How to Join The MLC
By Written by Peter McVeigh
If you handle your own publishing, this is how you collect US streaming and download mechanicals.
The MLC pays US digital mechanical royalties to songwriters who administer their own songs. It's free. If a publisher or administrator already collects these for you, you probably don't need to become a Member, so check with them first.
I checked the details in this guide on 4 November 2026. Fees and rules change, so check each organization's own page before you rely on them.
Member or Songwriter Hub?
The MLC has two routes:
Member Hub: for people entitled to collect from The MLC. This includes self-administered writers.
Songwriter Hub: for creators whose publisher or administrator collects for them. You can organize your catalog and submit corrections.
If you only administer some songs, you need to be a Member for those.
Get your IPI numbers first
An IPI identifies you as a rightsholder, and you get one from your PRO. The MLC says self-administered writers "can and should have BOTH a writer IPI and a publisher IPI". It recommends your publisher IPI for the Member profile and your writer IPI on song registrations. So joining a PRO first makes this easier.
The steps
Step 1: Sign up as a user of The MLC Portal. You share personal details so it can verify your identity, then set a username and password.
Step 2: Tell it your role. Your answers decide which Hub you get.
Step 3: Create a Member. In your Profile, open the Members tab and click Create a Member. The MLC advises not using the same name as your writer name.
Step 4: Complete identity verification. It shows as Pending, usually for 24 to 48 hours.
Step 5: Add banking and tax information. You can't manage your catalog without it.
Step 6: Register your works. Do them one at a time, or use a bulk file for a large catalog. You don't need audio files.
Step 7: Use the Matching Tool. Link recordings to your songs.
Step 8: Add any users, such as a manager.
Check for money waiting
The MLC's Missing Member Lookup lists rightsholders who aren't yet Members but may be entitled to royalties. It's worth searching your name and publishing name.
Which situation are you in?
You are: What to do
Self-published with no administrator: Become a Member and register your catalog
Self-published on some songs, signed on others: Become a Member for the songs you administer
Signed to a publisher or administrator for everything: Ask them first. The Songwriter Hub lets you view and correct data
A publisher with an HFA online account: You'll still need a Member to add tax and banking details
What to have ready
Every song title, as released, and any alternate titles.
Every writer and publisher, with their IPI numbers where you have them.
The agreed share for each, and who controls each share.
Your ISRCs, so you can match recordings.
Your banking and tax details.
The MLC calls accurate song data the key to being paid properly. A little preparation here is the difference between a quick job and a slow one.
Common mistakes
Registering only your own share and forgetting to list your co-writer.
Using your writer IPI where The MLC recommends your publisher IPI.
Stopping at registration and not checking matches.
Not finishing bank and tax details.
Assuming your distributor handles this because it sends you streaming income.
What The MLC doesn't do
It doesn't replace your other registrations. Performance royalties need a PRO, sound recordings go to SoundExchange, and copyright registration goes to the US Copyright Office. Members based outside the US should check whether a local society already collects this money, because The MLC warns about that.
What to do next
Check who administers your songs. If it's you, join and register everything, then search for matches. Read What Does The MLC Actually Pay You? to see where the money comes from.
Sources
The MLC, Get started: https://www.themlc.com/get-started
The MLC, New member checklist: https://help.themlc.com/en/support/new-to-the-mlc
The MLC, What is a Member?: https://help.themlc.com/en/support/what-is-a-member
The MLC, All about the IPI: https://pages.themlc.com/ipi-numbers
The MLC, Play Your Part FAQ: https://www.themlc.com/faqs/categories/play-your-part
The MLC, Connect to Collect FAQ: https://www.themlc.com/faqs/categories/connect-collect
Disclaimer
General information, not legal, tax or financial advice.