On June 3, 2026, the U.S. Copyright Office announced the continued designation of The Mechanical Licensing Collective and the Digital Licensee Coordinator under the Music Modernization Act.

How the rights and registrations work

The MLC administers a blanket mechanical licensing system for qualifying U.S. digital activities involving compositions. The continued designation reflects the Office’s periodic review and does not mean that every song is already correctly matched or that every royalty has been claimed.

What a rights holder should do

Songwriters and publishers should review their work records and administrator relationships, make sure claimed shares reflect contracts and keep evidence of any unmatched recordings. The MLC is not a distributor of every kind of music royalty.

Original source and related Utopian services

Read the original guidance. Visit music publishing administration, royalty collection or contact Utopian for catalog-related assistance.

Published October 20, 2026. Educational information only. Confirm rights, contracts, current statutes and organization rules before making filings or licensing decisions.