We’re thrilled to share that The MLC has been recognized as one of Fast Company’s World’s Most Innovative Companies of 2025! This recognition is a testament to our commitment to driving innovation and efficiency in the administration of mechanical royalties to better serve our Members and the wider industry.

Thank you for your continued collaboration and partnership in supporting our mission to empower creators. Your ongoing efforts and shared commitment have been integral to our progress. To read more, click here.

Recently, we shared our 2024 Annual Royalty Recap with our Members. In it, we highlighted the key cumulative metrics for our 2024 distributions; updated cumulative metrics for our 2021, 2022, and 2023 distributions; and updated our cumulative total royalties distributed across all four of those years (as of the February 2025 distribution).

Here are the key takeaways from the report:

• 2024 Royalty Distributions – For the 12 monthly distributions in 2024, The MLC processed $1.05 billion in total royalty pools reported to us by DSPs, directly distributed $814.7 million in royalties to our Members, and processed usage covered by voluntary licenses maintained by DSPs valued at an additional $45.0 million — bringing our total royalties distributed for the year to $859.7 million.
• Impact of Reprocessing – As a result of our continued efforts to reprocess the remaining royalties we were not able to distribute in our initial distributions, using the new data we received from members after each initial distribution, we were able to pay out more than $132 million in additional royalties: approximately $46.5 million from usage initially processed in distributions completed in 2021, approximately $41.7 million from usage initially processed in distributions completed in 2022, and approximately $44.4 million from usage initially processed in distributions completed in 2023. These additional royalties distributed correspondingly reduced the amount of unpaid royalties we were holding for the usage initially processed during those periods.
• Four Years of Royalty Distributions – In our first four years of distributing royalties, The MLC distributed over $2.7 billion in total royalties (more than $2.5 billion in blanket royalties and an estimated $227 million in voluntary royalties when calculated by applying the statutory rates).

For additional comparative metrics (for our 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 distributions), please check out the full recap:

The MLC has created a new Songwriter Toolkit, a comprehensive resource designed to help independent songwriters navigate the world of streaming royalties and get started with The MLC.

The Songwriter Toolkit includes a step-by-step guide on how to become a Member of The MLC and start collecting royalties, along with a checklist to ensure songwriters are receiving all the publishing royalties they’re entitled to — and much more.

Check out the Songwriter Toolkit and be sure to share it with any independent songwriters you know who haven’t joined The MLC yet!

MusicRow Magazine: The MLC Launches ‘Taking Care Of Your Music Business’ Podcast

Music Business Worldwide: The MLC Makes Four Advisory Committee Appointments

Music Connection Magazine: The MLC Celebrates Black History Month with its Continued ‘Black History-in-the-Making’ Series

Hypebot: Songwriter Mechanical Royalties & The Importance of The MLC

Fast Company: How These 10 Most Innovative Companies are Changing the Music Industry

Billboard: Nonprofit Organization Women in Music Names Best Places to Work in the Industry

© 2025 Mechanical Licensing Collective. All rights reserved.