In this newsletter, we provide key metrics from this month’s royalty distribution, along with important reminders about voting for board seats and our upcoming Annual Membership Meeting.
Summer is winding down and we are gearing up for what promises to be a busy and productive rest of the year at The MLC!
In this newsletter, we provide key metrics from this month’s royalty distribution, along with important reminders about voting for board seats and our upcoming Annual Membership Meeting. We also share the latest enhancements to The MLC Portal and details about an informative new webinar happening on August 27. Finally, we highlight our annual Member survey (open now through August 29) and how you can vote to see The MLC at SXSW 2026 (now through August 24).
Be sure to check out the event listing at the end of this newsletter to see what we have planned for September. We have lots of industry events coming up and we hope to see some of you in person!
The MLC completed its eighth royalty distribution of the year on August 14. August’s distribution primarily covered newly reported usage that took place in May 2025. The total of all royalty pools reported to The MLC for this cycle was approximately $77.6 million.
Every month, our team attempts to match the newly reported sound recording uses we receive to the musical works data in our public database and then distributes the resulting matched royalties to our Members. This month, we were able to match nearly 85 percent of the total royalty pools reported to us by DSPs for their May 2025 usage to songs registered in our database.
After deducting royalties for usage covered by voluntary licenses maintained by DSPs with rightsholders, we collected approximately $74.9 million in royalties and distributed approximately $56.5 million to our Members. To learn more about our August 2025 distribution, click here:
We continue to process adjustments to blanket royalties for usage originally reported during the last two years of the Phono 3 rate period (i.e., 2021 and 2022). These adjustments represent the difference between the royalties we initially processed for the usage periods from those two years at the Phono 2 rates and the royalties that are due at the final Phono 3 rates. In the August distribution, we processed blanket royalty adjustments for 2021 and 2022 totaling $104k.
Here is a tentative schedule showing when we are planning to process the remaining adjustments for 2021, 2022, and 2023.
Note: We are in the process of rescheduling blanket royalty adjustments for Deezer, which we had initially planned to process in August. We will update the schedule once we determine their new distribution window.
Since April 2024, we have been distributing matched historical royalties for usage that took place during the Phono 3 rate period in sets. For each set of royalties from a given DSP (or DSPs), we first distribute matched historical royalties for previously unpaid uses reported by the DSP(s) concerned, then we aim to distribute matched historical royalties for previously partially paid uses from the same DSP(s) the following month.
This month, we distributed the first set of royalties for LiveOne (f/k/a LiveXLive and Slacker, Inc.) and Trebel in the amount of $186k. Because LiveOne transferred less than the total amount of historical unmatched royalties it reported to The MLC, we prorated the payments they made on a per stream basis across all of the previously unmatched streams they reported, and we then included in this month’s distribution those royalties we were able to match to works registered with The MLC.
Overall, The MLC has been able to match and distribute nearly $227 million — or more than 57 percent — of the $397 million in previously unmatched historical royalties that DSPs transferred to us in 2021. To read more about the historical royalties we have distributed so far, click here:
If you’re a Class B Member, now is the time to cast your vote for the two Class B publisher seats up for election this year. Ballots were sent on August 12 to eligible Class B Members in an email from Votenet Solutions/eBallot; if you haven’t received yours, check your spam or junk folder. The election results will be announced during the Annual Membership Meeting on October 1, and the candidates receiving the most votes will be recommended to the U.S. Librarian of Congress for appointment to The MLC’s Board of Directors. The voting period will close at 11:59 p.m. CT on Tuesday, September 23, 2025.
We’re excited to share our latest updates to The MLC Portal. Here’s what’s new this month.
New Bulk Capabilities in the Overclaims Tool
We’ve introduced two new features in the Overclaims Tool to further streamline the overclaims process for our Members.
An overclaim occurs when the total ownership shares submitted by all Members for a registered work add up to more than 100%. The Overclaims Tool allows Members to view affected works and communicate directly with the other Members claiming shares to resolve the overclaim.
In April, we added a document upload feature to the Overclaims Tool, enabling Members to upload documentation supporting their claims of shares directly through The MLC Portal. Now, we’ve added a bulk document upload feature, giving Members the capability to submit supporting documentation for multiple works at a time.
We’ve also introduced bulk relinquishment to make it easier for Members to relinquish previously claimed shares for multiple works at the same time. Members needing to relinquish shares on multiple works can now select all of the relevant works and relinquish their shares in those works simultaneously.
Updated Account Setup
At The MLC, we’re always working to make sure you can receive your royalties as quickly and efficiently as possible. To help streamline the process, Members will now be asked to complete their banking and tax information in The MLC Portal before they can register any works.
This update helps ensure every Member is fully set up to receive payments and has a valid payee registered on their account before building their catalog. Additionally, it will further strengthen our ability to prevent fraudulent claims to works and royalties.
Stay tuned for more updates and enhancements coming soon!
Join us on Wednesday, August 27 for “Register Your Rights 101: Your Guide to Song Royalties.” Whether you're just starting out or looking to sharpen your skills, this webinar walks you through the essential steps to properly register your songs and collect the royalties you’ve earned. Learn how to protect your rights, avoid common pitfalls, and make sure you’re set up to get paid — every time your music is streamed. To register, click here. You can see our full schedule of upcoming webinars here.
As a valued Member of The MLC, your feedback is essential in helping us build the tools and resources that work best for you. We’ve created a brief survey to gather your input on how we can better serve you. It will only take 5-10 minutes to complete. The survey is open now through Friday, August 29. Thank you for helping us make The MLC even better!
The MLC is excited to share that four panels featuring team members from The MLC are up for selection at SXSW 2026. These sessions will cover building a sustainable career in the music industry, the impact of women shaping the industry, the role of technology and transparency in rights management, and navigating the song registration process. Now you have the chance to vote to see these panels at SXSW 2026!
To vote, click the links below. You will be prompted to sign in or create an account. Then click the heart by the panel title to cast your vote.
