triple_gutter_left center_align\">\n<div class=\"content_inner_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"paragraph_wrapper center_align\">\n<p>\n            The process of collecting royalties, especially as an independent songwriter, can be difficult to navigate. With the rise of digital streaming platforms (DSPs), songs have the ability to reach so many more listeners than they ever had before. The rise of DSPs has also created a new category of royalties \u2014  digital audio mechanical royalties. Here\u2019s what independent musicians need to know about royalty payments and how The <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_new\" href=\"https:\/\/www.themlc.com\/\">Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC)<\/a> can help.\n          <\/p>\n<div class=\"\" style=\"padding-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px; text-align: left;\">\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<style>\n<\/style>\n<div id=\"content_block-285687\" class=\"content_block paragraph text triple_gutter_right triple_gutter_left center_align\">\n<div class=\"content_inner_wrapper\">\n<h5 class=\"headline\" style=\"margin-bottom: 30px;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_are_royalties\"><\/span>\n        What are royalties?<br \/>\n      <span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h5>\n<div class=\"paragraph_wrapper center_align\">\n<p>\n            Royalties are payments made to rightsholders when their copyrighted music is used. There are different types of royalties, depending on how a song or recording is used.\n          <\/p>\n<p>\n            Songwriters can earn different types of royalties, including performance royalties when their songs are performed publicly and mechanical royalties when their songs are reproduced, including through eligible streams and <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">download<\/a>s.\n          <\/p>\n<p>\n            Performing rights organizations (PROs), such as BMI, ASCAP and SESAC, collect performance royalties for songwriters and music publishers. <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_new\" href=\"https:\/\/www.themlc.com\/\">The MLC<\/a> collects and distributes U.S. digital audio mechanical royalties on streaming services, such as Spotify and Apple Music, when music is streamed or downloaded.\n          <\/p>\n<p>\n            Naturally, that raises some questions, like, \u201cWhat is The MLC?&#8221; and &#8220;How do they make sure I get paid for streams or downloads through digital platforms?&#8221;\n          <\/p>\n<div class=\"\" style=\"padding-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px; text-align: left;\">\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<style>\n<\/style>\n<div id=\"content_block-285688\" class=\"content_block paragraph text triple_gutter_right triple_gutter_left center_align\">\n<div class=\"content_inner_wrapper\">\n<h5 class=\"headline\" style=\"margin-bottom: 30px;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_the_Mechanical_Licensing_Collective\"><\/span>\n        What is the Mechanical Licensing Collective?<br \/>\n      <span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h5>\n<div class=\"paragraph_wrapper center_align\">\n<p>\n            Since January of 2021, The MLC collects and distributes royalties from digital music platforms by matching data on music usage and listening activity with rightsholders and distributing royalties to said rightsholders.\n          <\/p>\n<p>\n            To make sure you get these royalties for all digital use of your music, you can become a Member of The MLC. <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_new\" href=\"https:\/\/www.themlc.com\/membership\">Becoming a Member is free<\/a>, and The MLC will give you 100% of the royalties you deserve without charging extra fees.\n          <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<style>\n<\/style>\n<div id=\"content_block-285689\" class=\"content_block paragraph text triple_gutter_right triple_gutter_left center_align\">\n<div class=\"content_inner_wrapper\">\n<h5 class=\"headline\" style=\"margin-bottom: 30px;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_does_receiving_royalties_from_MLC_work\"><\/span>\n        How does receiving royalties from MLC work?<br \/>\n      <span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h5>\n<div class=\"paragraph_wrapper center_align\">\n<p>\n            Songwriters have two options depending on how their music is managed:\n          <\/p>\n<p>\n            1. If you administer your songs independently, your membership at the MLC will allow you to review your ownership shares and register songs that are not already in The MLC\u2019s database.\n          <\/p>\n<div class=\"\" style=\"padding-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px; text-align: left;\">\n<\/div>\n<p>\n            One important note: Take a moment to check that your name, IPI number and other song information are accurate and up to date. Keeping this information current helps The MLC identify your songs and match royalties to the correct rightsholders based on the information reported by digital services.\n          <\/p>\n<p>\n            Connecting with The MLC allows you to review recordings associated with your songs, suggest potential matches for unmatched recordings, and claim your ownership shares in songs.\n          <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<style>\n<\/style>\n<div id=\"content_block-285793\" class=\"content_block paragraph text triple_gutter_right triple_gutter_left center_align\">\n<div class=\"content_inner_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"paragraph_wrapper center_align\">\n<p>\n            2. If you work with a publisher or an administrator, you can manage your song data through the <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_new\" href=\"https:\/\/www.themlc.com\/songwriter-hub\">Songwriter Hub<\/a>. The Songwriter Hub allows you to view and organize your song catalog so you can review it with your publisher or administrator. It also lets you review ownership information and identify potential issues with your song registrations. You can also use available tools to help identify recordings that may match your songs and review your information, including your IPI number.\n          <\/p>\n<p>\n            Another important note: If your song\u2019s ownership information is missing or incomplete, The MLC might not be able to help you match listening activity data to your songs.\n          <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"content_block paragraph triple_gutter_right triple_gutter_left\">\n<div class=\"content_inner_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"\" style=\"padding-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px; text-align: left;\">\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<style>\n<\/style>\n<div id=\"content_block-285690\" class=\"content_block paragraph text triple_gutter_right triple_gutter_left center_align\">\n<div class=\"content_inner_wrapper\">\n<h5 class=\"headline\" style=\"margin-bottom: 30px;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_claiming_all_of_your_royalties_is_important\"><\/span>\n        Why claiming all of your royalties is important<br \/>\n      <span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h5>\n<div class=\"paragraph_wrapper center_align\">\n<p>\n            Whether you are administering your music yourself or you are working with a publisher, it\u2019s critical to understand where all of your royalties go. If you do not claim all your royalties, or your royalties are unmatched, The MLC will do what they can to ensure digital mechanical royalties are matched with the correct rightsholder.\n          <\/p>\n<p>\n            However, if royalties remain unmatched or unclaimed, they may be included in future market share distributions. The MLC&#8217;s monthly market share distributions will begin in April 2027, starting with royalties from 2021, and will continue on an ongoing basis. To learn more about market share distributions and the steps you can take today, visit The MLC&#8217;s <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_new\" href=\"https:\/\/www.themlc.com\/marketshare\">Market Share page<\/a>.\n          <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/p>\n<div class=\"author\">\n    <span><br \/>\n      By <span class=\"credit_name\">The FADER<\/span><br \/>\n  <\/span><\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMN63nwsw68G3Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more Like this articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" target=\"_blank\" >Social Media category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thefader.com\/2026\/11\/06\/mechanical-licensing-collective-royalties-independent-artists\" target=\"_blank\" >Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Here\u2019s everything you need to know about digital mechanical royalties \u2014 and how The MLC can help you collect them. via MLC The process of collecting royalties, especially as an independent songwriter, can be difficult to navigate. With the rise of digital streaming platforms (DSPs), songs have the ability to reach so many more listeners&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":752033,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/c_limit,w_1024\/c_crop,h_533,w_1024,x_0,y_21,f_auto,q_auto:eco\/young-singer-or-musician-of-african-ethnicity-and-2023-11-27-05-11-18-utc_1_hptdkt\/young-singer-or-musician-of-african-ethnicity-and-2023-11-27-05-11-18-utc_1_hptdkt.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[4965],"class_list":["post-752032","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-social-mediaa","tag-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/752032","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=752032"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/752032\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/752033"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=752032"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=752032"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=752032"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}