The US Copyright Office has named the Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC) as the official entity tasked with licensing and administering rights under the new Music Modernization Act (MMA).
The MLC was backed by many major industries organizations including National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA), the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI), and the Songwriters of North America (SONA). But a group of prominent indie players had united as American Mechanical Licensing Collective (AMLC) to offer an alternative.
The MLC is now tasked with negotiating a budget with the streaming services who, by law, must fund the collective. It will also name a vendor to provide administration and matching services and of a portal for publishers and songwriters to manage their rights and royalties.
The MLC has already named a board which includes chairman Alisa Coleman (ABKCO) and directors Jeff Brabec (BMG), Peter Brodsky (Sony/ATV), Bob Bruderman (Kobalt), Tim Cohan (Peermusic), Scott Cutler (Pulse Music Group), Paul Kahn (Warner/Chappell Music), David Kokakis (UMPG), Mike Molinar (Big Machine Music), Evelyn Paglinawan (Concord Music), Kara DioGuardi(Songs by KDG), Oak Felder (Crow’s Tree Publishing), Kevin Kadish (We Are Made of Music), and Tim Nichols (THiS Music).
Non-voting board members include NMPA EVP & GC Danielle Aguirre and NSAI Executive Director Bart Herbison.