The MLC (The Mechanical Licensing Collective)

The Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC) is a non-profit organization designated by the U.S. Copyright Office under the Music Modernization Act (MMA). Its primary function is to administer blanket mechanical licenses to eligible digital service providers (DSPs) in the United States. The MLC collects mechanical royalties from these DSPs—such as Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music—and distributes them to the correct songwriters, composers, lyricists, and music publishers. It is responsible for creating and maintaining a comprehensive public database of musical works ownership information.