Students

The MLC has developed resources designed to help music industry, songwriting, and composition students at colleges and universities learn more about our organization and our work to achieve The MLC's mission. Check back often for new resources.

Student Ambassadors

The MLC Student Ambassador volunteer program provides U.S. college and university students the opportunity to earn the designation “MLC Student Ambassador” through an assessment of their knowledge about The MLC, and commitment to continued dissemination of information about The MLC. Program activities take place for 10 weeks during an academic period and can usually be completed in less than 20 minutes per week. During the time periods when applications are being accepted, you can click here to find the job posting on our Careers page. In the job posting you will also find a list of the benefits that participants in the program for the specific academic period will receive. Application availability dates are as follows:

Applications for the Winter/Spring Academic Period will be accepted from January 5, 2026 to January 11, 2026 (program starts on January 12)

Applications for the Summer Academic Period will be accepted from April 15, 2026 to May 10, 2026 (program starts on May 11)

Applications for the Fall Academic Period will be accepted from August 17, 2026 to September 13, 2026 (program starts on September 14)

For Student Ambassadors: The MLC Educational Event Support Program

We are excited to help you host an MLC Educational Event on your campus or in your community! Our Educational Event Support Program provides funds that can be used to towards minor expenses incurred when you host an event, such as food, beverages, and meeting room/classroom rental. Click here for more information and to request support.

Free Online Micro-Courses

The MLC offers several free online micro-courses to help music creators, students, and industry professionals learn about protecting music rights, collecting royalties, and The MLC. Click here to view a list of courses and sign up to access them.

Assignment Ideas and Materials

Below are some topics which might be suitable for academic paper or project assignments, with links to useful related materials.

The MLC’s Operations and Key Metrics

About The MLC in 60 seconds The MLC 2024 Annual Report The MLC’s Newsletter Archive

How digital music royalties flow to rightsholders

The Digital Music Royalties Landscape diagram

How the Statutory Royalty Rates are calculated

Rates

Metadata in the Music Industry

Identifiers

The MLC Metadata to Dollars

How to find your IPI

The MLC’s Publicly Available Musical Works Data

Copyright law section 115 (d)(3)(E) Musical Works Database

The MLC’s Public Search

The MLC’s Bulk Data Access Subscription

How The MLC is Governed

Copyright law section 115(d)(3)(D) Governance

The MLC Governance and Bylaws

Historical Unmatched Royalties

Copyright law section 115(d)(10) Prior Unlicensed Uses

The MLC and Historical Unmatched Royalties