General Questions About The MLC

The MLC is a U.S.-based nonprofit organization created by the U.S. Copyright Office as a result of the Music Modernization Act of 2018.

The MLC's purpose is to issue and administer digital audio mechanical royalties from digital streaming platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon.

The MLC is fully funded by digital service providers (DSPs), so operational costs are not passed along to songwriters, publishers, or other rightsholders.

Why should I sign up with The MLC?

The MLC is the organization that collects U.S. digital audio mechanical royalties from participating streaming platforms.

If you have a publisher or administrator who manages your royalties for you, they will take care of ensuring your songs are registered with The MLC and collecting your royalties. However, you should check your Songwriter Hub account, where you can compile, organize, and verify your works.

If you administer some or all of your own works, you need to join the MLC Member Hub to collect those royalties.

Do I still need The MLC if I have a PRO?

Yes. The MLC does not replace the duties of a Performing Rights Organization (PRO).

Your PRO collects public performance royalties, while The MLC collects mechanical royalties from U.S. streaming platforms.

To receive both types of royalties, you need to be registered with both organizations.

Should I register my works with The MLC if I use a publishing or administration service?

Generally, if you have an agreement with a publishing administration service, the service will register your works with The MLC and collect your share of royalties on your behalf.

If you use a service such as TuneCore, CD Baby, Boost Publishing, Songtrust, or a similar service, check the specific services included in your agreement.

Some services offer music distribution by default, while publishing administration is typically an optional service.

If you are unsure of your affiliation or whether your service includes publishing administration, sign in to your account with that service and review the service details, or contact the service directly to confirm whether you have enrolled in publishing administration in addition to distribution.

What if my publishing administration agreement does not cover all of my works?

If your shares of musical works are not under a publisher or administration service agreement, and you retain administration rights, your share of the works is considered self-administered.

You will need to create an MLC Member account and register your share of the works to collect the digital audio mechanical royalties payable by The MLC.

You may also want to create a Songwriter Hub account. Songwriter Hub is The MLC's dedicated platform for songwriters with a publishing or administrative deal on any of their works.

What types of royalties does The MLC collect?

The MLC collects and distributes digital audio mechanical royalties for streams and certain downloads generated in the U.S.

These royalties come from digital service providers that participate in The MLC's blanket license and are distributed according to the publishing shares of each musical work.

The MLC does not collect:

International mechanical royalties
Performance royalties
Sync royalties
Mechanical royalties from video services such as YouTube, TikTok, or Facebook
Physical sale royalties such as vinyl or CDs
Lyric-generated royalties, such as Instagram stickers
Non-musical works such as nature sounds or spoken word

What types of downloads does The MLC collect royalties on?

The MLC collects digital audio mechanical royalties on streaming and two types of downloads.

Limited downloads

A limited download is a digital transmission of a sound recording where the listener's access is restricted either by time or by the number of plays.

Examples include recordings made available for offline listening on services such as Spotify or Apple Music.

Permanent downloads

A permanent download, from certain DSPs, is a digital transmission of a sound recording in the form of a download where the listener has unlimited access to play it at any time.

How can I see which DSPs participate?

Members can view a list of DSPs participating in The MLC's blanket license for a given month, along with the type of usage—streaming or downloads—in the Distribution Notes found on the Royalty Summary page.

What is a mechanical royalty?

A mechanical royalty is paid every time a song is reproduced.

For example, a mechanical royalty is generated when your song is:

Streamed on an interactive streaming platform such as Spotify, Apple Music, or Amazon
Downloaded as an MP3 from a store such as iTunes or Amazon
Sold on a physical product such as a vinyl record or CD

However, The MLC only collects and pays mechanical royalties from streaming platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon in the U.S.

Questions about AI-generated works

The MLC follows U.S. copyright law and guidance issued by the U.S. Copyright Office (USCO).

Under current guidance, musical works that include meaningful human authorship may be eligible for copyright protection and registration with The MLC.

Musical works that are entirely created by AI and lack human authorship are not eligible to be registered.

Does The MLC determine whether an AI-generated work is eligible for copyright?

No.

The MLC does not evaluate or independently determine whether a specific work meets the legal threshold for human authorship.

Questions about copyright eligibility or authorship should be reviewed using the U.S. Copyright Office's guidance or with legal counsel.

How does The MLC handle works that combine AI and human authorship?

Current U.S. Copyright Office guidance indicates that:

Musical works that include meaningful human authorship may be eligible for copyright protection and registration.
Musical works that lack sufficient human authorship are not eligible for copyright protection and cannot be registered with The MLC.
Current law does not allow The MLC to require Members to disclose AI use or to reduce or deny royalties to works that combine AI with sufficient human authorship.
Eligibility determinations related to authorship are governed by copyright law, not by The MLC's discretion.
The MLC will continue to follow current law and will update its processes if new legislation, regulations, or U.S. Copyright Office guidance are adopted.

For more information about how the U.S. Copyright Office approaches works created with AI, review their published guidance directly.

Does The MLC collect international royalties?

The MLC collects mechanical royalties from streaming and download platforms in the U.S. only.

International royalties are outside the scope of what The MLC can collect.

If you are interested in collecting international royalties, The MLC recommends researching Collective Management Organizations (CMOs) in other countries.

Organizations such as Music Business Association, CISAC, and CISAC Member Societies provide information and resources about the music industry and rights management.

Should I sign up with The MLC if I live outside the U.S.?

The source flowchart states that you can join The MLC as a citizen/resident of [COUNTRY NAME] and explains that The MLC collects and distributes digital audio mechanical royalties for streams in the United States only.

If you have a publishing administrator or Collection Management Organization collecting international royalties on your behalf, you will not need to sign up with The MLC personally. That organization can register your works with The MLC and route your share of royalties to you.

If you are operating as a self-administered songwriter, the flowchart recommends registering with The MLC.

Content note: The source contains a [COUNTRY NAME] placeholder. This should be replaced with the applicable country before publishing this article if a specific country is intended.

How do I use the Public Work Search?

The MLC Public Work Search is a free research tool that allows anyone to search for and review musical works ownership data available through The MLC.

You can use the Public Work Search to:

Confirm whether a work has been registered with The MLC
Review ownership information currently associated with a work
Search for work titles and alternate titles
Search for ISWCs and other work identifiers
View writers and writer IPIs
View publishers and publisher IPIs
View current ownership claims
View matched recordings associated with a work

The information displayed in the Public Work Search is provided and maintained by The MLC's Members, including publishers, administrators, self-administered songwriters, composers, and lyricists.

Because ownership information is updated by Members, the information displayed in the Public Work Search may change over time.

Can I update a work through Public Work Search?

No. The Public Work Search is a research tool only.

You cannot edit work information or claim ownership shares through the Public Work Search.

How do I claim an ownership share?

To claim ownership shares in a work, use the Claiming Tool in your MLC Member Hub.

How do I update information associated with a work?

Certain details may be updated through the appropriate workflows in your Member Hub or Songwriter Hub.

Updates to existing writer or publisher information may require assistance from The MLC's Support team.

For additional information, refer to the Help Center article “How do I edit my work?”

Quick Answers

What does The MLC do?

The MLC issues and administers U.S. digital audio mechanical royalties from participating digital streaming platforms and certain download services.

Why should I sign up with The MLC?

If you self-administer some or all of your works, you need to join the MLC Member Hub to collect the digital audio mechanical royalties payable by The MLC. If a publisher or administrator manages your works, they may handle registration and royalty collection on your behalf.

Do I need The MLC if I have a PRO?

Yes. A PRO collects public performance royalties, while The MLC collects mechanical royalties from U.S. streaming platforms. To receive both types of royalties, you need to be registered with both.

What royalties does The MLC collect?

The MLC collects U.S. digital audio mechanical royalties from participating streaming platforms and certain downloads.

Does The MLC collect performance royalties?

No. Performance royalties are collected by Performing Rights Organizations (PROs).

Does The MLC collect international royalties?

No. The MLC collects mechanical royalties from streaming and download platforms in the U.S. only.

Does The MLC collect royalties from YouTube?

The flowchart states that The MLC does not collect mechanical royalties from video services such as YouTube, TikTok, or Facebook.

Does The MLC collect royalties from vinyl or CDs?

No. The MLC does not collect physical sale royalties such as royalties from vinyl or CDs.

What is a mechanical royalty?

A mechanical royalty is paid when a song is reproduced.

What is a limited download?

A limited download is a digital transmission of a sound recording where the listener's access is restricted by time or by the number of plays.

What is a permanent download?

A permanent download is a digital transmission of a sound recording in the form of a download where the listener has unlimited access to play it at any time.

Can I register an entirely AI-generated musical work with The MLC?

The flowchart states that musical works entirely created by AI and lacking human authorship are not eligible for copyright protection and cannot be registered with The MLC.

Does The MLC decide whether my AI-generated work qualifies for copyright protection?

No. The MLC does not independently determine whether a work meets the legal threshold for human authorship. Questions about copyright eligibility should be reviewed using U.S. Copyright Office guidance or with legal counsel.

What is the Public Work Search?

The MLC Public Work Search is a free research tool that allows anyone to search for and review musical works ownership information available through The MLC.

Can I claim ownership through Public Work Search?

No. Public Work Search is a research tool only. To claim ownership shares, use the Claiming Tool in your MLC Member Hub.

Can I edit a work through Public Work Search?

No. Certain work information may be updated through the appropriate workflows in your Member Hub or Songwriter Hub.

Customer Agent Decision Rules

Use the following rules when answering general questions about The MLC:

If the customer asks what The MLC is, explain its role in administering U.S. digital audio mechanical royalties.
If the customer asks whether they need The MLC if they have a PRO, explain the difference between mechanical and public performance royalties.
If the customer has a publisher or administrator, explain that the publisher/administrator may handle registration and collection on their behalf.
If the customer self-administers some or all of their works, explain that they need an MLC Member account to collect applicable digital audio mechanical royalties.
If the customer asks what royalties The MLC collects, distinguish U.S. digital audio mechanical royalties from royalty types outside The MLC's scope.
Do not tell customers that The MLC collects international mechanical royalties, performance royalties, sync royalties, video-service mechanical royalties, physical-sale royalties, lyric-generated royalties, or royalties for non-musical works.
If the customer asks about downloads, distinguish limited downloads from permanent downloads.
For AI-related questions, do not make independent legal or copyright eligibility determinations. Explain the information in this article and direct customers to U.S. Copyright Office guidance or legal counsel for legal questions.
If the customer asks about international royalties, explain that The MLC collects U.S. royalties only and that international collection is outside its scope.
If the customer asks whether they can edit or claim ownership through Public Work Search, explain that Public Work Search is a research tool only.
If the customer wants to claim an ownership share, direct them to the Claiming Tool in the MLC Member Hub.
If the customer wants to update work information, explain that appropriate workflows are available through Member Hub or Songwriter Hub and that some updates may require Support assistance.
Do not expose internal IHC Node, SR, or RR labels to customers.
Do not invent eligibility requirements, royalty types, registration requirements, or international collection arrangements that are not supported by this source.