Frequently Asked Questions

Play Your Part

Where can I find answers about The MLC portal?

You can find information about The MLC Portal and more in our Help Center.

What does it mean to Play Your Part?

Play Your Part™ means to help The MLC fulfill its important mission of paying royalties accurately and expeditiously for your benefit.

Which songs should I register with The MLC and why?

Musical works (songs) that have been recorded and made available on interactive or permanent download audio digital service providers (DSPs) in the United States, and whose United States copyright protection has not expired, should be registered with The MLC. The only way to receive digital audio mechanical royalties due to you from DSPs operating under the compulsory blanket mechanical license is to register your songs with The MLC.

How are musical works registered with The MLC?

As a Member of The MLC, there are three ways to register your works:

1. Register one work at a time directly in the Member Hub within The MLC Portal by selecting Works Registration from the side menu, then clicking Individual Work Registration from the drop-down options. For step-by-step instructions, click here.

2. Upload your registrations in bulk in the Member Hub using the Bulk Work Registration template. Information about how to download, prepare, and submit a Bulk Work Registration file is available in the Member Hub. You can also click here to view a tutorial video that will guide you through the process.

3. Send us a Common Works Registration (CWR) file. CWR is a globally recognized registration format overseen by CISAC and is a more efficient method if you have a large volume (hundreds or thousands) of works to register. For the user guide with technical setup instructions and CWR best practices, click here.

For additional information regarding the registration of medley works, click here.

The MLC Portal is accessible on both desktop and mobile devices, so you can register your works anytime, anywhere. When you register musical works with The MLC, you will not need to submit any audio files.

Does it cost anything to register a musical work with The MLC?

There is no cost to register a musical work with The MLC.

Do I still need to register my musical works with other organizations like PROs?

Registering your musical works with The MLC does not replace other registration activities that a music publisher, administrator, or self-administered songwriter, composer, or lyricist should consider, such as registering their works with a performing rights organization in order to receive public performance royalties, or with the U.S. Copyright Office. For self-administered writers who are also recording artists, you should register your sound recordings with SoundExchange.

What languages does The MLC Portal support?

The screen text of The MLC Portal is in American English; however, users can enter data, such as musical works titles, in most languages.

How do I get access to The MLC Portal?

The MLC Portal is accessible by clicking the gray Login button in the upper right-hand corner of our homepage, and is designed to work seamlessly on both desktop and mobile devices, making it accessible virtually anytime and anywhere via your phone, tablet, or computer.

To sign up, click the blue Get Started button in the upper right-hand corner of our homepage to start the process.

Do I need to tell you about sound recordings of my musical works?

The more information you provide us about sound recordings of your musical works, the more successful we will be at matching them to usage information reported to us by DSPs. You can provide us with the information when you register your musical works, or at a later time. You can submit any/all of the following information about sound recordings of your musical works:

Sound recording title
Sound recording version title (if applicable, e.g. Club Remix)
ISRC
Recording Artist name
Record Label name
Duration (i.e. playing time)

You can also use our Matching Tool to search for sound recordings of your musical works which have been used on digital services operating under the blanket license and recommend a match of those sound recordings to your musical works.

Do I need to tell you about sound recordings of my musical works?

Sound recording title
Sound recording version title (if applicable, e.g. Club Remix)
ISRC
Recording Artist name
Record Label name
Duration (i.e. playing time)

How does this work if my works are registered with a publishing administrator?

If you have assigned your rights to register your musical works and collect your mechanical royalties in the United States to a music publisher or publishing administrator, you do not need to become a Member of The MLC. Your publisher or administrator will handle your collection and registration. If you work with a music publisher or administrator in any capacity, please check with that music publisher or administrator before becoming a Member of The MLC.

What works should be registered with The MLC?

Musical works which have been recorded and made available on interactive or permanent download audio digital service providers in the United States, and whose United States copyright protection has not expired, should be registered with The MLC.

What if I co-wrote a song with someone else? Who needs to register it?

Each party who has the right to register their own musical works with The MLC, and collect their own mechanical royalties, should register their share of the work. For example, if there are two self-administered songwriters, composers, or lyricists who co-wrote a work, and each one has the right to register their own share, and collect mechanical royalties for their own share, then each party should become a Member of The MLC, and separately register their share of the work. To contrast this example with another, if co-writers create a legal entity, which they co-own, and which has been assigned the right to register the co-written musical work with The MLC, and collect the related mechanical royalties, then the legal entity will register 100% of the musical work and collect the royalties.

What is The MLC's Matching Tool?

The Matching Tool in The MLC Portal makes it easy for songwriters, publishers, and other rightsholders to connect their songs with the correct sound recordings used on digital services operating under the blanket license. The tool allows rightsholders to search for recordings and submit match recommendations for their registered songs.

Once submitted, The MLC’s Matching Team reviews each recommendation for accuracy. Approved matches are added to The MLC’s database, helping ensure that rightsholders receive the royalties they’ve earned whenever their songs are streamed or downloaded.

What is The MLC's Claiming Tool?

The MLC's Claiming Tool is a data management tool used by Members to search for musical works in The MLC's database to which they wish to register a claim. The tool provides Members with a way to reduce data entry by avoiding the need to set up a work from scratch in the database, and to ensure that all versions of their works in the database are claimed. The Claiming Tool is found within the Member Hub of The MLC Portal. Member claims are reviewed by The MLC before they are established in the database.

Categories:

The MLC Connect to Collect Music Industry Terminology Play Your Part

Royalty Payments Phono 3 Phono 4 Historical Unmatched: Impact of Prior Settlements

Resources

Learn more about music rights, royalties, and beyond

Songwriters

Publishers and Administrators

Digital Service Providers

Students and Educators

Lawyers

Stakeholders

Explore All Resources

Get Started

CONNECTING WITH THE MLC IS FREE AND EASY

Whether you’re an independent songwriter, a music publisher or administrator, a collective management organization, or someone looking to better manage your song data, The MLC is for YOU! Join today to connect your songs with the streaming royalties they’ve earned.

Click to learn more