Copyright Office Keeps Music Royalty Collectives in Place
Published Date: 6/3/2026
Notice
Summary
The U.S. Copyright Office reviewed and decided to keep the Mechanical Licensing Collective and Digital Licensee Coordinator in charge of music licensing. This means artists and music companies can expect the same system to keep collecting and sharing royalties smoothly. The decision takes effect June 3, 2026, so everyone involved should stay tuned for ongoing royalty payments and licensing updates.
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.
Established Royalty System and Payments
The Office noted that the MLC has compiled ownership data for more than 53 million works, grown membership to over 80,000 copyright owners, achieved a matching ratio of approximately 92%, and has distributed approximately $3.9 billion in royalties. Continuing the designation maintains the entity that has performed these collection and distribution functions.
MLC and DLC Designations Continued
The U.S. Copyright Office decided to continue the existing designations of the Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC) and the Digital Licensee Coordinator (DLC). This decision takes effect June 3, 2026, so the current system for administering the section 115 statutory blanket mechanical license remains in place.
Songwriter Hub Gives Direct Access
In October 2025 the MLC released a Songwriter Hub that lets any songwriter with registered works build and export a catalog of their registered works and submit correction requests to update writer names and IPI numbers. This tool provides songwriters a direct way to view and request updates to their registered data.
Operational Tools, Data Format, and Limits
The MLC reports it processes between 80% and 90% of incoming registrations in any given month within 21 days after the month ends. The MLC provides bulk data in DDEX format and operates an Overclaims Tool that some commenters say only permits resolution of claims made within the last 90 days. Commenters raised that API access, registration, and claiming bottlenecks and data-format issues can hinder smaller users.
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