Royalties
The MLC and mechanical royalties
The MLC collects and pays digital audio mechanical royalties for streams and downloads in the U.S., so songwriters and publishers should register with it. For downloads and physical copies the 2026 statutory rate is 13.1 cents per work or 2.52 cents per minute, whichever is larger.
Key takeaways
A different job from your PRO
Your PRO collects performance royalties. The MLC collects mechanical royalties for streaming and downloads.
Free to connect
The MLC says connecting is free, and it pays Members monthly.
The rate changes yearly
For downloads and physical copies 2026 is 13.1 cents per work or 2.52 cents per minute, whichever is larger.
What The MLC does
The MLC administers blanket mechanical licenses for eligible streaming and download services in the United States. It collects the royalties due under those licenses and pays self-administered songwriters, composers and lyricists, music publishers and administrators, and collective management organizations. The MLC · checked October 20, 2026
- Services send it data and money. Each month, streaming and download services under the blanket license send The MLC their usage data and royalties.
- It matches uses to songs. It matches the reported streams and downloads to the songs that Members have registered and calculates what is owed.
- It pays Members monthly. Only registered songs can be matched, so register yours.
Who should register
The MLC says anyone entitled to receive digital audio mechanical royalties for use of their music in the U.S. should become a Member. That means songwriters, composers and lyricists who self-administer, and publishers and administrators. If a publisher or administrator already handles your mechanicals, ask whether your songs are registered. Members register songs in the Member Hub inside The MLC Portal.
About the calculator’s rate
For physical copies and permanent downloads, the Copyright Royalty Judges set the royalty for each work at a fixed amount: for 2026, 13.1 cents or 2.52 cents per minute of playing time (or fraction of a minute), whichever is larger. A three-minute song earns the per-work rate; a song over five minutes can earn more at the per-minute rate. The rate is adjusted for inflation every January. Federal Register: cost-of-living adjustment · checked October 20, 2026
Streaming is different. The MLC works out streaming mechanicals from the usage and royalties that streaming services report, so there is no simple per-stream figure to multiply here. For recording-side streaming income see the streaming royalties calculator.
Questions people ask
What is The MLC?
The Mechanical Licensing Collective administers blanket mechanical licenses for eligible streaming and download services in the United States. It collects the royalties due under those licenses and pays songwriters, composers, lyricists, music publishers and administrators.
Do I need to join The MLC if I am in ASCAP or BMI?
Yes, they do different jobs. A PRO collects performance royalties. The MLC collects digital audio mechanical royalties for streams and downloads. The MLC says anyone entitled to receive them should become a Member.
Does it cost anything to join?
The MLC says connecting with it is free.
How often does The MLC pay?
The MLC says it distributes royalties to Members on a monthly basis.
What is a mechanical royalty?
It is the royalty for reproducing and distributing a musical work, for example in a download. The MLC handles it for eligible streaming and download services.
Does this calculator work for streaming?
No. It covers permanent downloads and physical copies, where the statutory rate is a fixed amount per copy. For streaming, The MLC matches the usage and calculates what is owed from what streaming services report.
Is the rate the same every year?
No. The Copyright Royalty Judges adjust the physical and download rate each year for inflation. This page uses the 2026 rate (13.1 cents per work or 2.52 cents per minute, whichever is larger).