Understanding Monthly Royalty Payments and Statements
The MLC issues royalty payments and statements monthly, approximately 75 days after the end of each calendar month. Payments include royalties collected from digital service providers for the applicable usage period, and statements may also include retroactive royalties.
When are royalty payments made?
Royalty payments are issued about 75 days after the end of each monthly usage period. For example, payments and statements delivered in April cover royalties collected for January usage.
What do payments include?
Payments may include:
- Newly reported royalties
- Retroactive royalties
- Unclaimed accrued royalties distributed on regular monthly royalty statements
- Remaining historical royalties, which are also shown on regular monthly royalty statements
Retroactive royalties are distributed on a non-linear schedule, so royalties from prior usage periods may not appear on a single statement.
How are royalty amounts determined?
The MLC pays the Member account the correct amount for the percentage of Publishing the Member claims.
How can royalty payments be tracked?
Members can review royalty statements to see payment details. Helpful statement fields include:
- Processing Type
- Usage Period Start Date
- Usage Period End Date
Members can also use the royalty payment timeline and schedule to review the expected distribution timing.
What should members know about future distributions?
For early 2027 distributions tied to unclaimed accrued royalty distributions under the Music Modernization Act, advance notice and timing details will be shared before those distributions begin. Remaining royalties will continue to be distributed monthly, one month of 2021 usage at a time, and will appear on regular monthly royalty statements.