In this newsletter, we highlight key metrics from this month’s royalty distribution, details on two new tech enhancements in The MLC Portal, and information on how to suggest candidates for open songwriter seats on our Board of Directors and advisory committees.
It was great connecting with many of you at the Music Biz conference in Atlanta! Once again, The MLC was excited to sponsor the first day’s Music Biz Roadshow, where we were able to connect with many creators. We also took part in several panels and workshops covering key topics like music business education, streaming royalties, technology and metadata, and emerging legal issues such as streaming fraud.
In this newsletter, we highlight key metrics from this month’s royalty distribution, details on two new tech enhancements in The MLC Portal, and information on how to suggest candidates for open songwriter seats on our Board of Directors and advisory committees.
The MLC completed its fifth royalty distribution of the year on May 14, bringing us to 50 total royalty distributions since we began full operations — all of which were completed on time or early. May’s distribution primarily covered newly reported usage that took place in February 2025. The total of all royalty pools reported to The MLC for this cycle was approximately $72.8 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 more than 85 percent of the total royalty pools reported to us by DSPs for their February 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 $69.9 million in royalties and distributed approximately $52.3 million to our Members. To learn more about our May 2025 distribution, click here:
We continue to process adjustments to blanket usage from 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 May distribution, we processed blanket royalty adjustments totaling $5.5 million.
At the same time, we continued to process adjustments for 2023 delivered to us by certain DSPs in connection with their Annual Reports of Usage (ARoU), which reflected an overpayment of $3k. To the extent any of these adjustments pertained to works in your catalog, you will see them identified on your statement by the category type ["Adjustments"], along with the names of the specific DSP for which the adjustment was made.
Please note that in the April newsletter, we incorrectly stated the ARoU overpayment as $50k. The correct amount was $1.5 million. We apologize for the error.
Since April 2024, we have been distributing matched historical royalties 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 second set of royalties for Amazon Music in the amount of $5.9 million.
We also continued to reprocess the remaining unmatched historical royalties from previous distributions. This month’s distribution included newly matched historical royalties for uses that took place between 2007 and 2017 during the Phono 1 and 2 rate periods, and between 2018 and 2020 during the Phono 3 rate period. As a result of reprocessing these remaining unmatched historical usages, we were able to distribute approximately $477k in additional historical royalties this month, plus interest, from a number of digital services.
Overall, The MLC has been able to match and distribute more than $223 million — or more than 56 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:
This month, we’ve made two new enhancements designed to make navigating your data in The MLC Portal more efficient.
Auto-Complete in Member Catalog & Public Search Searching just got easier! Now, when you search for a work title, writer name, or other details in the Member Catalog or Public Search, an auto-complete feature will help fill in information from your catalog, allowing you to search more efficiently.
New Sorting Filter in Match History
This month, we’ve made enhancements to your Match History, where you can now sort your matches by the date they were last updated. To use this new filter, simply navigate to Match History in The MLC Portal, click the “Filters” button on the right, and select “Last Updated” from the side menu.
We hope you find these updates helpful. Keep an eye out for more enhancements coming soon!
The MLC is accepting suggestions of songwriter candidates for its Board of Directors, Dispute Resolution Committee, and Unclaimed Royalties Oversight Committee. The terms of several songwriter seats on The MLC’s Board and committees are slated to end later this year. Open seats include:
One (1) songwriter seat on the Board of Directors;
Two (2) songwriter seats on the Dispute Resolution Committee, which recommends policies and procedures to The MLC’s Board for the processing of royalties related to works that are subject to disputes over ownership; and
One (1) songwriter seat on the Unclaimed Royalties Oversight Committee, which recommends policies and procedures to The MLC’s Board related to the distribution of unclaimed accrued royalties.
More information on The MLC’s Board of Directors and advisory committees can be found here. To suggest a candidate, please complete this form by June 12, 2025. The MLC will submit all recommendations it receives to the Board’s Songwriter Nominating Committee for consideration.
Understanding digital music royalties can be complex — but we’re here to help! Our YouTube channel offers a range of educational videos designed to help rightsholders navigate the digital music landscape with confidence. Check out all of our educational videos — including our new video for international rightsholders and an on-demand webinar focused on helping creators build lasting financial success — and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss any new content!
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