In the United States, a publishing administrator can register and collect composition royalties for you, but it does not automatically replace The MLC, a performing rights organization (PRO), or SoundExchange. Those services cover different rights and royalty streams. If you have an administrator, first confirm which songs and ownership shares it handles; then check separately that your other eligible royalties have a collection route.
Collection and administration are related, but not the same
A musical work—the composition, including its lyrics and melody—and a sound recording are separate rights. A single song can therefore generate royalties through more than one system. “Royalty collection” describes receiving and distributing a particular type of royalty. “Publishing administration” describes managing composition-related rights and collection tasks under an agreement, potentially across multiple systems.
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The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) describes its role as administering digital audio mechanical royalties for musical works. It does not replace PROs or SoundExchange, which handle other rights. The MLC’s explanation of its scope is at How It Works.
Who collects which U.S. royalties?
| Organization or service | What it handles | What an artist should check |
|---|---|---|
| The MLC | U.S. digital audio mechanical royalties for musical works under the blanket license. | Who is authorized to collect each work’s relevant share: you, a publisher, an administrator, or a collective management organization (CMO). |
| PRO | Public-performance royalties for musical works, including the respective writer and publisher shares. | Whether you and, where applicable, your publisher or administrator have the appropriate PRO affiliations. |
| SoundExchange | U.S. digital performance royalties for featured artists and sound-recording copyright owners when recordings play on non-interactive digital services. | Whether you are eligible on the recording side and have registered in the relevant capacity. SoundExchange says it does not currently collect or distribute royalties for songwriters or publishers. |
| Publishing administrator | Composition-related registration and collection tasks specified by the agreement. | Which works, shares, rights, and territories the agreement covers, and which collection organizations the administrator works with. |
The MLC’s U.S. examples of PROs are ASCAP, BMI, GMR, SESAC, and AllTrack. Its explanation of PRO membership and the distinctions between these services appears in Connect to Collect. SoundExchange’s scope and eligibility information is in its Frequently Asked Questions and its answer to whether songwriters or publishers should register.
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What The MLC does—and who needs a collection route
The U.S. Copyright Office designated The MLC to collect and distribute mechanical royalty payments under Title I of the Music Modernization Act. The law’s new blanket-license system took effect on January 1, 2021; writers and music publishers seeking payment through that system must be registered with The MLC through its portal, either directly or through an authorized representative. See the U.S. Copyright Office’s Music Modernization Act page.
The MLC receives usage data and royalties from covered digital service providers, matches reported streams and downloads to registered songs, calculates royalties, and pays members monthly. Membership is free, according to The MLC. A songwriter does not necessarily have to register directly: The MLC says an eligible publisher, publishing administrator, or CMO may collect on a member’s behalf. The important point is that each eligible share needs a valid collection route.
Does a publishing administrator mean you do not need The MLC?
Not necessarily. If your administrator is authorized to collect your U.S. digital audio mechanical royalties, it may register the covered songs and shares with The MLC and collect your share on your behalf. The MLC advises writers to confirm this with the administrator and check that the songs and claims appear in its Public Work Search. Its guidance is in Connect to Collect.
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Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →If you are self-administered for a work or share, you may need to handle its registration and collection route yourself. The MLC distinguishes fully self-administered writers, who control all their works, from partially self-administered writers, who control some works while a publisher administers others. See What is a self-administered songwriter? Do not assume that one administrator covers your entire catalog just because it handles some of it.
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Why PRO membership and SoundExchange remain separate checks
PROs collect composition public-performance royalties
The MLC says writers and other relevant parties still need PRO membership to collect their respective writer and publisher shares of musical-work public-performance royalties. An administrator’s agreement may include some related management, but that does not establish that it replaces your PRO affiliation. Check the agreement and your PRO records rather than treating MLC registration as a substitute.
SoundExchange collects eligible recording-side royalties
SoundExchange covers a different stream: digital performance royalties on non-interactive digital services for featured artists and sound-recording copyright owners. It explicitly says it does not currently collect or distribute songwriter or publisher royalties. If you are both a recording artist and a songwriter, you may therefore need separate composition-side arrangements and recording-side registration, depending on your role and rights.
A practical audit for your catalog
- Make a work-and-share inventory. List each composition, its co-writers, ownership shares, and any publisher or administration agreement. Separate works that are fully self-administered from those administered in whole or in part by someone else.
- Identify who can register and collect each share. For every work, determine who controls the relevant rights and who is authorized to register and collect them. Do not assume that a deal covering one share covers co-writers’ shares or your entire catalog.
- Ask your administrator for its precise scope. Confirm which works and shares it covers, whether it registers them with The MLC, and whether it has claimed the correct shares. Then use The MLC Public Work Search to verify that the works and claims appear.
- Check composition public-performance collection separately. Confirm the appropriate writer and publisher PRO affiliations for your circumstances; The MLC’s mechanical-royalty role does not cover that PRO function.
- Check recording-side eligibility separately. If you are a featured artist or sound-recording copyright owner, review SoundExchange’s registration guidance for the applicable role.
- If you are outside the U.S., check your existing representation first. Local CMOs and contracts can change the route. The MLC notes that some CMOs may already administer and collect U.S. digital mechanical royalties for their members, citing MCPS in the U.K., AMCOS in Australia, and SACM in Mexico. Ask your CMO what it represents and verify how your agreement handles U.S. collections before joining The MLC directly.
How to compare self-administration with an administrator
Neither route is automatically right for every writer. Self-administration means you control the relevant works and handle the associated tasks; an administrator may take on agreed registration and collection work. A publisher under a separate publishing deal is another possible arrangement. Compare the actual authority and services in the contract, not just the label used to describe the provider.
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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware match- Rights and royalty types: Which composition rights and royalty streams are included? Do not infer PRO or recording-side coverage from a promise to administer mechanical royalties.
- Territory: Which countries and collection systems does the agreement cover?
- Catalog and shares: Which works and ownership portions are included, and how are new works added?
- Authority: Who can register, license, or collect each share, and does that authority overlap with another representative?
- Registration, matching, and reporting: What support is provided, how can you verify claims, and what statements will you receive?
- Cost and commission: Check the agreement for fees or commission; terms vary by provider and are not established by a general description of publishing administration.
- Term and exit: Review the agreement length, termination process, and how registrations and collection authority transfer when the relationship ends.
Current provider fees and contract terms need to be checked directly in the agreement. No single administrator’s scope or price can be assumed from the general role of publishing administration.
Where this U.S. map does not automatically apply
The organizations and collection routes described here concern U.S. systems, including The MLC’s U.S. blanket license. Other countries may use different collecting societies, CMOs, representation arrangements, or contract terms. If you live outside the United States—or have international representation—confirm which organization handles each territory and royalty type before registering independently or changing an existing arrangement.
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