The Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC)

Story by SOCAN | Thursday February 11th, 2021

You may have been reading lately about the Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC) that launched on Jan. 1,  2021. Provided you’re a client of SOCAN for reproduction rights, and have granted us the right to collect in the U.S on your behalf, SOCAN has you covered.

The MLC was created to issue mechanical (also known as reproduction) licenses to eligible streaming and download services in the United States, and to distribute those royalties to stakeholders, like SOCAN, on behalf of their reproduction rights clients.  The MLC will be processing trillions of pieces of data, including data associated with significant monies in unclaimed royalties from performances that could not be matched previously to the correct rights holders. The centralized database is designed to make efficient matching and distribution of current and future royalties a reality.

SOCAN has been collecting international reproduction royalties for a long time through agencies such as Harry Fox Agency and MRI and has now added the MLC as a partner. If you’re a SOCAN reproduction rights client, we already have your data and are working closely with the MLC to ensure the smooth transition of your works information into their systems.

We’re excited by the new relationship with the MLC to get you the mechanical rights royalties you’ve earned. It will take time for the MLC to ingest all the data. They expect to process their first distribution in the second quarter of 2021.

It’s important that all music creators’ works are represented in the MLC database accurately and thoroughly so that they can receive all the money that they’ve earned, or will earn, in the U.S. from reproductions of their music. Provided you’re a client of SOCAN for reproduction rights and have granted SOCAN the right to collect in the U.S on your behalf, you’re covered.

What more can you do as a SOCAN member? 

  1. Make sure you’re a SOCAN Reproduction Rights client. If you’re a publisher or a self-published writer, and you aren’t yet a SOCAN reproduction rights client, contact us at reproduction@socan.com to see if your catalogue, or part of your catalogue, is eligible for representation by SOCAN. **Important SOCAN can only represent you for works for which you are the copyright owner, whether in part or wholly-owned.
  2. Ensure all of your works are registered and up-to-date in SOCAN’s system here. If any of your works are missing or if you need access credentials, contact reproduction@socan.com.
  3. Check that you’ve granted SOCAN a license to collect your reproduction rights in the United States. If you’re not sure, or would like more information, or have any questions ,contact us at reproduction@socan.com.

“Your Music Your Future” website partners with CISAC

Story by CISAC | Thursday February 18th, 2021

An education campaign created in the U.S. to inform creators on the growing practice of copyright buyouts is being extended globally with a new online resource, Your Music Your Future International. The global education site explains creators’ remuneration options,  and the ramifications of accepting buyouts for their work.

Composers and songwriters for film, television and other audio-visual media have depended for more than a century on a “typical deal” which allows them to collect royalty income in exchange for granting their copyrights to broadcasters, digital streaming services, and other users of their works.

Today, across the globe, that 100-year precedent is increasingly being challenged by companies who insist that composers accept buyouts of their rights (including performing rights) as a condition of being employed or commissioned for a project. In this scenario, composers are expected to create music in exchange for a one-time fee, instead of receiving continuing income for their work.

The new website covers topics including the options of royalties vs. buyouts, the typical use of buyout clauses in contracts, and the different laws governing buyouts internationally. The initiative is also supported by CIAM, the International Council of Music Creators.

CISAC President, ABBA co-founder Björn Ulvaeus says, “In the post-COVID world, the issue of copyright buyouts matters more to creators than ever before. Artists, composers, and authors have to be aware of their rights, understand their options, and make informed choices on the way they’re paid. Their future livelihoods depend on it.”

Photo by Heather Pollock

Video: The Breakdown – “What do you need in order to mix a record?”

Story by Howard Druckman | Thursday February 11th, 2021

Words & Music is pleased to extend its helpful “how-to” series for our members, “The Breakdown,” into the realm of short, question-and-answer videos.

 In this episode, former SOCAN A&R Representative Racquel Villagante talks with Toronto-based mixing and mastering engineer Jason Dufour, who worked as an assistant at the legendary Phase One, and was later hired as staff engineer at Revolution Recording. Jay has since gone independent and is quickly joining the ranks of the industry’s elite. Dufour has mixed consecutive No. 1 singles for July Talk, and won Recording Engineer of the Year at the 2017 JUNO Awards for his work on their Alternative Album of the Year-winning release Touch. Known for his relentless work ethic, creativity, and meticulous attention to detail, Jay has dedicated his life to the art of mixing records.

Our question this time is, “What do you need in order to mix a record?”