The MLC Holds Annual Membership Meeting

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The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) held its Annual Membership Meeting on Tuesday (Sept. 29).

The organization has announced that the congressionally mandated process for distributing remaining unclaimed accrued royalties will begin in April 2027. Under the Music Modernization Act (MMA), The MLC is required to hold and continue efforts to match and distribute unclaimed accrued royalties, which include unmatched royalties and unclaimed royalties, for a minimum of three years before distributing any remaining royalties through a market share distribution process. Through this process, The MLC is required to distribute remaining unclaimed accrued royalties, plus applicable interest calculated at the statutory rate, to rightsholders based on their relative market shares. Information about the about the market share distribution process can be found here.

During the Annual Meeting, The MLC also highlighted its continued growth and progress over the first five years of its operations, culminating with the U.S. Register of Copyrights’ decision to continue The MLC’s designation as the statutory mechanical royalties collective established under the MMA. The organization has processed nearly $5 billion in total royalties and distributed more than $4.2 billion in total royalties to rightsholders. It has added more than 27,000 Members to date in 2026, adding to its over 100,000 members total.

“We’re proud of the progress The MLC has made since beginning operations in 2021 and we’re grateful to our Members and industry partners for their continued engagement and support,” says Kris Ahrend, CEO of The MLC. “Distributing more than $4.2 billion in total royalties to rightsholders is an important milestone. We’re grateful for the opportunity to continue our work following the Copyright Office’s decision to continue our designation. The start of market share distributions in April 2027 represents another important step in fulfilling The MLC’s statutory responsibilities under the MMA. We remain focused on carrying out that work and continuing to serve our Members and the broader rightsholder community.”

More information about the information shared at the Annual Meeting can be found here.

Lauryn Sink
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